Dihydroartemisinin suppresses renal fibrosis in mice by inhibiting DNA-methyltransferase 1 and increasing Klotho.

Renal fibrosis is an unavoidable end result of all forms of progressive chronic kidney diseases (CKD). Discovery of efficacious drugs against renal fibrosis is in crucial need. In a preliminary study we found that a derivative of artemisinin, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), exerted strong renoprotection, and reversed renal fibrosis in adenine-induced CKD mouse model. In this study we investigated the anti-fibrotic mechanisms of DHA, particularly its specific target in renal cells. Renal fibrosis was induced in mice by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) or oral administration of adenine (80 mg · kg-1), the mice received DHA (30 mg · kg-1 · d-1, i.g.) for 14 or 21 days, respectively. We showed that DHA administration markedly attenuated the inflammation and fibrotic responses in the kidneys and significantly improved the renal function in both the renal fibrosis mouse models. In adenine-treated mice, DHA was more effective than 5-azacytidine against renal fibrosis. The anti-fibrotic effects of DHA were also observed in TGF-ß1-treated HK-2 cells. In order to determine the target protein of DHA, we conducted pull-down technology coupled with shotgun proteomics using a small-molecule probe based on the structure of DHA (biotin-DHA). As a results, DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) was identified as the anti-fibrotic target of DHA in 3 different types of renal cell lines (HK-2, HEK293 and 3T3). We demonstrated that DHA directly bound to Asn 1529 and Thr 1528 of DNMT1 with a Kd value of 8.18 µM. In primary mouse renal tubular cells, we showed that DHA (10 µM) promoted DNMT1 degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. DHA-reduced DNMT1 expression effectively reversed Klotho promoter hypermethylation, which led to the reversal of Klotho protein loss in the kidney of UUO mice. This subsequently resulted in inhibition of the Wnt/ß-catenin and TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathways and consequently conferred renoprotection in the animals. Knockdown of Klotho abolished the renoprotective effect of DHA in UUO mice. Our study reveals a novel pharmacological activity for DHA, i.e., renoprotection. DHA exhibits this effect by targeting DNMT1 to reverse Klotho repression. This study provides an evidence for the possible clinical application of DHA in the treatment of renal fibrosis.

Lack of miRNA-17 family mediates high glucose-induced PAR-1 upregulation in glomerular mesangial cells.

Upregulation of thrombin receptor protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) is verified to contribute to chronic kidney diseases, including diabetic nephropathy; however, the mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of PAR-1 on high glucose-induced proliferation of human glomerular mesangial cells (HMCs), and explored the mechanism of PAR-1 upregulation from alteration of microRNAs. We found that high glucose stimulated proliferation of the mesangial cells whereas PAR-1 inhibition with vorapaxar attenuated the cell proliferation. Moreover, high glucose upregulated PAR-1 in mRNA level and protein expression while did not affect the enzymatic activity of thrombin in HMCs after 48 h culture. Then high glucose induced PAR-1 elevation was likely due to the alteration of the transcription or post-transcriptional processing. It was found that miR-17 family members including miR-17-5p, -20a-5p, and -93-5p were significantly decreased among the eight detected microRNAs only in high glucose-cultured HMCs, but miR-129-5p, miR-181a-5p, and miR-181b-5p were markedly downregulated in both high glucose-cultured HMCs and equivalent osmotic press control compared with normal glucose culture. So miR-20a was selected to confirm the role of miR-17 family on PAR-1 upregulation, finding that miR-20a-5p overexpression reversed the upregulation of PAR-1 in mRNA and protein levels induced by high glucose in HMCs. In summary, our finding indicated that PAR-1 upregulation mediated proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells induced by high glucose, and deficiency of miR-17 family resulted in PAR-1 upregulation.

[Research strategy thoughts about acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis by suppressing apoptosis via circular RNA].

