Exendin-4 alleviates diabetic cardiomyopathy in mice by regulating Sirt1/PGC1α / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the protective effect of exendin-4 against diabetic cardiomyopathy in mice and explore the underlying mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal control group with normal diet and diabetic group with high-fat diet for 4 weeks before streptozotocin injection. The successfully established diabetic mouse models were divided into diabetic group with exendin-4 treatment and diabetic control group for daily treatment with intraperitoneal injection of 1 nmol/kg exendin-4 and saline of equivalent volume for 8 weeks, respectively. The physiological parameters such as blood glucose and body weight were recorded. RT-PCR was used to examine the transcription levels of genes related with myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis and the genes related with mitochondrial functions including PGC1α, NRF and CytoC. The expressions of oxidative stress markers and Sirt1/PGC1 proteins were measured using Western blotting. and HE staining was used to observe the myocardial structural changes in the mice.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the normal control mice, the mice in diabetic control group showed significantly increased blood glucose and blood lipid levels (P<0.001), which were obviously improved by Exendin-4 treatment. The expressions of ANP, BNP, TGFβ1, CytoC1 and NOX1 were significantly increased (P<0.05) while Sirt1, PGC1α, NRF and SOD1 expression were markedly decreased in the myocardial tissue of the diabetic mice (P<0.05). Exendin-4 treatment resulted in obviously reduced expressions of ANP, BNP, TGFβ1, CytoC1 and NOX1 (P<0.05) and increased expressions of Sirt1, PGC1α, NRF and SOD1 (P<0.05) in the diabetic mice.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Exendin-4 protects against myocardial injury in diabetic mice by improving mitochondrial function and inhibiting oxidative stress through the Sirt1/PGC1α signaling pathway.</p>

Clinical analysis of 939 patients with adrenal lesions detected by abdominal computed tomography / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the prevalence, etiology and clinical characteristics of adrenal lesions detected by abdominal computed tomography (CT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This retrospective study was conducted in patients with adrenal lesions detected by abdominal CT examinations in Nanfang Hospital between July, 2014 and June, 2015. The clinical data of the patients were collected for analysis of the demographics, comorbidities, imaging characteristics, biochemical profiles, clinical diagnosis and intervention.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 939 patients with adrenal lesions were identified from 19 004 patients undergoing abdominal CT scan over the defined period. The mean age of the patients was 53.2 years and 560 of the patients were male. Among the total cases with adrenal lesions, the percentages of cases with adrenal masses tended to increase progressively with age. Endocrine studies were done in 270 of the total patients, which identified non-functioning masses in 38.9%, primary aldosteronism in 16.3%, Cushing's syndrome in 4.1%, subclinical Cushing's syndrome in 7.0%, and pheochromocytomas in 7.0% of the cases. Adrenal incidentalomas was detected in 191 patients, with a detection rate of 1.0% among the overall patients undergoing abdominal CT scans. Imaging study detected adenomas (70.3%), cortical carcinomas (2.4%), and metastases (0.5%). Of 191 patients with adrenal incidentalomas, only 76 (39.8%) underwent endocrine evaluation, including 34 with nonfunctioning adrenal masses, 17 with pheochromocytoma, 7 with primary aldosteronism, and 5 with subclinical Cushing's syndrome.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>s The overall detection rates of adrenal lesions and adrenal incidentalomas by abdominal CT were 4.9% and 1.0%, respectively, in our cohort of patients undergoing the examination over the defined period. Although most of the lesions were benign and nonfunctioning, malignant and functional lesions were also detected. As many as 60% of the patients with adrenal incidentalomas did not have hormonal testing. Clinicians need to have greater awareness of adrenal incidentalomas and standard protocol for its management should be established.</p>

Expressions of inflammatory and fibrogenic factors in perinephric and subcutaneous adipose tissues of patients with adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent Cushing's syndrome / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expressions of inflammation- and fibrosis-related genes in perinephric and subcutaneous adipose tissues in patients with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-independent Cushing's syndrome.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The perinephric and subcutaneous adipose tissues adipose tissues were obtained from 8 patients with ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome undergoing laparoscopic retroperitoneal adrenalectomy. Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP-2), TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP-1), early growth response 1 (EGR1), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β(CEBPβ), uncoupling protein 1(UCP-1), PPARγ coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α) and cell death-inducing DFFA-like effector a (CIDEA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mRNA level of CIDEA was significantly higher in the perinephric adipose tissue (peri-N) than in the subcutaneous adipose tissue (subQ) (P<0.05). The expressions of CEBPβ, UCP-1, and PGC1α mRNA in the peri-N were similar with those in the subQ. The expressions of IL-6, TIMP1 and EGR1 mRNA in the subQ were significantly higher than those in the peri-N (P<0.05). No significant difference in TNF-α and MMP-2 mRNA levels was found between peri-N and subQ.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression levels of the inflammation- and fibrosis-related genes are higher in the subQ than in the peri-N of patients with ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome, suggesting that chronic exposure to endogenous hypercortisolism may cause adipose tissue dysfunction.</p>

