[Effect of polydatin on miR-214 expression and liver function in ApoE-/- mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of polydatin on the expression level of miR-214 and liver function in atherosclerotic mice. METHODS: Forty male ApoE(-/-) mice were randomly allocated into 4 groups (n=10), namely the model group, low- and high-dose polydatin groups, and simvastin group, with 10 male C57BL/6J mice serving as the normal control group. Mouse models of atherosclerosis were established by feeding the ApoE(-/-) mice with a high-fat diet. After 12 weeks of treatment, blood levels of glucose, lipids, AST, and ALT and the contents of T-SOD and MDA in the liver tissue were detected. The pathologies of the liver were examined with HE staining, and miR-214 expression in the liver was detected using quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control mice, the mice in the model group showed significantly increased blood glucose, serum TC, TG, LDL-C, ALT, and AST levels, and MDA contents in the liver (P<0.01), with significantly decreased serum HDL-C level and SOD and miR-214 levels in liver (P<0.01). Polydatin treatment significantly ameliorated such changes in blood glucose, serum ALT, AST, TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C levels, and MDA, SOD, and miR-214 contents in liver tissue (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: s Polydatin can reduce blood glucose and lipid levels and protect the liver function in atherosclerotic mice possibly by up-regulating the expression of miR-214 and T-SOD and down-regulating MDA in the liver.

Variability of glomerular filtration rate estimation equations in elderly Chinese patients with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is recognized worldwide as a public health problem, and its prevalence increases as the population ages. However, the applicability of formulas for estimating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) based on serum creatinine (SC) levels in elderly Chinese patients with CKD is limited. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on values obtained with the technetium-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid ((99m)Tc-DTPA) renal dynamic imaging method, 319 elderly Chinese patients with CKD were enrolled in this study. Serum creatinine was determined by the enzymatic method. The GFR was estimated using the Cockroft-Gault (CG) equation, the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equations, the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation, the Jelliffe-1973 equation, and the Hull equation. RESULTS: The median of difference ranged from -0.3-4.3 mL/min/1.73 m(2). The interquartile range (IQR) of differences ranged from 13.9-17.6 mL/min/1.73 m(2). Accuracy with a deviation less than 15% ranged from 27.6%-32.9%. Accuracy with a deviation less than 30% ranged from 53.6%-57.7%. Accuracy with a deviation less than 50% ranged from 74.9%-81.5%. None of the equations had accuracy up to the 70% level with a deviation less than 30% from the standard glomerular filtration rate (sGFR). Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated that the mean difference ranged from -3.0-2.4 mL/min/1.73 m(2). However, the agreement limits of all the equations, except the CG equation, exceeded the prior acceptable tolerances defined as 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2). When the overall performance and accuracy were compared in different stages of CKD, GFR estimated using the CG equation showed promising results. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicated that none of these equations were suitable for estimating GFR in the elderly Chinese population investigated. At present, based on overall performance, as well as performance in different CKD stages, the CG equation may be the most accurate for estimating GFR in elderly Chinese patients with CKD.

[Quercetin inhibits growth and induces apoptosis of human gastric carcinoma cells].

AIM: To study the effect of quercetin on the growth and apoptosis of human gastric carcinoma cell line MGC-803. METHODS: The measurement of inhibitory rate and apoptotic index(AI) of quercetin were done by MTT assay and TUNEL assay. The positive expression rate of P53, C-myc and P16 were detected by immunocytochemical staining. RESULTS: Quercetin at concentrations ranging from 40 mumol/L to 100 mumol/L significantly inhibited the proliferation of MGC-803 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P<0.01). TUNEL assay indicated that the number of apoptotic cells in quercetin-treated group was greater than that in the control group (P<0.01). Expression of P53 and C-myc protein decreased following quercetin induction in a dose-dependent manner, whereas P16 expression increased significantly compared with that of the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Quercetin can inhibit the growth and induce apoptosis of MGC-803 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Its mechanisms may be relevant to the down-regulation of P53 and C-myc protein expression as well as up-regulation of P16 expression.