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a common digestive disease in clinic. Previous experimental and clinical studies have shown that acupuncture has a positive effect for CAG. Apoptosis of gastric mucosal tissue has been shown to play an important role in the process of gastric atrophy and possibly further carcinogenesis in CAG, and the circular RNA (circRNA), a novel class of non-coding RNA, has been confirmed to play a regulatory role in the downstream pathway of apoptosis by many stu-dies. Accumulated findings of experimental studies showed that acupuncture and moxibustion interventions could suppress apoptosis of the cultured human gastric mucosal epithelial cells and lower apoptotic index of gastric mucosal cells in CAG rats. Therefore, circRNA is likely to mediate the inhibitory effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on apoptosis of gastric mucosal epithelial cells in CAG. In this paper, we systematically summarized 1) the regulation of circRNA on apoptosis, 2) the apoptosis and pathological mechanism of CAG, 3) the effect of acupuncture on apoptosis, and proposed that circRNA is highly likely to be involved in the positive effect of acupuncture and moxibustion interventions for CAG. It is recommended that researches should further reveal the scientific basis of acupuncture and moxibustion therapies in the treatment of CAG by exploring the role of related circRNAs and their downstream target proteins in the gastric mucosal tissues.

[Jujing Gouju Granules promote reproductive function in rats with spermatozoa].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the intervention effect of Jujing Gouju Granules (JGG) on teratozoospermia (TZ) in rats and explore its action mechanism. METHODS: Thirty-two male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups of an equal number: normal control, TZ model control, high-dose JGG and low-dose JGG. The TZ model was established in the latter three groups of rats by intragastric administration of methyl methanesulfonate at 4 mg/100 g body weight/day for 7 consecutive days. After successful modeling, the animals in the high- and low-dose JGG groups were treated with JGG at 0.288 and 0.072g/100 g body weight/d, respectively, while the normal controls with the same dose of normal saline, all for 48 days. At two days after medication, all the rats were sacrificed and the right epididymides harvested for sperm counting, sperm motility analysis, observation the sperm morphology, and determination of contents of fructose, zinc, α-glucosidase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the epididymal suspension, the levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in the seminal plasma, and that of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the sperm. RESULTS: Both sperm concentration and motility were significantly increased and the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm decreased in the JGG groups compared with the model controls, even more significantly in the high- than in the low-dose JGG group (P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in the contents of fructose and zinc in the epididymal suspension among the four groups, but that of α-glucosidase was remarkably lower in the TZ model than in the normal controls (ï¼»50.31 ± 2.12ï¼½ vs ï¼»67.23 ± 3.54ï¼½ U/L, P < 0.05), but higher in the high- and low-dose JGG groups (ï¼»79.36 ± 2.35ï¼½ and ï¼»56.25 ± 3.44ï¼½ U/L) than in the model control group (P < 0.05). The level of ROS was markedly higher and that of SOD lower in the TZ model than in the normal controls, while the former was lower and the latter was higher in the JGG groups than in the TZ model controls (P < 0.05), even more significantly in the in the high- than in the low-dose JGG group (P < 0.05). Compared with the TZ model controls, the rats in the JGG groups showed dramatically decreased levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in the seminal plasma, even more significantly in the high- than in the low-dose JGG group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Jujing Gouju Granules can improve sperm morphology in teratozoospermia rats, possibly by regulating oxidative stress and inflammation-related factors.

Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamics Model Characterizing CYP2C19 Polymorphisms to Predict Clopidogrel Pharmacokinetics and Its Anti-Platelet Aggregation Effect Following Oral Administration to Coronary Artery Disease Patients With or Without Diabetes.

Background and Objective: Clopidogrel (CLOP) is commonly used in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with or without diabetes (DM), but these patients often suffer CLOP resistance, especially those with diabetes. This study was aimed to develop a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PBPK-PD) model to describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of clopidogrel active metabolite (CLOP-AM) in CAD patients with or without DM. Methods: The PBPK-PD model was first established and validated in healthy subjects and then in CAD patients with or without DM. The influences of CYP2C19, CYP2C9, CYP3A4, carboxylesterase 1 (CES1), gastrointestinal transit rates (K t,i) and platelets response to CLOP-AM (k irre) on predicted pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics were investigated, followed with their individual and integrated effects on CLOP-AM pharmacokinetics due to changes in DM status. Results: Most predictions fell within 0.5-2.0 folds of observations, indicating successful predictions. Sensitivity analysis showed that contributions of interested factors to pharmacodynamics were CES1> k irre> K t,i> CYP2C19 > CYP3A4> CYP2C9. Mimicked analysis showed that the decreased exposure of CLOP-AM by DM was mainly attributed to increased CES1 activity, followed by decreased CYP2C19 activity. Conclusion: The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of CLOP-AM were successfully predicted using the developed PBPK-PD model. Clopidogrel resistance by DM was the integrated effects of altered K t,i, CYP2C19, CYP3A4, CES1 and k irre.

Aberrant Histone Methylation in Patients with Graves' Disease.

