[Down-regulation of PHLPP1 expression ameliorates high glucose-induced autophagy inhibition and apoptosis promotion of podocytes by activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway].

Objective To investigate the expression of pleckstrin homology(PH) domain leucine-rich repeats protein phosphatase 1 (PHLPP1) in renal tissue of patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and its effect on podocyte autophagy and apoptosis, and to explore its related mechanism. Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to detect PHLPP1 expression in renal tissue of patients with DN and non-diabetes, and immunofluorescence histochemical staining was used to detect the co-expression of nephrin and PHLPP1 to determine the localization of PHLPP1 in podocytes. Human glomerular podocyte cell line was cultured in normal glucose (NG) and high glucose (HG) media. The expression of PHLPP1 mRNA was detected by real-time quantitative PCR. Small interfering RNA of PHLPP1 (si-PHLPP1) targeting down-regulation of PHLPP1 was transfected into podocytes by Lipofectamine transient transfection technology, and the transfection efficiency was assessed by real-time PCR. According to the different treatment of podocytes, the cells were divided into NG group (podocytes cultured with normal glucose media), HG group (podocytes cultured with high glucose medium), HG combined with si-PHLPP1 group (podocytes transfected with si-PHLPP1 were cultured in high glucose medium), and HG combined with HCQ group (podocytes treated with hydroxychloroquine and high glucose medium). The formation of autophagic vesicles was observed by transmission electron microscope, and the protein expression levels of LC3, P62, PI3K, mTOR, p-mTOR, cleaved caspase 3 (c-caspase-3), AKT, p-AKT were detected by Western blotting. Annexin V-FITC/PI staining combined with flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis. Results PHLPP1 was highly expressed in the renal tissue of patients with DN, and it was mainly expressed in the glomerular podocyte. The HG culture medium could promote the expression of PHLPP1 mRNA in podocytes in a time-dependent manner. Compared with NG group, the autophagy level of podocytes, the expression of PI3K and the phosphorylation level of mTOR in the HG group, HG combined with si-PHLPP1 group and HG combined with HCQ group were significantly reduced; the apoptosis rate and c-caspase-3 protein expression level were significantly enhanced; the phosphorylation level of AKT in the HG combined with si-PHLPP1 group significantly increased, but it in the other two groups significantly decreased. Compared with HG group, the apoptosis rate and c-caspase-3 protein expression in the HG combined with si-PHLPP1 group were significantly reduced, while autophagy level, PI3K protein expression and phosphorylation level of mTOR and Akt protein were significantly elevated. The autophagy level of HG combined with HCQ group was significantly inhibited, the apoptosis rate and c-caspase-3 protein expression were significantly raised, and other indicators showed no significant changes. Conclusion PHLPP1 is highly expressed in renal tissue of patients with DN, and the down-regulated expression of PHLPP1 in podocytes can promote the autophagy of podocytes and reduced the apoptosis of podocytes by activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Protective effect of probiotics in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

To investigate the effects of probiotics on liver function, glucose and lipids metabolism, and hepatic fatty deposition in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Totally 140 NAFLD cases diagnosed in our hospital from March 2017 to March 2019 were randomly divided into the observation group and control group, 70 cases in each. The control group received the diet and exercise therapy, while the observation group received oral probiotics based on the control group, and the intervention in 2 groups lasted for 3 months. The indexes of liver function, glucose and lipids metabolism, NAFLD activity score (NAS), and conditions of fecal flora in 2 groups were compared before and after the treatment.Before the treatment, there were no significant differences on alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glutamine transferase (GGT), total bilirubin (TBIL), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), NAFLD activity score (NAS), and conditions of fecal flora in 2 groups (P > .05). After the treatment, ALT, AST, GGT, TC, TG, HOMA-IR, NAS, and conditions of fecal flora in the observation group were better than those in the control group, and the observation group was better after treatment than before. All these above differences were statistically significant (P < .05).Probiotics can improve some liver functions, glucose and lipids metabolism, hepatic fatty deposition in patients with NAFLD, which will enhance the therapeutic effects of NAFLD.

Comparative study of bacterial strains and antibiotic susceptibility tests between chronic tonsillitis patients with IgA nephropathy and without nephritis.

AIM: The purpose of the present study was to detect bacterial strains and antibiotic susceptibility in chronic tonsillitis patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and without nephritis, in order to provide evidence for clinical therapy and pathogenesis of IgAN. METHODS: A total of 53 patients with IgAN (group A) and 53 chronic tonsillitis patients without nephritis (group B) underwent tonsillectomy. The tonsil tissues of patients were collected under sterile condition. The bacteria in the tonsil crypt of patients in both groups were isolated and identified for antibiotic susceptibility test by the manual routine of the laboratory and also with the autoScan/Microscan system. RESULTS: There were bacteria in each specimen in both groups. The bacteria detection rate was 100%, but there was no significant difference between two groups (p > 0.05). The 522 strains of bacteria in group A and 494 strains of bacteria in group B were isolated. Streptococcus. Neisseria, Hemophilus parainfluenzae. Staphylococcus. Bacillus proteus and Streptococcus pneumoniae were detected in both groups, but there was no significant difference in the types of bacteria between the two groups (all p > 0.05). Alpha streptococcus was the most common in both groups. The antibiotic susceptibility test showed that there was no significant difference in the susceptibility to penicillin, chloramphenicol, macrolides, cephalosporin, gentamicin, amikacin sulphate, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, rifampicin and vancomycin between two groups (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Alpha streptococcus in both two groups can be detected and is the most common. There was no significant difference in bacterial strains and antibiotic susceptibility between two groups.