Analysis of renal functions and proteinuria in young obese adults

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of obesity in young adults and to analyze the influencing factors on renal functions and proteinuria in this population.

METHODS

This study comprised civil servants between 20 and 39 years old, who received physical examinations at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. The subjects were categorized into four groups based on age (20-24, 25-29, 30-34 and 35-39 years) and the number of risk factors they had (hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia and hyperuricemia). The relationships between obesity and the prevalence of proteinuria, between obesity and risk factors and between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and proteinuria were analyzed.

RESULTS

Among the 2293 young civil servants, in men the prevalence of obesity was 33.3 % and proteinuria was 2.5 %. However in women the prevalence of obesity and proteinuria was 7.5 % and 1.7 %, respectively. The levels of blood pressure, serum uric acid (UA), cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), fasting glucose (FBG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were lower and the level of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was higher in nonobese groups compared with obese groups. There were no significant differences in eGFR between the two groups. The eGFR in male subjects was associated with age, UA, body mass index (BMI), FBG, TC, TG, LDL and HDL, and in female subjects associated with UA, age, BMI, diastolic blood pressure, FBG and LDL. BMI in both males and females increased with the higher number of risk factors. Multiple regression analysis revealed that hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia and hyperuricemia were independently associated with obesity. eGFR decreased with a higher number of risk factors. Obesity, blood pressure, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia and hyperuricemia were independently associated with proteinuria.

CONCLUSION

Obesity can pose an independent risk factor for proteinuria in young adults. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia and hyperuricemia were independently associated with obesity. eGFR decreased with a higher number of risk factors.

Clinical and etiological study of a small familiar outbreak of trichinellosis in Tibet, China

The diagnosis of trichinellosis is rather difficult because fever, myalgia and eosinophilia are nonspecific, and diagnosis may be delayed. We describe a small familiar outbreak of trichinellosis occurred in early 2009 in Tibet, southwestern China, due to consumption of raw pork. The patients with trichinellosis were diagnosed by muscle biopsy and serological tests (ELISA and IFA) early at 12 days after onset of disease. Both of the pre-encapsulated and encapsulated Trichinella larvae collected from biopsy muscles and residual pork were identified as Trichinella spiralis by multiplex PCR. This is the first species identification of Trichinella isolates from the biopsy muscles of patients with trichinellosis in China.

Role of APN and TNF-α in type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease caused by non-excessive alcohol consumption and is the most common cause of elevated levels of serum liver enzymes. We examined changes in adiponectin (APN) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) complicated by NAFLD and their relationships with insulin resistance (IR). Forty-two T2DM, 39 NAFLD, and 45 T2DM complicated with NAFLD (complicated group) patients were enrolled in this study. Body mass index, fasting blood plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin, triglyceride (TG), alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, APN, TNF-α, and homeostasis model of assessment (HOMA)-IR were determined. The degree of fatty liver was graded according to liver/spleen computed tomography ratio and intrahepatic vessel manifestations. Compared with the T2DM and NAFLD groups, fasting blood plasma glucose, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, TG, TNF-α, and HOMA-IR in the complicated group were significantly increased, while APN was significantly reduced. Body mass index in the complicated group was significantly higher than in the T2DM group. The complicated group was prone to severe fatty liver compared with the NAFLD group. APN was negatively correlated with body mass index, fasting blood plasma glucose, TG, TNF-α, and HOMA-IR. TNF-α was negatively correlated with APN, but positively correlated with FPG, fasting insulin, TG, and HOMA-IR. The complicated group had clear IR. A more severe degree of fatty liver was associated with higher HOMA-IR and TNF-α and lower APN. APN was an important factor for antagonizing inflammation and mitigating IR.

