Randomised controlled trial of enalapril and beta blockers in non-diabetic chronic renal failure.

OBJECTIVE--To compare the ability of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and beta blockers to slow the development of end stage renal failure in non-diabetic patients with chronic renal failure. DESIGN--Open randomised multicentre trial with three year follow up. SETTING--Outpatient departments of six French hospitals. PATIENTS--100 hypertensive patients with chronic renal failure (initial serum creatinine 200-400 mumol/l. 52 randomised to enalapril and 48 to beta blockers (conventional treatment). INTERVENTIONS--Enalapril or beta blocker was combined with frusemide and, if necessary, a calcium blocker or centrally acting drug in patients whose diastolic pressure remained above 90 mm Hg. RESULTS--17 patients receiving conventional treatment and 10 receiving enalapril developed end stage renal failure. The cumulative renal survival rate was significantly better in the enalapril group than in the conventional group (P < 0.05). The slope of the reciprocal serum creatinine concentration was steeper in the conventionally treated patients (-6.89 x 10(-5)l/mumol/month) than in the enalapril group (-4.17 x 10(-5)l/mumol/month; P < 0.05). No difference in blood pressure was found between groups. CONCLUSION--In hypertensive patients with chronic renal failure enalapril slows progression towards end stage renal failure compared with beta blockers. This effect was probably not mediated through controlling blood pressure.     

伤胁迫对蚕豆叶片中茉莉酸分布的影响

在植物应对伤害等环境刺激的反应中,已知茉莉酸(JA)作为一种重要的信号分子在植物体内长距离运输,但目前对JA的细胞和亚细胞定位知之甚少。本研究用免疫荧光显微镜技术和免疫胶体金电镜技术证明茉莉酸分布在蚕豆叶片叶肉细胞的叶绿体、表皮细胞的细胞壁、保卫细胞的细胞壁、细胞质、叶绿体和细胞核上。其中保卫细胞的叶绿体和细胞核是JA分布的主要场所。叶片的局部灼伤可提高JA在质外体和气孔保卫细胞中的水平。由此推测,伤胁迫下JA分配的改变可能与植物体防御反应密切相关,并参与了对气孔运动的调控。     

三种不同方法固定的石蜡切片中RNA的分析

研究在 10 %中性福尔马林、丙酮、甲醇 氯仿 冰醋酸 3种方法固定的石蜡切片中提取RNA的质量和数量 .取 2 5 0g体重的Wistar大鼠的肾脏 ,分别采用 10 %中性福尔马林、丙酮、甲醇 氯仿 冰醋酸 3种方法固定 ,石蜡包埋 ,H E染色 ;采用RNA裂解液、TRIZOL试剂 2种方法提取切片RNA ,逆转录为cDNA ,采用普通PCR和SYBRGREEN 1定量PCR分析RNA质量和数量 .结果表明 ,3种固定方法都可保持组织良好的结构和形态 ;采用 2种提取方法 ,均可经RT PCR扩增出 180bp大鼠磷酸甘油醛脱氢酶 (G3PDH)、5 6 5bpβ肌动蛋白 (β actin)、10 0bp纤溶酶系活化剂抑制物 1(PAI 1) ;但采用RNA裂解液时 ,比TRIZOL试剂可提取更多的RNA .     

骨髓基质干细胞的诱导分化及其治疗癫痫的实验研究

目的探讨骨髓基质干细胞诱导分化为神经元样细胞的方法及脑内移植治疗大鼠癫痫模型的作用。方法无菌条件下分离纯化BMSCs,用bFGF 10ng/ml、RA0.5μmol/L的DMEM/F12诱导72h后,部分用于免疫荧光检测nestin,其余的继续用bFGF 10ng/ml、RA 0.5μmol/L及神经营养因子NT-3 20ng/ml、BDNF 20ng/ml的DMEM/F12诱导4d,检测GAD67。皮下注射匹罗卡品建立癫痫大鼠模型,采用行为学分析筛选模型。通过立体定位仪,用微量注射器将BMSCs来源的神经干细胞和神经营养因子移植入癫痫鼠海马内,观察大鼠行为变化,存活2、4周后,心脏灌注取脑,冰冻切片免疫组化双标检测移植细胞的存活、迁移、分化情况。结果BMSCs诱导72h后,nestin表达阳性,4d后GAD67检测60%阳性。采用匹罗卡品造模,方法简便,但死亡率较高,仅15%-20%的动物造模成功。BMSCs源神经干细胞移植后可在海马内存活,向周围的脑区内迁移和整合。结论BMSCs源的神经干细胞在体外可诱导为γ-氨基丁酸能神经元并且对慢性癫痫有一定的治疗作用。     