BACKGROUND: Graves' disease (GD) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease. Accumulated data have indicated that aberrant epigenetic modifications are associated with many autoimmune disorders. However, it remains unknown whether histone methylation plays a role in the pathogenesis of GD. In the present study, we aimed to assess histone modification patterns in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from GD patients. The rate (degree) of H3K4 and H3K9 methylation and the expressions of histone-modifying genes were investigated. METHODS: A total of 68 GD patients and 32 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Global histone H3K4/H3K9 methylation of PBMCs was evaluated by the EpiQuik™ global histone H3K4/H3K9 methylation assay kit. The expressions of histone methyltransferases (HMTs) and histone demethylases (HDMs) at the mRNA level were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Global histone H3K9 methylation in PBMCs of GD patients was significantly decreased compared with that in the healthy controls (P=0.007). The expressions of HMTs (SUV39H1 and SUV39H2) at the mRNA level were significantly decreased in PBMCs from GD patients compared with healthy controls (P<0.001), whereas the SETD1A expression at the mRNA level was significantly increased in GD patients compared with healthy controls (P=0.004). In addition, the expressions of HDMs, including JHDM2A and JMJD2A, at the mRNA level were significantly increased in GD patients compared with healthy controls (P<0.001; P=0.007). Moreover, the mRNA expression levels of JARID1A and LSD1 did not significantly differ in GD patients and healthy controls (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings firstly suggested that the histone methylation was aberrant in PBMCs of GD patients, which could be possibly attributed to the deregulation of epigenetic modifier genes. Abnormal histone methylation modification may be involved in the pathogenesis of GD.

Doppler myocardial performance index combined with plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels as a marker of cardiac function in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: In chronic liver diseases, cirrhosis ranks as the 14th highest death cause worldwide, developing into decompensated cirrhosis. A potential and feasible technique in assessing cardiac function is urgent. This study explores if the Doppler myocardial performance (Tei) index combined with the plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels can assess cardiac function in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. METHODS: A total of 140 individuals were selected in the study and were classified into 3 groups: control group (n = 40, healthy individuals), compensated cirrhosis group (n = 50), and decompensated cirrhosis group (n = 50). Plasma BNP levels, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), and albumin (ALB) were identified by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The correlation of Tei index between left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) as well as plasma BNP levels with cardiac function was assessed using a Pearson test analysis. All patients were subjected to this experiment for 1 year to analyze the relationship between Tei index and plasma BNP levels in prognosis of decompensated cirrhosis patients. RESULTS: Patients with decompensated cirrhosis showed significantly elevated levels of ALT, AST, and TBIL level in contrary to a reduced ALB level. Cirrhosis patients also showed a significantly reduced ejection fraction (ET) index, but an increase in isovolumetric contraction time (ICT), isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT), Tei index, and plasma BNP levels in comparison to healthy individuals. ICT, IRT, Tei index, and plasma BNP levels were elevated in decompensated cirrhotic patients as opposed to compensated cirrhotic patients. These results indicate a positive correlation of both Tei index and plasma BNP levels with cirrhosis and its progression. Tei index and plasma BNP levels are positively associated with Child-Pugh classification and negatively correlated with both cardiac function and prognosis in patients suffering from decompensated cirrhosis. CONCLUSION: The study provided evidence supporting the correlation of Tei index and plasma BNP levels in decompensated cirrhotic patients with cardiac function, highlighting a potential value for evaluation.

Elevated Interleukin-36α And CD4+IL-36α+T Cells Are Involved in the Pathogenesis of Graves' Disease.

Background: IL-36α is involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of autoimmune diseases, but the relationship between IL-36α and Graves' disease (GD) has rarely investigated. In the present study, we aimed to explore the expression of IL-36α and elucidate the potential role of IL-36α in GD. Methods: The expression of IL-36α mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 32 newly diagnosed GD patients, 15 refractory GD patients and 30 normal controls (NC) was examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The level of IL-36α in serum from 46 newly diagnosed GD patients, 10 refractory GD patients and 24 NC was measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The percentage of CD4+IL-36α+T cells was detected by flow cytometry. PBMCs from newly diagnosed GD patients and NC group were cultured in the presence or absence of recombinant human IL-36α, and the expression levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-17A in culture supernatant were detected by cytokine array. Results: The expression of IL-36α mRNA in newly diagnosed GD patients was significantly higher than that in NC group (P = 0.019). IL-36α mRNA expression was positively associated with thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) (P = 0.004, r = 0.498) in newly diagnosed GD patients. The level of IL-36α in serum from newly diagnosed GD patients was significantly higher than that in refractory GD patients and NC group (P = 0.01; P = 0.007). The percentage of CD4+IL-36α+T cells in newly diagnosed GD patients was significantly higher than that in NC group (P = 0.030). In GD group, recombinant human IL-36α stimulation resulted in the increase of INF-γ, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-17A (P = 0.015; P = 0.016; P = 0.039; P = 0.017). Conclusion: IL-36α and CD4+IL-36α+T cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of GD by promoting the production of Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines.