Analysis of structure, function and epitopes of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei casein kinase I

Spirometra erinaceieuropaei casein kinase I (SeCKI) was analyzed using bioinformatical methods to predict its structure and function based on the deduced amino acid sequence from full length cDNA sequence of SeCKI gene with online sites and software programs. The longest open reading frame contains 448 amino acids, 50 kDa and theoretical pI of 4.73, with a complete tubulin domain, a SMART tubulin_C domain and a low complexity region. SeCKI has no signal sequence and no transmembrane domain, but is predicted to be located extracellularly. The secondary structure of SeCKI contains 12 α-helixes, 11 β-strands and 22 coils. SeCKI had 19 potential antigenic epitopes and 25 HLA-I restricted epitopes. Based on phylogenetic analysis of SeCKI sequence, S. erinaceieuropaei has the closest evolutionary status with Hymenolepis microstoma. Information from this study could provide important insights into the identification of diagnostic antigens and molecular targets of anti-sparganum drugs.

Generation and characterization of polyclonal antibodies against mouse T-cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory domain by DNA-based immunization

Mouse T-cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory domain (TIGIT) is a newly identified surface protein expressed in regulatory, memory, natural killer (NK), and activated T cells. Several studies indicate that mouse TIGIT is a vital immunomodulator that can control the activities of both NK and T cells and plays an important role in transplantation tolerance. In this study, we designed a vector, TIGIT-pcDNA3.1 (+), that encodes the complete coding sequence of mouse TIGIT. The vector was intramuscularly injected into rats, and then the specific antisera were harvested and purified using a protein A/G PLUS-agarose affinity column. Western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses revealed that the antibodies generated by DNA immunization can bind with the mouse TIGIT. Using these antibodies in immunoblots, TIGIT was detected in lysates of mouse organs, T cells from mouse lymph nodes, and recombinant mouse fusion protein of TIGIT and Fc fragment. Immunohistochemistry analysis of normal mouse kidney showed that immunoreactivity was located on endothelial cells of glomerular capillary loops and peritubular capillaries. Our results demonstrated that the DNA immunization of rats through intramuscular injection was a simple and easily available method of producing polyclonal antibodies that can be used to detect and analyze mouse TIGIT expression in mouse systems.

MiR-873 regulates ERα transcriptional activity and tamoxifen resistance via targeting CDK3 in breast cancer cells

miRNAs (microRNAs) are frequently and aberrantly expressed in many cancers. MiR-873 has been revealed to be downregulated in colorectal cancer and glioblastoma. However, its function remains unclear. Here we report that miR-873 is downregulated in breast tumor compared with normal tissue. Enforced expression of miR-873 decreases the transcriptional activity of ER (estrogen receptor)-α but not ERβ through the modulation of ERα phosphorylation in ER-positive breast cancer cells. We also found that miR-873 inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth in nude mice. Reporter gene assays revealed cyclin-dependent kinase 3 (CDK3) as a direct target of miR-873. CDK3 was shown to be overexpressed in breast cancer and phosphorylate ERα at Ser104/116 and Ser118. Furthermore, we found that Mir-873 inhibits ER activity and cell growth via targeting CDK3. Interestingly, miR-873 was observed to be downregulated in tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7/TamR cells, while CDK3 is overexpressed in these cells. More importantly, re-expression of miR-873 reversed tamoxifen resistance in MCF-7/TamR cells. Our data demonstrate that miR-873 is a novel tumor suppressor in ER-positive breast cancer and a potential therapeutic approach for treatment of tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer.

Identification of surface proteins of Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae using immunoproteomics

Trichinella spiralis surface proteins are directly exposed to the host's immune system, making them the main target antigens which induce the immune responses and may play an important role in the larval invasion and development process. The analysis and characterization of T. spiralis surface proteins could provide useful information to elucidate the host-parasite interaction, identify the early diagnostic antigens and the targets for vaccine. The purpose of this study was to identify the surface proteins of T. spiralis muscle larvae by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) Western-blot analysis and mass spectrometry. The 2-DE results showed that a total of approximately 33 proteins spots were detected with molecular weights varying from 10 to 66 kDa and isoelectric point (pI) from 4 to 7. Fourteen protein spots were recognized by sera of mice infected with T. spiralis at 42 dpi or at 18 dpi, and 12 spots were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS, which represented 8 different proteins of T. spiralis. Out of the 8 T. spiralis proteins, 5 proteins (partial P49 antigen, deoxyribonuclease II family protein, two serine proteases, and serine proteinase) had catalytic and hydrolase activity, which might be the invasion-related proteins and the targets for vaccine. The 4 proteins (deoxyribonuclease II family protein, serine protease, 53 kDa ES antigen and hypothetical protein Tsp_08444) recognized by infection sera at 18 dpi might be the early diagnostic antigens for trichinellosis.

