[Activation of renal outer medullary potassium channel in the renal distal convoluted tubule by high potassium diet].

Renal outer medullary potassium (ROMK) channel is an important K+ excretion channel in the body, and K+ secreted by the ROMK channels is most or all source of urinary potassium. Previous studies focused on the ROMK channels of thick ascending limb (TAL) and collecting duct (CD), while there were few studies on the involvement of ROMK channels of the late distal convoluted tubule (DCT2) in K+ excretion. The purpose of the present study was mainly to record the ROMK channels current in renal DCT2 and observe the effect of high potassium diet on the ROMK channels by using single channel and whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. The results showed that a small conductance channel current with a conductance of 39 pS could be recorded in the apical membrane of renal DCT2, and it could be blocked by Tertiapin-Q (TPNQ), a ROMK channel inhibitor. The high potassium diet significantly increased the probability of ROMK channel current occurrence in the apical membrane of renal DCT2, and enhanced the activity of ROMK channel, compared to normal potassium diet (P < 0.01). Western blot results also demonstrated that the high potassium diet significantly up-regulated the protein expression levels of ROMK channels and epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), and down-regulated the protein expression level of Na+-Cl- cotransporter (NCC). Moreover, the high potassium diet significantly increased urinary potassium excretion. These results suggest that the high potassium diet may activate the ROMK channels in the apical membrane of renal DCT2 and increase the urinary potassium excretion by up-regulating the expression of renal ROMK channels.

A population-based survey of the prevalence of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness in Zhejiang Province, China.

Acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) is a prevalent public health concern worldwide. This study investigated the magnitude, distribution and burden of self-reported AGI among residents of Zhejiang Province, China. A face-to-face household survey was conducted using a multi-stage stratified random sampling method in 10 counties in Zhejiang Province between July 2018 and June 2019. In total, 12,021 participants were recruited. The prevalence of AGI 28 days after standardization was 1.8% (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.6-2.1), with an incidence rate of 0.24 episodes of AGI per person-year and an estimated 14 million cases of AGI in Zhejiang Province. Univariate and multivariable analyses showed a higher AGI prevalence among people who performed housework and were unemployed in summer and autumn among respondents living in western or northern cities (p < 0.05). More than 50% of AGI cases were attributed to the consumption of contaminated food. The disease burden caused by AGI in Zhejiang Province was approximately 975 million Chinses yuan (CNY). These results indicated that the disease burden of AGI in Zhejiang Province should be addressed and highlights the need for an improved active surveillance system of foodborne diseases to assess the impact of AGI on society and health.

[Botanical origin identification of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma based on color digitalization].

The color characteristic information of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma powder was obtained by spectrophotometer, the feasibility of rapid identification of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma origin based on chromaticity value was studied by statistical analysis. The results of rank correlation analysis showed that a~*(P<0.01), b~*(P<0.01) had significantly correlation with the origin of medicinal herbs, which could be used as two important parameters to distinguish the origin of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, the larger the a~* value, the more red the powder color,and the greater the b~* value, the more yellow the powder color. Meanwhile, through Fisher discriminant analysis, the linear discriminant functions of different genus Rhei Radix et Rhizoma were established, which was Rheum tanguticum=40.666a~*+0.019b~*-213.303, Rh. palmatum=34.121a~*+0.061b~*-151.770, Rh. officinale=28.071a~*+0.113b~*-104.604 3, the coincidence rate of cross-validation was over 95%, among them, the discriminant rate of Rh. tanguticum and Rh. officinale reached 100%;In addition, using the percentile method to analyze the 90% reference value range of three different origin of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, as a result, Rh. tanguticum a~*(10.236 5-10.604 7), b~*(32.294 8-34.841 7); Rh. palmatum a~*(8.602 7-8.770 0), b~*(27.534 8-28.968 6), and Rh. officinale a~*(6.825 7-7.464 3),b~*(21.001 6-27.716 4). According to this study, rank correlation analysis and Fisher discriminant analysis are feasible to distinguish the base of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma in a certain range, and provide some theoretical basis for the identification of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma. It also provides a new method and idea for the identification of other multi-base Chinese medicine.