中水技术污水处理工艺去除病毒的效果

中水技术开发既可缓解水资源的紧缺,又能改善城市环境。本文报道用石英粉吸附/洗脱和浓缩棒脱水的二步浓集水病毒技术(回收率为25.4～37.3％),研究中水技术不同处理工艺去除病毒的效果。结果,二级处理可去除掺入病毒的98.9％,结合三级处理的混凝沉淀和过滤,可去除99.976％,再加活性炭吸附或加氯消毒,所得中水分别去除掺入病毒的99.986％和99.991％。经首都机场中水道试验厂水样检测表明,中水中未检测到病毒(<0.23PFU/L)。     

节节麦-黑麦双二倍体种子贮藏蛋白的变异分析

利用SDS-PAGE和A-PAGE方法对获得的遗传稳定性逐年提高节节麦-黑麦双二倍体的麦谷蛋白和麦醇溶蛋白进行了分析.结果显示:在高分子量谷蛋白区域,双二倍体共检测到3条带,其中第1和第3条带与亲本节节麦的5t和10t亚基大小一致,中间的第2条带是两亲本都未出现的新麦谷蛋白条带,而黑麦的2r和6.5r亚基在双二倍体材料中未检测到;在低分子量谷蛋白区域,黑麦和节节麦分别有4条和2条带在双二倍体材料中未检测到.在醇溶蛋白的γ和β区,黑麦共有5条带在双二倍体材料中未检测到,在ω区,节节麦有1条带未检测到.研究表明,在双二倍体中两亲本控制贮藏蛋白的基因组之间发生了较大的改变,与亲本节节麦相比较,亲本黑麦控制的贮藏蛋白发生的改变更大;两亲本控制贮藏蛋白基因的遗传方式在双二倍体材料中表现为非加性效应.     

Proline accumulation inside symbiosomes of faba bean nodules under salt stress

A two‐week salt treatment (NaCl, 100 m M ) induced a 50% inhibition of acetylene reduction activity (ARA) of faba bean ( Vicia faba L. var. minor cv. Soravi) nodules, associated with a large increase in the nodule pool of amino acids. The concentration of proline in the different nodule compartments was determined after calculating their respective volumes from their areas on electron micrographs. The proline concentration exhibited a large increase, especially in the cytosol where its amount was 8‐fold enhanced under salt stress, whereas the low proline content of bacteroids was less affected. Increase of proline concentration in faba bean nodules subjected to salt stress was correlated with an enhancement of the cytosolic Δ¹‐pyrroline‐5‐carboxylate synthetase (EC 2.7.2.11 + EC 1.2.1.41; P5CS) activity. Experiments with purified symbiosome preparations showed that the greatest proline content occurred in the peribacteroid space (PBS), where proline was the most abundant amino acid, with a concentration reaching 15.3 m M under salt stress. Proline accumulation in the PBS resulted both from a diffusive transport from the host cell to the symbiosomes through the peribacteroid membrane (PBM) and from the very low rate of uptake by faba bean bacteroids. This accumulation could be partly responsible for the 1.7‐fold enlargement of the symbiosome volume observed in salt‐stressed nodules. In incubations of bacteroids, isolated from salt‐stressed or unstressed plants and supplied with O₂ by purified oxyleghemoglobin, addition of proline stimulated neither O₂ consumption nor ARA. These results were consistent with proline playing a role as osmoticum, rather than energy source for bacteroid N₂ fixation in amide‐exporting legumes such as faba bean.     