Survey and genetic variation of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei sparganum in frogs and snakes from Guangxi of southern China

The prevalence of sparganum infection in wild frogs (Rana rugulosa and R. temporaria) and snakes (Enhydris chinensis) was investigated in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of Southern China from June 2013 to August 2013. The results showed that 30.37% (65/214) of the caught wild frogs and 50% (3/6) of examined snakes were found to be infected with plerocercoids (spargana) of the genus Spirometra. To investigate the genetic variation of the collected spargana, three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) regions, namely cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 and 3 (cox1 and cox3), NADH dehydrogenase subunits 4 (nad4) were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed. The sequences of cox1, cox3 and pnad4 are 444, 387 and 585 bp in length, respectively. The base composition of cox1, cox3 and pnad4 were generally AT rich with a mean of 62.7%, 67.2% and 64.9%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum parsimony (MP) indicated that all the Spirometra sparganum isolates in Guangxi represented S. erinaceieuropaei.

mTOR pathway is involved in ADP-evoked astrocyte activation and ATP release in the spinal dorsal horn in a rat neuropathic pain model

BACKGROUND

ATP/ADP-evoked spinal astrocyte activation plays a vital role in the development of neuropathic pain. We aim to investigate the role of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway on the spinal astrocyte activation in the neuropathic pain development in rats.

METHODS

Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to chronic constriction of the sciatic nerve (CCI). Rapamycin or ADP was intrathecally injected daily to explore their effects on spinal astrocyte activation and pain development. Expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and mTOR in the spinal dorsal horn was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Von Frey hairs and Hargreaves paw withdrawal test were conducted to evaluate mechanical allodynia and thermal sensitivity, respectively. Firefly luciferase ATP assay was used to assess the change of ATP level in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and medium of cultured astrocytes.

RESULTS

GFAP expression was enhanced in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn from day 3 after surgery. GFAP and mTOR expression in the rat spinal dorsal horn on post-surgical day 14 was enhanced by daily intrathecal injection of ADP, which was inhibited by rapamycin. Rapamycin decreased lower mechanical pain threshold and the thermal withdrawal latency. Intrathecal injection of ADP enhanced the ATP release, which was partially inhibited by rapamycin. Study of cultured astrocytes indicated that ATP could be released from astrocytes.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrated that ADP enhanced neuropathic pain in CCI rats, which was inhibited by rapamycin. This study indicates that targeting mTOR pathway could serve as a novel therapeutic strategy in neuropathic pain management.

Preparation of Sapphire for High Quality III-Nitride Growth

We developed a unique preparation technique to eliminate surface damage on the c-plane of sapphire and render it atomically flat. AFM images of c-plane sapphire annealed at 1380 °C for 1hour show terrace-like features with about 0.2 μm long terraces. The GaN layers grown by MBE on annealed sapphire have [0 0 2] symmetric and [1 0 4] asymmetric full width at half maximum (FWHM) of about 60 and 132 arcsec, respectively. This compares with 408 and 600 arcsec, respectively, for GaN grown on sapphire having gone through conventional chemical cleaning.

Helical tomotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost dose painting for the treatment of synchronous primary cancers involving the head and neck

OBJECTIVE

To demonstrate the feasibility of helical tomotherapy (HT)-based intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for the treatment of synchronous primary cancers arising from the head and neck.

METHODS

14 consecutive patients with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were determined to have a second primary cancer in the upper aerodigestive tract on further evaluation and were treated with HT using simultaneous integrated boost IMRT. Megavoltage CT scans were acquired daily as part of an image-guided registration protocol. Concurrent platinum-based systemic therapy was given to nine patients (64%).