Publication patterns and citation analysis of APJTM during 2008 and June 2014

OBJECTIVE@#To draw on data about publication patterns and citation indicators of Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine (APJTM) during 2008 and June 2014 in order to know about the current state of the journal.@*METHODS@#Data used in this study were collected based on publications in APJTM from 2008 to June, 2014. Information including publication issue, type of manuscript, country/region of Corresponding author, funded research paper, and international collaboration were aggregated and analyzed with Excel software. Citation indicators including total cites, average cites of each manuscript, h-index, and impact factors were primarily drawn from Web of Science™ database on June 15, 2014 and changes over the past six and half years were interpreted. The top 10 most cited papers in Web of Science™ database were also analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Number of all submissions has arisen from less than 200 in 2008 to over 1 500 in 2013, manuscript acceptance rate has decreased to be less than 14.00% indicating its improvement in quality over this period of time. Out of the 1 115 publiations, 23.77% were fruits of funded projects or produced by funded co-authors, 87.08% of all publications in APJTM were submited by authors from 10 most contributed countries. During the studied period, each published manuscript in the journal has received an average of 1.05 cites, and at least 10 publications has been cited for more 10 times.@*CONCLUSION@#Detailed analysis shows APJTM has made great progress over the past six and half years, but authors' originating countries are still disproportionate. Efforts should be made to improve its citation indicators.

Problems in medical journals of China and me asures for their solution / 中华医学图书情报杂志

The following problems in medical journals of China were analyzed, including limited free full-text access, low international influence power, severe duplicated construction, academic misconducts, weakened peer review, and overemphasis on journal assessment indexes, with suggestions put forwards for their solution, such as exploring novel channels for digital publication and distribution , actively preparing journals publishedin English , and improving the academic level of journals.

The molecular mechanisms of curcuma wenyujin extract-mediated inhibitory effects on human esophageal carcinoma cells in vitro / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the molecular mechanisms of Curcuma Wenyujin extract-mediated inhibitory effects on human esophageal carcinoma cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The Curcuma Wenyujin extract was obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. TE-1 cells were divided into 4 groups after adherence. 100 microL RMPI-1640 culture medium containing 0.1% DMSO was added in Group 1 as the control group. 100 microL 25, 50, and 100 mg/L Curcuma Wenyujin extract complete culture medium was respectively added in the rest 3 groups as the low, middle, and high dose Curcuma Wenyujin extract groups. The effects of different doses of Curcuma Wenyujin extract (25, 50, and 100 mg/L) on the proliferation of human esophageal carcinoma cell line TE-1 in vitro were analyzed by MTT assay. The gene expression profile was identified by cDNA microarrays in esophageal carcinoma TE-1 cells exposed to Curcuma Wenyujin extract for 48 h. The differential expression genes were further analyzed by Gene Ontology function analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, MTT results showed that Curcuma Wenyujin extract significantly inhibited the proliferation of TE-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). The expression level of 88 genes changed with significance, including 66 up-regulation genes and 22 down-regulation genes. Gene Ontology analysis indicated the genes coding for proteins was involved in signal transduction (6), cell cycle (8), apoptosis (14), and cell differentiation (10).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The Curcuma Wenyujin extract could inhibit the growth of human esophageal carcinoma cell line TE-1 in vitro. The molecular mechanisms might be associated with regulating genes expressions at multi-levels.</p>

MICA*008/A5.1 allele and HCMV infection in kidney transplanted donees of Hunan Han nationality / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the relationship between MICA*008/A5.1 allele and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in kidney transplanted donees of Hunan Han nationality.@*METHODS@#The MICA*008/A5.1 allele based on 91 kidney transplanted donees and 81 unrelated normal individuals of Han nationality in Hunan Province were analyzed by PCR/SSP assay. At the same time, anti-HCMV antibody IgM was detected in the serum by ELISA method.@*RESULTS@#The positive rate of MICA*008/A5.1 allele was significantly higher in the control group (56.79%) than that in the kidney transplanted donee group (34.07%) (P <0.05). The infection rate of HCMV in those individuals whose genotype was MICA*008/A5.1 (-) was significantly higher than that in the MICA*008/A5.1(+).@*CONCLUSION@#The individual whose genotype is MICA*008/A5.1 (+) is not liable to HCMV infection, but the individual whose genotype is MICA*008/A5.1 (-) is liable to HCMV infection.

Haloperidol induced long QT interval and effects on L-type calcium channel mRNA expression of New Zealand rabbit / 中国药理学通报

Aim To observe the influence of haloperidol on QT interval and effects on L-type calcium channel mRNA expression.Methods By surface ECG technique and RT-PCR technique observe the influence of Various doses haloperidol to New Zealand rabbits ECG.And L-type calcium channel mRNA.Results Haloperidol elongated the QT interval.Haloperidol influence QT interval mainly happened after from 0 minutes to 120 minutes.360 minutes later,QT interval turned to normal standard.RT-PCR result display haloperidol obviously increase L-type calcium channel mRNA expression.Conclusion Haloperidol can prolong the QT interval.and it's mechanism concerned with increase L-type calcium channel mRNA expression.So,it can increase the risk of ventricular arrhythmias occur.