[Grey correlation analysis and path analysis between isoflavones content in Astragali Radix and climate factors].

In this study, HPLC was used to determine the content of the four isoflavones of Astragalus membranceus var. mongholicus from different regions(calycosin-7-glucoside, ononin, calycosin and formononetin), and gray correlation analysis and path analysis were used to explore the influence of climate factors on the content of isoflavone components in A. membranceus var. mongholicus. The results showed that there were significant differences in the content of the four isoflavones in different areas(P<0.05); grey correlation analysis showed that the highest temperature in July, the lowest temperature in January and the daily average temperature had a greater impact on the content of flavonoid glycosides, meanwhile precipitation and relative humidity were the more important factors for the accumulation of flavonoid aglycones. According to the general analysis, the direct positive effects of the lowest temperature in January and altitude on the contents of four isoflavones in A. membranceus var. mongholicus were significant. High altitude and extreme temperature conditions might be more adverse to the formation and accumulation of isoflavone components. Therefore, the religions of A. membranceus var. mongholicus with high contents of isoflavones should be chosen the low altitude region with higher minimum temperature in January. This study provides a reference basis for the quality evaluation of A. membranceus var. mongholicus, and basic data for the selection of suitable habitat, construction of planting standards and directional cultivation of medicinal materials in A. membranceus var. mongholicus.

[Readthrough on transcription factor NKX2.5 premature stop codon by tRNA suppressors].

Human NKX2.5 (NK2 homeobox 5) premature stop codon (PTC) mutations cause congenital heart diseases such as atrial septal defect and atrioventricular block. At present, eight NKX2.5 PTC mutations were reported as E109X, Q149X, Q170X, Q187X, Q198X, Y256X, Y259X and C264X. To observe the ability of tRNA suppressors to read through NKX2.5 PTC mutations and produce functional full-length proteins, eight NKX2.5 PTC mutations were cloned into pcDNA3.1(-) vectors and four fragments (wild-type NKX2.5, E109X, Q149X and C264X) were cloned in pEGFP-N1 vectors to acquire NKX2.5-EGFP fusing plasmids. After transfection of NKX2.5-EGFP with or without corresponding tRNA suppressor into HeLa cells, the quantity of EGFP was measured to confirm the readthrough ability of the PTCs. NKX2.5 full-length and truncated protein expression levels were examined by Western blotting and the readthrough efficiency of tRNA suppressors on the PTCs was calculated respectively. The activity of NKX2.5 full-length and truncated protein was confirmed on NKX2.5 target gene-Cx43 mRNA level measured by Real-time PCR. Three tRNA suppressors were used: tRNA am, tRNA oc and tRNA op. tRNA am could suppress UAG-containing PTCs Q149X, Q170X, Q187X, Q198X and the readthrough efficiency for the latter three was above 50%. tRNA op could suppress UGA-containing PTC C264X with ~50% readthrough efficiency. tRNA oc failed to read through NKX2.5 PTC mutations. The relative Cx43 mRNA level in all readthrough samples was increased to 7%-41.7%. In conclusion, tRNA am and tRNA op could suppress NKX2.5 PTCs and induce functional protein expression. However, the effects of tRNA suppressors on cellular function are not clear yet, warranting further researches.

Assessment of chlorpyrifos exposure and absorbed daily doses among infants living in an agricultural area of the Province of Jiangsu, China.

