[Combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker improved the quality of life in patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor: a clinical observation].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effect of combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker on the quality of life (QOL) including appetite, defecation, and sleep in patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor. METHODS: Totally 147 patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor were assigned to 4 groups according to different treatment methods, i.e., the supportive treatment group (A, 20 cases), the acupressure treatment group (B, 41 cases), the magnetic sticker treatment group (C, 40 cases), and a combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker treatment group (D, 46 cases). They were respectively treated with different methods, supportive treatment for group A, acupressure for group B, magnetic sticker for group C, and a combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker for group D. The scores of food intake, defecation frequency, sleep time, Karnofsky, and QOL were compared before treatment and at day 14 after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of food intake, defecation frequency, and sleep time were obviously improved in B, C and D groups (P < 0.01). There was statistical difference between group D and group A (P < 0.01). In addition, in comparison with A group, both Karnofsky score and QOL score increased in B, C and D groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The assisted therapy of the combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker could ameliorate QOL such as the digestive functions and sleep in patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor.

The optimization of As(V) removal over mesoporous alumina by using response surface methodology and adsorption mechanism.

The Box-Behnken Design of the response surface methodology was employed to optimize four most important adsorption parameters (initial arsenic concentration, pH, adsorption temperature and time) and to investigate the interactive effects of these variables on arsenic(V) adsorption capacity of mesoporous alumina (MA). According to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and response surface analyses, the experiment data were excellent fitted to the quadratic model, and the interactive influence of initial concentration and pH on As(V) adsorption capacity was highly significant. The predicted maximum adsorption capacity was about 39.06 mg/g, and the corresponding optimal parameters of adsorption process were listed as below: time 720 min, temperature 52.8 °C, initial pH 3.9 and initial concentration 130 mg/L. Based on the results of arsenate species definition, FT-IR and pH change, As(V) adsorption mechanisms were proposed as follows: (1) at pH 2.0, H3AsO4 and H2AsO4(-) were adsorbed via hydrogen bond and electrostatic interaction, respectively; (2) at pH 6.6, arsenic species (H2AsO4(-) and HAsO4(2-)) were removed via adsorption and ion exchange, (3) at pH 10.0, HAsO4(2-) was adsorbed by MA via ion exchange together with adsorption, while AsO4(3-) was removed by ion exchange.

Huangkui capsule, an extract from Abelmoschus manihot (L.) medic, ameliorates adriamycin-induced renal inflammation and glomerular injury via inhibiting p38MAPK signaling pathway activity in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Abelmoschus manihot (L.) medic (AM) is a natural medicinal plant used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases in China. Huangkui capsule (HKC), an extract from AM, has been proved clinically effective in improving renal inflammation and glomerular injury in chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the dose-effects and the mechanisms involved in vivo are still unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was performed to examine the dose-effects of HKC on renal inflammation and glomerular lesion in adriamycin-induced nephropathy (ADRN), then to clarify the mechanisms in vivo of HKC by investigating its actions on modulating the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) signaling pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rats with chronic ADRN, created by the unilateral nephrectomy and twice adriamycin injections (ADR, 4 mg/kg and 2mg/kg) within 4 weeks, were divided into four groups, a Sham group, a Vehicle group, a high-dose HKC group, and a low-dose HKC group, and that, sacrificed at the end of the 4th week after the administration. The rat's general status, renal morphological appearance, proteinuria, blood biochemical parameters, glomerular morphological changes, podocyte shape, and macrophage (ED1(+) and ED3(+) cells) infiltration in glomeruli were examined, respectively. The protein expressions of inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-2, as well as p38MAPK signaling molecules such as transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1, p38MAPK, and phosphorylated-p38MAPK (p-p38MAPK), were also evaluated individually. RESULTS: HKC at high dose of 2g/kg/d not only significantly ameliorated the rat's general status, renal morphological appearance, proteinuria, albumin, and glomerulosclerosis, but also obviously reduced the infiltrated ED1(+) and ED3(+) macrophages in glomeruli and TNF-α protein expression in the kidney, in addition to these, evidently down-regulated TGF-ß1 and p-p38MAPK protein expressions in ADRN rats, but had no influence on podocyte shape and renal function. CONCLUSION: HKC could dose-dependently ameliorate renal inflammation and glomerular injury in ADRN rats, by way of reducing the infiltration and the activation of macrophages in glomeruli, and TNF-α protein expression in the kidney, as well as inhibiting p38MAPK signaling pathway activity via the down-regulation of p-p38MAPK and TGF-ß1 protein expressions in vivo.