Determination of trace amino acids in human serum by a selective and sensitive pre-column derivatization method using HPLC-FLD-MS/MS and derivatization optimization by response surface methodology

Analysis of trace amino acids (AA) in physiological fluids has received more attention, because the analysis of these compounds could provide fundamental and important information for medical, biological, and clinical researches. More accurate method for the determination of those compounds is highly desirable and valuable. In the present study, we developed a selective and sensitive method for trace AA determination in biological samples using 2-[2-(7H-dibenzo [a,g]carbazol-7-yl)-ethoxy] ethyl chloroformate (DBCEC) as labeling reagent by HPLC-FLD-MS/MS. Response surface methodology (RSM) was first employed to optimize the derivatization reaction between DBCEC and AA. Compared with traditional single-factor design, RSM was capable of lessening laborious, time and reagents consumption. The complete derivatization can be achieved within 6.3 min at room temperature. In conjunction with a gradient elution, a baseline resolution of 20 AA containing acidic, neutral, and basic AA was achieved on a reversed-phase Hypersil BDS C₁₈ column. This method showed excellent reproducibility and correlation coefficient, and offered the exciting detection limits of 0.19–1.17 fmol/μL. The developed method was successfully applied to determinate AA in human serum. The sensitive and prognostic index of serum AA for liver diseases has also been discussed.     

Dapagliflozin alleviates cardiac fibrosis through suppressing EndMT and fibroblast activation via AMPKα/TGF-β/Smad signalling in type 2 diabetic rats

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the leading causes of heart failure in patients with diabetes mellitus, with limited effective treatments. The cardioprotective effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2(SGLT2) inhibitors have been supported by amounts of clinical trials, which largely fills the gap. However, the underlying mechanism still needs to be further explored, especially in terms of its protection against cardiac fibrosis, a crucial pathophysiological process during the development of DCM. Besides, endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) has been reported to play a pivotal role in fibroblast multiplication and cardiac fibrosis. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin (DAPA) on DCM especially for cardiac fibrosis and explore the underlying mechanism. In vivo, the model of type 2 diabetic rats was built with high-fat feeding and streptozotocin injection. Untreated diabetic rats showed cardiac dysfunction, increased myocardial fibrosis and EndMT, which was attenuated after treatment with DAPA and metformin. In vitro, HUVECs and primary cardiac fibroblasts were treated with DAPA and exposed to high glucose (HG). HG-induced EndMT in HUVECs and collagen secretion of fibroblasts were markedly inhibited by DAPA. Up-regulation of TGF-β/Smad signalling and activity inhibition of AMPKα were also reversed by DAPA treatment. Then, AMPKα siRNA and compound C abrogated the anti-EndMT effects of DAPA in HUVECs. From above all, our study implied that DAPA can protect against DCM and myocardial fibrosis through suppressing fibroblast activation and EndMT via AMPKα-mediated inhibition of TGF-β/Smad signalling.     

Low vitamin D levels are associated with cognitive impairment in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis

Background

Cognitive impairment is commonly observed in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT). Low levels of vitamin D have been correlated with cognitive impairment in non-HT population. We examined the association of vitamin D levels with cognitive impairment in patients with HT.

Methods

We recruited 194 patients with HT and 200 healthy volunteers. Levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were measured using a competitive protein-binding assay. Cognitive funtion was assessed using Montreal Cognitive Assessment score (MoCA). Subjects with a MoCA scores <?26 are considered as having mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression models.

Results

Fifty-five HT patients (28.4%) were diagnosed as having MCI. Patients with MCI had significantly lower 25(OH)D levels when compared with patients without MCI (33.9?±?6.2 vs. 44.3?±?9.6?nmol/L, P?<?0.001). Significant differences in 25(OH)D quartiles of HT patients were observed between the patients with MCI and the patients without MCI (P?<?0.001). In multivariate analyses, serum 25(OH)D levels (≤ 34.0 and?≥?47.1?nmol/L) were significantly associated with cognitive impairment in patients with HT (OR 6.279, 95% CI 2.673–14.834, P?<?0.001; OR 0.061, 95% CI 0.008–0.491, P?=?0.009, respectively).

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate an important association between serum vitamin D levels and cognitive impairment in patients with HT.