PURPOSE: Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is one of the most widely used organophosphorous pesticides in China. However, few reports on CPF pesticide exposure and body burden of infants at 2 years of age in China are available. The aim of this study was to assess the exposure level and the absorbed daily dose (ADD) of CPF among infants from an agricultural area of Jiangsu, China, and determine whether the infants' estimated dose exceeds the recommended reference dose (RfD) and the population adjusted dose (PAD) set by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). METHODS: In our study, 364 infants at 2 years of age who lived in the agricultural area of Jiangsu Province (China) were enrolled into the biomonitoring study from June 2011 to January 2012. CPF exposure was estimated based on both questionnaire survey and measured results of urinary metabolite 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy) of CPF by high-performance liquid chromatography. Furthermore, the ADD of CPF among infants was also evaluated and compared with the RfD and the PAD values issued by EPA. RESULTS: Urinary TCPy was detected in more than 70 % of the urine samples among 364 infants. The unadjusted and creatinine-adjusted geometric means in these subjects for TCPy were 1.33 µg/L and 6.73 µg/g Cre., respectively. Infants lived nearby (100 m distance) plantations or green parks present significantly higher levels of urinary TCPy than those lived far away (p = 0.045). Urinary TCPy levels were also significantly higher in infants who had frequent hand-to-mouth activities than those with less frequency (p = 0.037). Urinary TCPy concentrations in the infants at 2 years of age in Jiangsu were lower than those in the children at 2-6 years of age in the USA. The median estimated ADD of CPF in this study (0.07 µg/kg/day) was much lower than the acute and chronic RfDs (5 and 0.3 µg/kg/day, respectively) announced by EPA, but higher than the chronic PAD (cPAD) (0.03 µg/kg/day) for children. Additionally, the 75th percentile of the estimated ADD in our study was 2.5 times as much as the cPAD from EPA, even assuming only half of the TCPy amount from CPF exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed that infants at 2 years of age in Jiangsu of China were widely exposed to CPF pesticide. The estimated ADD probably suggested that about 25 % of the enrolled infants were at potential risk of pesticide exposure, which warned of urgency to eliminate the potential exposure risk to infants living in agricultural areas of China.

[Role of connective tissue growth factor and α-smooth muscle actin in pulmonary fibrosis among acute paraquat poisoned rats].

OBJECTIVE: to observe the expression of the connective tissue growth (CTGF) and a smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in acute paraquat (PQ) poisoned rats and investigate the mechanism of paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis. METHODS: sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two experimental groups: control group (6 rats) and PQ group (56 rats). On the 3rd, the 7th, the 14th, the 28th and the 56th day after exposure, the expression of CTGF and α-SMA were evaluated by SABC Immunohistochemistry and Western blot; and the relationship of the expression with pathologic score, hydroxyproline were also analyzed, respectively. The lung pathological changes of rats were observed and pathological evaluation was made. RESULTS: it was similar that the expression pattern of CTGF, α-SMA detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. With the time passing, their expression in PQ group increased gradually compared with control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The increasing extent of CTGF, α-SMA were gentle on the 3rd, the 7th day. While their increasing extent was rapid from the 14th to the 56th day. CTGF was positively correlated with α-SMA, pathologic score and hydroxyproline respectively (r = 0.74, r = 0.87, r = 0.71, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the histological changes such as lung fibroblast proliferation, disorganized collagen fibers were observed in PQ group. CONCLUSION: CTGF and α-SMA could play an important role in the development of pulmonary fibrosis caused by paraquat poisoning; CTGF may promote the transformation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts and further strengthen the ability of synthesis collagen and extracellular matrix.

2,2'-[p-Phenyl-enebis(methyl-idene-aza-ne-di-yl)]dipyridinium bis-(hydrogensulfate) dihydrate.

The cation of the title salt, C(18)H(20)N(4) (2+)·2HSO(4) (-)·2H(2)O, lies on a center of inversion with the mid-point directly in the middle of the p-phenyl-ene ring. Within the hydrogensulfate ion, the S-O(H) bond is the longest of the S-O bonds. The dihedral angle between the central and terminal ring of the cation is 78.6 (2)°. In the crystal, the cation, anion and water mol-ecule inter-act by O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, generating a three-dimensional network.