RESULTS

HT resulted in durable local control in 21 of the 28 primary disease sites irradiated, including a complete clinical and radiographic response initially observed at 17 of the 20 sites with gross tumour. The mean displacements to account for interfraction motion were 2.44 ± 1.25, 2.92 ± 1.09 and 2.31 ± 1.70 mm for the medial-lateral (ML), superior-inferior (SI) and anteroposterior (AP) directions, respectively. Table shifts of >3 mm occurred in 19%, 20% and 22% of the ML, SI and AP directions, respectively. The 2-year estimates of overall survival, local-regional control and progression-free survival were 58%, 73% and 60%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The effectiveness of HT for the treatment of synchronous primary cancers of the head and neck was demonstrated.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

HT is a feasible option for synchronous primary cancers of the head and neck and can result in long-term disease control with acceptable toxicity in appropriately selected patients.

Lactobacillus salivarius Ren prevent the early colorectal carcinogenesis in 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine-induced rat model

AIMS

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of Lactobacillus salivarius Ren (LS) on modulating colonic micro flora structure and influencing host colonic health in a rat model with colorectal precancerous lesions.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Male F344 rats were injected with 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and treated with LS of two doses (5 × 10(8) and 1 × 10(10) CFU kg(-1) body weight) for 15 weeks. The colonic microflora profiles, luminal metabolites, epithelial proliferation and precancerous lesions [aberrant crypt foci (ACF)] were determined. A distinct segregation of colonic microflora structures was observed in LS-treated group. The abundance of one Prevotella-related strain was increased, and the abundance of one Bacillus-related strain was decreased by LS treatment. These changes were accompanied by increased short-chain fatty acid levels and decreased azoreductase activity. LS treatment also reduced the number of ACF by c. 40% and suppressed epithelial proliferation.

CONCLUSIONS

Lactobacillus salivarius Ren improved the colonic microflora structures and the luminal metabolisms in addition preventing the early colorectal carcinogenesis in DMH-induced rat model.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Colonic microflora is an important factor in colorectal carcinogenesis. Modulating the structural shifts of microflora may provide a novel option for preventing colorectal carcinogenesis. This study suggested a potential probiotic-based approach to modulate the intestinal microflora in the prevention of colorectal carcinogenesis.

Radiofrequency artefacts in echoplanar imaging induced by two 1.5 T MR scanners in close proximity

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to assess radio frequency (RF) artefacts in echoplanar imaging (EPI) induced by two 1.5 T MR scanners in close proximity and to find an effective method to correct them.

METHODS

Based on the intact shielding of rooms, experiments were performed by two MR scanners with similar centre frequencies. Phantom A (PA) was scanned in one scanner by EPI at different bandwidths (BWs). Simultaneously, phantom B was scanned in a fixed sequence for scanning with the other scanner. RF artefact gaps of PA, scanning time and the image signal-noise ratio (SNR) were measured and recorded. Statistical analysis was performed with the repeated-measures analysis of variance test. Based on findings obtained from PA, three healthy volunteers were studied at a conventional BW and a lower BW to observe the artefact variance.

RESULTS

EPI RF artefacts were symmetrically situated in both sides of the image following the phase-encoding direction. The gap size of the artefact became larger and the SNR was significantly improved with a narrower BW. RF artefacts with a lower BW in volunteers presented the same characteristic as PA.

CONCLUSION

For EPI RF artefacts produced by two 1.5 T MR scanners with approximately similar centre frequencies, we can reduce BWs in a suitable range to minimize the effect on MRI.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

MR scanners with the same field strength installed in the same vicinity might produce RF artefacts in the sequence at larger BWs. Reducing BWs properly is effective to control the position of artefacts and improve the image quality.

Protective effects of pioglitazone against immunoglobulin deposition on heart of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

AIM

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) agonists have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. The study investigated the autoimmune injuries of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) and tested the hypothesis that PPAR-γ agonists suppress disordered immune responses in diabetic heart, thereby preventing evolution of DCM.