Polymorphisms in Autophagy-Related Gene IRGM Are Associated with Susceptibility to Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases.

BACKGROUND: To date, studies have shown that polymorphisms in an autophagy-related gene, IRGM, are linked with different diseases, especially autoimmune diseases. The present study aimed to examine the roles of IRGM polymorphisms in autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). METHODS: Three polymorphisms in IRGM gene (rs10065172, rs4958847, and rs13361189) were genotyped in 1569 participants (488 with Graves' disease, 292 with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and 789 healthy controls) using PCR-based ligase detection reaction method. Gene-disease associations were evaluated for the three SNPs. RESULTS: T allele of rs10065172, A allele of rs4958847, and C allele of rs13361189 were all higher in Graves' disease patients than controls, and the ORs were OR = 1.207 (P = 0.022), OR = 1.207 (P = 0.027), and OR = 1.200 (P = 0.027), respectively. After adjusting for sex and age, rs10065172 and rs13361189 were still associated with GD under both the allele model and dominant model, and the adjusted ORs for rs10065172 were 1.20 (P = 0.033) and 1.33 (P = 0.024), while the adjusted ORs for rs13361189 were 1.19 (P = 0.042) and 1.33 (P = 0.026), respectively. No significant difference was found between Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients and controls. Haplotype analysis found that CTA frequency was distinguishingly higher in Graves' disease patients (OR = 1.195, P = 0.030). The frequency of TCG haplotype was distinguishingly lower in AITD and Graves' disease patients (OR = 0.861, P = 0.044; OR = 0.816, P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals IRGM as a susceptibility gene of AITD and Graves' disease for the first time.

Associations of TNFRSF1A Polymorphisms with Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases: A Case-Control Study.

Previous studies have shown associations of polymorphisms in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor super family member 1A (TNFRSF1A) gene with several groups of inflammatory and autoimmune related diseases, but associations of TNFRSF1A polymorphisms with autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD), mainly including two sub-types of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and Graves' disease (GD), in the Chinese Han population is unclear. A case-control study of 1812 subjects (965 AITD patients and 847 unrelated healthy controls) was conducted to assess AITD associations with five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including rs4149576, rs4149577, rs4149570, rs1800693, and rs767455 in the TNFRSF1A gene locus. Genotyping was performed and evaluated using the platform of ligase detection reaction. No significant difference was observed in the allele and genotype frequencies between HT or GD patients and controls in any of the five SNPs in the TNFRSF1A gene (all p values >0.05). However, a moderate association of rs4149570 with HT was found after adjusting for age and gender [odds ratio (OR)=1.40, p=0.03]. No obvious difference was found in the haplotype distribution of any of the five SNPs in the TNFRSF1A gene between the AITD patients and controls. These data suggest that these five SNPs in the TNFRSF1A gene are not associated with AITD in the Chinese Han population, but rs4149570 shows a weak association with HT after adjusting for gender and age.

Testosterone level and risk of type 2 diabetes in men: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for testosterone deficiency and impaired sex steroid status. Some studies also investigated the association of testosterone level with diabetes risk in men, but reported controversial findings. To clarify this issue, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched for eligible cohort or nested case-control studies published up to August 15, 2017. Meta-analysis was used to calculate the pooled relative risk (RR) of type 2 diabetes associated with higher testosterone level. RESULTS: Thirteen cohort or nested case-control studies with 16,709 participants were included. Meta-analysis showed that higher total testosterone level could significantly decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes in men (RR = 0.65; 95% CI 0.50-0.84; P = 0.001), and higher free testosterone level could also decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes in men (RR = 0.94; 95% CI 0.90-0.99; P = 0.014). After excluding two studies that did not calculate RRs by quartiles of testosterone levels, both higher total testosterone and free testosterone levels could decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes in men, and the pooled RRs were 0.62 (95% CI 0.51-0.76; P < 0.001) and 0.77 (95% CI 0.61-0.98; P = 0.03), respectively. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests that higher testosterone level can significantly decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes in men. Therefore, combined with previous researches, the findings above suggest a reverse-causality scenario in the relation between testosterone deficiency and risk of type 2 diabetes in men.

