NADPH-dependent reductases in dog thyroid: comparison of a third enzyme "glyceraldehyde reductase" to dog thyroid aldehyde reductase

Yanghe Decoction Suppresses the Experimental Autoimmune Thyroiditis in Rats by Improving NLRP3 Inflammasome and Immune Dysregulation

Inflammation is an important contributor to autoimmune thyroiditis. Yanghe decoction (YH) is a traditional Chinese herbal formulation which has various anti-inflammatory effects. It has been used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis In this study we aimed to investigate the effects of YH on autoimmune thyroiditis in a rat model and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) model was established by thyroglobulin (pTG) injections and excessive iodine intake. Thyroid lesions were observed using hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) staining and serum TgAb, TPOAb, TSH, T3, and T4 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay IL-35 levels were evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Th17/Treg balance in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was determined by flow cytometry and RT-PCR. Changes in Wnt/β-catenin signaling were evaluated using Western blot. Immunofluorescence staining and western blot were employed to examine NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the thyroid. YH minimized thyroid follicle injury and decreased concentrations of serum TgAb, TPOAb, TSH, T3, and T4 in EAT model. The mRNA of IL-35 was increased after YH treatment. YH also increased the percentage of Treg cells, and decreased Th17 proportion as well as Th17/Treg ratio in PBMCs. Meanwhile, the mRNA levels of Th17 related cytokines (RORγt, IL-17A, IL-21, and IL-22) were suppressed and Treg related cytokines (FoxP3, TGF-β, and IL-10) were promoted in PBMCs. Additionally, the protein expressions of Wnt-1 and β-catenin were unregulated after YH treatment. NLRP3 immunostaining signal and protein levels of IL-17, p-NF-κB, NLRP3, ASC, cleaved-Caspase-1, cleaved-IL-1β, and IL-18 were downregulated in the thyroid after YH intervention. Overall, the present study demonstrated that YH alleviated autoimmune thyroiditis in rats by improving NLRP3 inflammasome and immune dysregulation.

Age-dependent retinal capillary pericyte degeneration in galactose-fed dogs

The galactose-fed beagle develops diabetes-like microvascular changes that are histologically and clinically similar in appearance to all stages of human diabetic retinopathy. This animal model is extremely useful for evaluating drugs for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy; however, the time required to develop the various retinal lesions (24-72 months for background to the proliferative stage) may be considered prohibitive. Retinal vascular changes begin with an initial degeneration of capillary pericytes, which has been linked to the aldose reductase catalyzed formation of galactitol. Because aldose reductase-linked sugar cataract formation is known to be age dependent, with the onset and severity of cataract higher in younger diabetic and galactose-fed animals, retinal capillary changes in the eyes of initially 2- versus 9-month-old beagles fed a diet containing 30% galactose were compared. Eyes were enucleated after 36 months of galactose feeding, the intact retinal capillaries were isolated by trypsin digestion, and defined retinal regions were evaluated by computer image analysis. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-dependent reductase activity, using DL-glyceraldehyde and D-xylose as substrates, was also compared in the lenses and whole retinas of eyes from the 2- and 9-month-old beagles. Significantly (P<or=0.05) increased pericyte degeneration, expressed as either the number of pericytes/mm capillary length or the ratio of endothelial cells versus pericytes (E/P ratio) was observed in the retinas of the younger dogs. The number of microaneurysms per eye was also significantly increased in the younger dogs, but no difference in acellular capillary areas was observed. This correlates with a threefold higher level of reductase activity in the retinas of the 2-month-old dogs. Because retinal capillary pericyte destruction is age dependent similar to the formation of sugar cataracts, the use of younger dogs may shorten the time period required for evaluating the efficacy of drugs for diabetic retinopathy in this animal model.

Evaluation of Matrex cellufine GH 25

The aim of this work was to test a new matrix for group size exclusion chromatography, Matrex cellufine GH 25, and compare it with Sephadex G25 Superfine and Sephadex G25 fine. Matrex cellufine GH 25 showed a better behaviour at high flow rate (792 cm/h) without back-pressure or packing-down. Sephadex G25 superfine showed a limited flow rate (226 cm/h) with both back-pressure and packing-down and Sephades G25 fine allowed running at 792 cm/h but with packing-down fourfold superior to that of Matrex cellufine GH 25. To have the same number of theoretical plates, it was necessary to increase the height of the bed and therefore the volume of the matrix (43%). With Matrex cellufine GH 25, the sample volume was more limited (9% of column volume) than with Sephadex G25 superfine (17%) but was equivalent to Sephadex fine (9%). To have the same elution time as Sephadex G25 superfine, the flow rate had to be increased by a factor 1.7. As Matrex cellufine GH 25 allowed a high flow rate when the volume of the sample was limited to 6% of column volume, its performance is better than that of Sephadex G25.