METHODS

STZ-induced diabetic rats were assigned to five groups: DM group, given no treatment; INS group, given insulin (4 U kg(-1) d(-1)); PIL group, given low dose pioglitazone (4 mg kg(-1) d(-1)); PIL/INS group, given both low dose pioglitazone and insulin; PIH group, given high dose pioglitazone (20 mg kg(-1) d(-1)). Normal rats (CON group) were also monitored as control. The pathologic abnormalities of hearts were observed. The immunoglobulin deposition was examined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

At 16 weeks, interstitial fibrosis was shown in diabetic heart which was accompanied by plenty of inflammatory cells infiltrated. Pioglitazone therapy could ameliorate the cardiac injuries. Shown by immunohistochemistry, the difference of integrated optical density (IOD) of immunoglobulin deposition among each group had statistic significance. No obvious immunoglobulins were deposited in the intercellular substance of heart in CON group (IgA 290.8 ± 88.1, IgG 960.4 ± 316.0 and IgM 341.3 ± 67.9). But the deposition of immunoglobulins increased significantly in DM group (IgA 7,047.5 ± 1,328.3, P < 0.05; IgG 28,945.9 ± 5,160.7, P < 0.05 and IgM 8,580.8 ± 1,336.8, P < 0.05). Administration of pioglitazone greatly reduced the increased deposition in a dose-dependent fashion. Moreover, the statistical significance was the same with immunofluorescence analysis as with immunohistochemical examination.

CONCLUSIONS

The data suggest that disordered immune responses play an important role in the pathogenesis of DCM. Pioglitazone showed protective effects by inhibiting the immunoglobulin deposition on diabetic myocardium.

Thermal stability of MnBi magnetic materials

MnBi has attracted much attention in recent years due to its potential as a rare-earth-free permanent magnet material. It is unique because its coercivity increases with increasing temperature, which makes it a good hard phase material for exchange coupling nanocomposite magnets. MnBi phase is difficult to obtain, partly because the reaction between Mn and Bi is peritectic, and partly because Mn reacts readily with oxygen. MnO formation is irreversible and harmful to magnet performance. In this paper, we report our efforts toward developing MnBi permanent magnets. To date, high purity MnBi (>90%) can be routinely produced in large quantities. The produced powder exhibits 74.6 emu g(-1) saturation magnetization at room temperature with 9 T applied field. After proper alignment, the maximum energy product (BH)max of the powder reached 11.9 MGOe, and that of the sintered bulk magnet reached 7.8 MGOe at room temperature. A comprehensive study of thermal stability shows that MnBi powder is stable up to 473 K in air.

Neural correlates of the abolished self-referential memory effect in schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

The self-referential memory (SRM) effect refers to the phenomenon that stimuli processed with reference to the self are better remembered than those referenced to others. Studies have shown that schizophrenia patients do not have this memorial advantage for self-referenced information. The current study investigated the electrophysiological mechanism of the abolished SRM effect in schizophrenia.

METHOD

Twenty schizophrenia patients and 22 controls were recruited to complete an SRM task. We used a high-time resolution event-related potential (ERP) technique to analyze the electrophysiological differences between patients and controls during self- and other-reflection processing.

RESULTS

Behavior data indicated that healthy controls had a typical SRM bias that was absent in the schizophrenia patients. ERP comparison between groups showed that the schizophrenia patients presented smaller voltages in both self- and other-reflection conditions in the 160-260 ms (P2 component) and 800-1200 ms (positive slow wave) time windows over the pre/frontal cortex. Furthermore, the N2 amplitudes (270-380 ms) differed between self- and other-reflection conditions in patients but not in normal controls. More importantly, we found that the P3 amplitudes in the parietal cortex correlated significantly with the SRM bias score in the patients (r = -0.688).

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide comprehensive and direct electrophysiological evidence for self- and other-reflective dysfunction in schizophrenia patients and contribute to our understanding of the underlying neural substrates of the abolished SRM effect in schizophrenia.