Inhibition of (pro)renin Receptor Contributes to Renoprotective Effects of Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockade in Diabetic Nephropathy.

Aims: Renal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a pivotal role in the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 receptor (AT1R) blockade elevates (pro)renin, which may bind to (pro)renin receptor (PRR) and exert receptor-mediated, angiotensin-independent profibrotic effects. We therefore investigated whether PRR activation leads to the limited anti-fibrotic effects of AT1R blockade on DN, and whether PRR inhibition might ameliorate progression of DN. Methods: To address the issue, the expression of RAS components was tested in different stages of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats (6, 12, and 24 weeks) and 6-week AT1R blockade (losartan) treated diabetic rats. Using the blocker for PRR, the handle region peptide (HRP) of prorenin, the effects of PRR on high glucose or Ang II-induced proliferative and profibrotic actions were evaluated by measurement of cell proliferation, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) activity, activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) expression in rat mesangial cells (MCs). Results: PRR was downregulated in the kidneys of different stages of diabetic rats (6, 12, and 24 weeks). Moreover, 6-week losartan treatment further suppressed PRR expression via upregulating AT2R, and ameliorated diabetic renal injury. HRP inhibited high glucose and Ang II-induced proliferative and profibrotic effects in MCs through suppressing TGF-ß1 expression and activating MMP-2. Meanwhile, HRP enhanced losartan's anti-fibrotic effects through further inhibiting phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and TGF-ß1 expression. Moreover, the inhibitive effect of HRP on Ang II-induced TGF-ß1 expression depended on the regulation of PRR expression by AT2R. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that inhibition of PRR contributes to renoprotection against diabetic nephropathy by AT1R blockade.

Suppression of Baeckea frutescens L. and its components on MyD88-dependent NF-κB pathway in MALP-2-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Baeckea frutescens L. is commonly used as a folk medicinal material. There are nineteen components in its volatile oil, including Pcymol which has effects of eliminating phlegm, relieving asthma and antiviral. This study was aimed to investigate the anti-infectious inflammatory activities of Baeckea frutescens L. and its conponents and analyzing the mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-infectious inflammation of Baeckea frutescens L. were studied by using macrophage activating lipopeptide-2 (MALP-2)-stimulated RAW264.7 cell model in vitro. Secretion of nitric oxide (NO), expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and cytokines were detected as classic inflammatory index. Expression of Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), degradation of inhibitory κBα (IκBα) and nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 were further investigated. RESULTS: The results suggested that Baeckea frutescens L. has effect on suppression of MALP-2-mediated inflammation in RAW264.7 cells. The secretion of NO and the expression of iNOS could be inhibited. The secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were also declined. Baeckea frutescens L. significantly decreased the expression of MyD88, therefore, inhibited the degradation of IκBα, reduced the level of nuclear translocation of p65. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that Baeckea frutescens L. and its components could inhibit the anti-infectious inflammatory events and iNOS expression in MALP-2 stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Among them, BF-2 might play a role through the inhibition of the MyD88 and NF-κB pathway. Our study might provide a new strategy to design and develop this kind of drug towards mycoplasma-infected inflammation.

TNFSF4 Gene Variations Are Related to Early-Onset Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases and Hypothyroidism of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

The aim of the current study was to examine whether the polymorphism loci of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 4 (TNFSF4) gene increase the risk of susceptibility to autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) in the Han Chinese population, and a case-control study was performed in a set of 1,048 AITDs patients and 909 normal healthy controls in the study. A total of four tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFSF4 region, including rs7514229, rs1234313, rs16845607 and rs3850641, were genotyped using the method of ligase detection reaction. An association between GG genotype of rs3850641 in TNFSF4 gene and AITDs was found (p = 0.046). Additionally, the clinical sub-phenotype analysis revealed a significant association between GG genotype in rs7514229 and AITDs patients who were ≤18 years of age. Furthermore, rs3850641 variant allele G was in strong association with hypothyroidism in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) (p = 0.018). The polymorphisms of the TNFSF4 gene may contribute to the susceptibility to AITDs pathogenesis.

