ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the role and mechanism of chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) in renal injury and fibrosis caused by calcium oxalate crystals in mice.Methods:In June 2021, Fifteen male C57/BL6 mice were divided into control group (5 mice), model group (5 mice), and AMD3100 intervention group (5 mice) by random number table method. In model group and AMD3100 intervention group, glyoxylate (100 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneal for 7 consecutive days for modeling. Meanwhile, the AMD3100 intervention group was also given intraperitoneal injection of AMD3100 (1 mg/kg) for 7 days. The control group was continuously injected with equal volume saline intraperitoneally. After 7 days, peripheral blood was collected from each group to determine the levels of serum urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Scr) to assess the renal function; HE, Von-Kossa, Picrosirius Red staining was also taken from the left kidney to observe the pathological changes of renal tissue. CXCR4, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) were detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot. The expression levels of PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins were detected by western blot.Results:The results of biochemical indexes showed that the serum Scr [(108.03±13.56) μmol/L vs. (39.50±4.48)μmol/L, P<0.01)] and BUN[(5.66±0.48)mmol/L vs. (0.77±0.10)mmol/L, P<0.01) levels were significantly increased in model group compared with the control group. The AMD3100 intervention group was significantly lower than the model group in terms of Scr [(65.77±3.27)μmol/L vs. (108.03±13.56)μmol/L, P<0.05) and BUN [(2.97±0.44)mmol/L vs. (5.66±0.48)mmol/L, P<0.05) levels. The results of kidney pathology in mice showed that renal tubules were significantly dilated with inflammatory cell infiltration in the model group compared with the control group, and a large number of calcium oxalate crystals and collagen fibers were deposited. The extent of kidney damage, calcium oxalate crystals and collagen fibers deposition were significantly reduced in the AMD3100 intervention group compared with the model group. The results of western blotting showed that the relative expression of CXCR4(0.639±0.019 vs. 0.158±0.012, P<0.01) and TGF-β1(0.698+ 0.018 vs. 0.314+ 0.015, P<0.05) was significantly increased in the model group compared with the control group. The relative expression of CXCR4(0.322±0.231) in the AMD3100 intervention group compared with the model group (0.322±0.231 vs. 0.639±0.019, P<0.05) and TGF-β1(0.445+ 0.017 vs. 0.698+ 0.018, P<0.05) were significantly decreased. The results of immunohistochemical staining showed the trend of CXCR4 and TGF-β1 expression in each group consistent with the results of protein blotting assay. Western blotting results showed that the expression of p-PI3K (0.613±0.016 vs. 0.213±0.011, P<0.01) and p-AKT(0.149±0.013 vs. 0.047±0.014, P<0.01) was significantly increased in the model group compared with the control group. The expression of p-PI3K in the AMD3100 intervention group compared with the model group (0.292±0.020 vs. 0.613±0.016, P<0.05) and p-AKT (0.098±0.021 vs. 0.149±0.013, P<0.05)was significantly decreased. Conclusion:CXCR4 inhibits calcium oxalate crystal-induced kidney injury and interstitial fibrosis in mice by targeting the PI3K/AKT pathway.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the reproductive health status of female employees in an automobile manufacturing industry and its influencing factors. METHODS: By a method of convenient sampling, 989 female employees of an automobile manufacturer were selected as the study subjects. The Female Employees′ Reproductive Health Status Questionnaire was used to investigate and analyze the influencing factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of abnormal menstruation was 23.7%(234/989). The abnormal menstruation was mainly the menstrual cycle disorder, with the prevalence of 15.4%(152/989). The prevalence of reproductive tract infection was 39.1%(387/989), and the top 2 types of infection were cervicitis(12.7%) and vaginitis(12.1%). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of abnormal menstruation in night shift workers was higher than that in day shift workers(P<0.05). The risk of abnormal menstruation increased in female workers with the increase of work intensity(P<0.05). Female workers with a history of abortion had higher risk of abnormal menstruation and reproductive tract infection than those without a history of abortion(all P<0.05). Female workers with abnormal menstruation had a higher risk of reproductive tract infection than those with normal menstruation(P<0.01). Married employees had a higher risk of reproductive tract infection than unmarried ones(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The reproductive health of female workers in the automobile manufacturing industry is related to their marital status, work shift, work intensity and history of abortion.
ABSTRACT
NG-nitro-D-arginine (D-NNA) produced pressor responses in rats by acting via chiral inversion intoNG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA), an inhibitor of nitro oxide synthase. The present investigation aimed to study the roleof the D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) in chiral inversion of D-NNA and the relationship between DAAO activitieson various D-amino acids and their inversion rate. Benzoate (400 mg/kg) or creatinine (400 mg/kg), two inhibitorsof DAAO, blocked D-NNA-induced pressor responses in rats. Furthermore, the addition of the pure DAAOsignificantly potentiates L-NNA production rate in kidney homogenates by approximately 2-folds. The in vivo andin vitro results suggested that DAAO plays an essential role in the pressor responses elicited by D-NNA.Moreover, crude DAAO solution from the kidney showed marked selection (the maximal ratio of Kcat/Km wasnearly 15 times) on different D-amino acids that exhibited similar chiral inversion rate in vivo, suggesting that otherenzymes, such as transaminase, are also required for the entire process of D-NNA chiral inversion.
ABSTRACT
Survivin is a member of the IAP family, which has been shown to localize to various components of the mitotic apparatus. Survivin is not only an apoptosis inhibitor, but a mitotic regulator as well. Survivin is Absolutely undetectable in normal tissues, but over-expressed in all the most common human cancers. Survivin is considered as an important target in cancer treatment, and the research on its molecular antagonists has gained encouraging achievements.
ABSTRACT
An recombinant vector pCSV-EPO for expression of EPO cDNA in mammalian cells was constructed by the techniques of gene recombinant, PCR amplification and region-specific mutagenesis. The pCSV-EPO was introduced into COS7 cells by DEAE-dextran-mediated transfection. The expression of the EPO was demonstrated by EPO-ELISA assay. At 48h post transfection, the EPO level was 25ng/ml and 72 h was 17ng/ml.