Multi-glycoside of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. reduces proteinuria through improving podocyte slit diaphragm dysfunction in anti-Thy1.1 glomerulonephritis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Multi-glycoside of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. (GTW) has been proved clinically effective in reducing proteinuria in chronic kidney disease in China. However, the mechanisms involved are still unclear. In this study we examined the effects of GTW at the different dosages on proteinuria and podocyte slit diaphragm (SD) dysfunction in anti-Thy1.1 glomerulonephritis (GN). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats with anti-Thy1.1 GN were divided into 2 groups, a GTW group and a vehicle group, and sacrificed at 30 min, on day 7, and on day 14 in Experiments 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The administration of GTW at the moderate and high doses was started 3 days before or at the same time of antibody injection till sacrifice. Proteinuria was determined in Experiments 1, 2, and 3. After sacrifice, the staining intensity of SD-associated key functional molecules including nephrin and podocin, podocyte structure, mesangial change, macrophage infiltration, and blood biochemical parameters were examined, respectively. Protein and mRNA expressions of nephrin and podocin in glomeruli were also investigated. Besides, liver histological characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: In Experiment 1, GTW pretreatment at the medium dose (75 mg/kg body weight) caused no influence on the induction of anti-Thy1.1 GN and the basal nephrin expression. In Experiment 2, the high dosage (100mg/kg body weight) of GTW ameliorated proteinuria, the distribution of nephrin and podocin, mesangial proliferation, and the activated macrophage accumulation, as compared with vehicle group (P<0.05). Additionally, it increased mRNA and protein expressions of nephrin and podocin in glomeruli on day 7, but had no influence on podocyte structure. In Experiment 3, the medium dosage (75 mg/kg body weight) of GTW improved proteinuria, the partial matrix expansion, and the distribution of nephrin and podocin on day 14, as compared with anti-Thy1.1 GN rats (P<0.05). GTW at the high or moderate dose did not affect hepatic function on day 7 and on day 14. CONCLUSIONS: Podocyte SD dysfunction, such as the disordered distribution and down-regulation of nephrin and podocin expression, is critically involved in the pathogenesis of anti-Thy1.1 GN induced by mAb 1-22-3. The restoration of the distribution and expression of nephrin and podocin by GTW could be an important mechanism by which GTW ameliorates proteinuria and podocyte SD dysfunction.

[Preventive effects of multi-glycoside of Tripterygium wilfordii on glomerular lesions in experimental diabetic nephropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the preventive effects of multi-glycoside of Tripterygium wilfordii (GTW) on glomerular lesions in experimental diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHOD: The DN model of rats was established with streptozotocin (STZ) and intervened with GTW. In the same time, normal, benazepril, and vehicle control groups were set up. After 8 weeks of oral treatment with GTW (50 mg x kg(-1) BW), benazepril (6 mg x kg(-1) BW), and vehicle (physiological saline), the changes of body weight, urine albumin (UA1b), blood glucose (BG), serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and glomerular morphology were examined. In addition, the level of protein expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and collagen type I in glomeruli was determined by immunofluorescence. RESULT: Both GTW and benazepril reduced UA1b. GTW ameliorated glomerular injury, such as mesangial cell proliferation, alpha-SMA and collagen type I over-expression, in DN model. Compared with benazepril, beneficial effects of GTW on glomerulusclerosis were more significant (total cell number: GTW group 54.44 +/- 2.41, benazepril group microg/67.83 +/- 4.41, P < 0.05; alpha-SMA score: GTW group 1.98 +/- 0.52, benazepril group 2.27 +/- 0.46, P < 0.05; collagen type I score: GTW group 2.11 +/- 0.37, benazepril group 2.88 +/- 0.58, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Preventive effects of GTW on glomerular lesion in DN model are related to decreasing UA1b and ameliorating glomerulusclerosis.