[Treatment of Early Diabetic Retinopathy by Liuwei Dihuang Pill Combined Ginkao Leaf Tablet].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the prevention and clinical efficacy of combination of Liuwei Dihuang Pill (LDP) and Ginkgo Leaf Tablet (GLT) for early diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: Using randomized, double-blind, double simulation, parallel controlled clinical trial, 140 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) outpatients were recruited and assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 70 in each group. All patients received basic Western medicine treatment (such as blood glucose and pressure control). Patients in the treatment group took LDP (8 pills each time, 3 times per day) and GLT (19.2 mg each time, 3 times per day), while those in the control group took LDP placebos and GLT placebos. All treatment lasted for 24 consecutive months. All subjects were followed-up every month. The general clinical data as sex, age, and metabolic data such as blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipid, and DR prevalence rate were collected and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in levels of blood glucose, blood pressure, or blood lipid between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment the DR incidence rate was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group [3.1% (2/64) vs 18.6% (11/59), P < 0.05)]. Meanwhile, the DR prevalence rate of the treatment group was also significantly lower than that of the control group [6.3% (4/64) vs 20.0% (13/59), P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION: Combination of LDP and GLT could effectively prevent and treat the development of DR in T2DM patients.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress and its effects on renal tubular cells apoptosis in ischemic acute kidney injury.

Ischemia is the most frequent cause of acute kidney injury (AKI), which is characterized by apoptosis of renal tubular cell. A common result of ischemia in AKI is dysfunction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which causes the protein-folding capacity to lag behind the protein-folding load. The abundance of misfolded proteins stressed the ER and results in induction of the unfolded protein response (UPR). While the UPR is an adaptive response, over time it can result in apoptosis when cells are unable to recover quickly. Recent research suggests that ER stress is a major factor in renal tubular cell apoptosis resulting from ischemic AKI. Thus, ER stress may be an important new progression factor in the pathology of ischemic AKI. In this article, we review UPR signaling, describe pathology and pathophysiology mechanisms of ischemic AKI, and highlight the dual function of ER stress on renal tubular cell apoptosis.

Molecular mechanism of ERK dephosphorylation by striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase.

Striatal-enriched tyrosine phosphatase (STEP) is an important regulator of neuronal synaptic plasticity, and its abnormal level or activity contributes to cognitive disorders. One crucial downstream effector and direct substrate of STEP is extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), which has important functions in spine stabilisation and action potential transmission. The inhibition of STEP activity toward phospho-ERK has the potential to treat neuronal diseases, but the detailed mechanism underlying the dephosphorylation of phospho-ERK by STEP is not known. Therefore, we examined STEP activity toward para-nitrophenyl phosphate, phospho-tyrosine-containing peptides, and the full-length phospho-ERK protein using STEP mutants with different structural features. STEP was found to be a highly efficient ERK tyrosine phosphatase that required both its N-terminal regulatory region and key residues in its active site. Specifically, both kinase interaction motif (KIM) and kinase-specific sequence of STEP were required for ERK interaction. In addition to the N-terminal kinase-specific sequence region, S245, hydrophobic residues L249/L251, and basic residues R242/R243 located in the KIM region were important in controlling STEP activity toward phospho-ERK. Further kinetic experiments revealed subtle structural differences between STEP and HePTP that affected the interactions of their KIMs with ERK. Moreover, STEP recognised specific positions of a phospho-ERK peptide sequence through its active site, and the contact of STEP F311 with phospho-ERK V205 and T207 were crucial interactions. Taken together, our results not only provide the information for interactions between ERK and STEP, but will also help in the development of specific strategies to target STEP-ERK recognition, which could serve as a potential therapy for neurological disorders. Regulation of phospho-ERK by STEP underlies important neuronal activities. A detailed enzymologic characterisation and cellular studies of STEP revealed that specific residues in KIM and active site mediated ERK recognition. Structural differences between the KIM-ERK interfaces and the active site among different ERK phosphatases could be targeted to develop specific STEP inhibitor, which has therapeutic potential for neurological disorders. PKA, protein kinase A & NGF, nerve growth factor.

[Effect of soil moisture on prediction of soil total nitrogen using NIR spectroscopy].

As one of the most important components of soil liutrient, it is necessary to obtain the soil total nitrogen(STN)content in precision agriculture. It is a feasible method to predict soil total nitrogen content based on NIRS. However, the effect of soil moisture content (SMC) on the prediction of STN is very serious. In the present research, the effect of SMC was discussed from qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis by the Fourier spectrum analyzer MATRIX_I. Firstly, sixty soil samples with different STN and SMC were scanned by the MATRIX_I. It was found that the reflectince of soil samples in near infrared region decreased with the increase in SMC. Subsequently, Moisture absorbance index (MAI) was proposed by the diffuse of absorbance at the wavelengths of 1 450 and 1 940 nm to classify soil properties and then correction factor was present Finally, the STN forecasting model with BP NN method was established by the revised absorbance data at the six wavelengths of 940, 1 050, 1,100, 1,200, 1,300 and 1,550 nm. The model was evaluated by correlation coefficient of Rc, correlation coefficient of Rv, root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), root mean square error of validation (RMSEP) and residual prediction deviation (RPD). Compared with the model obtained from original spectral data, both the accuracy and the stability were improved. The new model was with Rc of 0.86, Rv of 0.81, RMSEC of 0.06, RMSEP of 0.05, and RPD of 2.75. With the first derivative of the revised absorbance, the RPD became 2.90. The experiments indicated that the method could eliminate the effect of SMC on the prediction of STN efficiently.

Pretreatment with the total flavone glycosides of Flos Abelmoschus manihot and hyperoside prevents glomerular podocyte apoptosis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is an important diabetic complication, and podocyte apoptosis plays a critical role in the development of DN. In the present study, we examined the preventive effect of the total flavone glycosides of Flos Abelmoschus manihot (TFA) on urinary microalbumin and glomerular podocyte apoptosis in experimental DN rats. The preliminary oral administration of TFA (200 mg/kg/day) for 24 weeks significantly decreased the urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio and 24-h urinary total protein in streptozotocin-induced DN rats. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay indicated glomerular cell apoptosis in DN rats was significantly improved by pretreatment with TFA. Furthermore, fluorescence-activated cell sorting and Hoechst 33342 staining suggested preincubation with hyperoside (50 and 200 µg/mL), the major active constituent of TFA, could significantly mitigate cultured podocyte apoptosis induced by the advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). Western blot analysis showed that increased caspase-3 and caspase-8 expressions induced by AGEs were also inhibited by pretreatment with hyperoside at both doses. Our results demonstrate that TFA pretreatment can decrease urinary albumin excretion in early-stage DN, which might be accomplished by preventing renal damage and podocyte apoptosis.

Characterization of the hypothermic effects of imidazoline I2 receptor agonists in rats.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Imidazoline I(2) receptors have been implicated in several CNS disorders. Although several I(2) receptor agonists have been described, no simple and sensitive in vivo bioassay is available for studying I(2) receptor ligands. This study examined I(2) receptor agonist-induced hypothermia as a functional in vivo assay of I(2) receptor agonism. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Different groups of rats were used to examine the effects of I(2) receptor agonists on the rectal temperature and locomotion. The pharmacological mechanisms were investigated by combining I(2) receptor ligands and different antagonists. KEY RESULTS All the selective I(2) receptor agonists examined (2-BFI, diphenyzoline, phenyzoline, CR4056, tracizoline, BU224 and S22687, 3.2-56 mg·kg(-1) , i.p.) dose-dependently and markedly decreased the rectal temperature (hypothermia) in rats, with varied duration of action. Pharmacological mechanism of the observed hypothermia was studied by combining the I(2) receptor agonists (2-BFI, BU224, tracizoline and diphenyzoline) with imidazoline I(2 ) receptor/ α(2) adrenoceptor antagonist idazoxan, selective I(1) receptor antagonist efaroxan, α(2) adrenoceptor antagonist/5-HT(1A) receptor agonist yohimbine. Idazoxan but not yohimbine or efaroxan attenuated the hypothermic effects of 2-BFI, BU224, tracizoline and diphenyzoline, supporting the I(2) receptor mechanism. In contrast, both idazoxan and yohimbine attenuated hypothermia induced by the α(2) adrenoceptor agonist clonidine. Among all the I(2) receptor agonists studied, only S22687 markedly increased the locomotor activity in rats. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Imidazoline I(2) receptor agonists can produce hypothermic effects, which are primarily mediated by I(2) receptors. These data suggest that I(2) receptor agonist-induced hypothermia is a simple and sensitive in vivo assay for studying I(2) receptor ligands.