Ablation of Gadd45β ameliorates the inflammation and renal fibrosis caused by unilateral ureteral obstruction

The growth arrest and DNA damage‐inducible beta (Gadd45β) protein have been associated with various cellular functions, but its role in progressive renal disease is currently unknown. Here, we examined the effect of Gadd45β deletion on cell proliferation and apoptosis, inflammation, and renal fibrosis in an early chronic kidney disease (CKD) mouse model following unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Wild‐type (WT) and Gadd45β‐knockout (KO) mice underwent either a sham operation or UUO and the kidneys were sampled eight days later. A histological assay revealed that ablation of Gadd45β ameliorated UUO‐induced renal injury. Cell proliferation was higher in Gadd45β KO mouse kidneys, but apoptosis was similar in both genotypes after UUO. Expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines after UUO was down‐regulated in the kidneys from Gadd45β KO mice, whereas UUO‐mediated immune cell infiltration remained unchanged. The expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in response to LPS stimulation decreased in bone marrow‐derived macrophages from Gadd45β KO mice compared with that in WT mice. Importantly, UUO‐induced renal fibrosis was ameliorated in Gadd45β KO mice unlike in WT mice. Gadd45β was involved in TGF‐β signalling pathway regulation in kidney fibroblasts. Our findings demonstrate that Gadd45β plays a crucial role in renal injury and may be a therapeutic target for the treatment of CKD.     

Synthesis of dl-3-Isobutyroxy-β-ionone and dl-Dehydrovomifoliol

3-Isobutyroxy-β-ionone (III) is the proposed structure of quiesone, the naturally occurring inhibitor of the germination of Peronospora tabacina conidia. This was synthesized as a racemate and shown to possess qualitatively identical biological activity as quiesone itself. Employing an intermediate of this synthesis, dl-dehydrovomifoliol (VII) was also synthesized.     

Legumain/asparaginyl endopeptidase controls extracellular matrix remodeling through the degradation of fibronectin in mouse renal proximal tubular cells

Legumain/asparaginyl endopeptidase (EC 3.4.22.34) is a novel cysteine protease that is abundantly expressed in the late endosomes and lysosomes of renal proximal tubular cells. Recently, emerging evidence has indicated that legumain might play an important role in control of extracellular matrix turnover in various pathological conditions such as tumor growth/metastasis and progression of atherosclerosis. We initially found that purified legumain can directly degrade fibronectin, one of the main components of the extracellular matrix, in vitro. Therefore, we examined the effect of legumain on fibronectin degradation in cultured mouse renal proximal tubular cells. Fibronectin processing can be inhibited by chloroquine, an inhibitor of lysosomal degradation, and can be enhanced by the overexpression of legumain, indicating that fibronectin degradation occurs in the presence of legumain in lysosomes from renal proximal tubular cells. Furthermore, in legumain-deficient mice, unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced renal interstitial protein accumulation of fibronectin and renal interstitial fibrosis were markedly enhanced. These findings indicate that legumain might have an important role in extracellular matrix remodeling via the degradation of fibronectin in renal proximal tubular cells.     

不同体位下输尿管硬镜对输尿管上段结石患者的疗效及安全性分析

摘要 目的：对比不同体位下输尿管硬镜对输尿管上段结石患者的疗效及安全性。方法：2018年8月到2021年1月选择在本院诊治的输尿管上段结石的患者88例作为研究对象,根据随机信封抽签1:1原则把患者分为头高臀低组与水平位组各44例。所有患者均给予输尿管硬镜手术治疗,头高臀低组给予头高臀低截石位,水平位组给予水平截石位,记录与随访疗效及安全性。结果：所有患者顺利完成手术,头高臀低组碎石时间等围手术指标少于水平位组（P<0.05）。头高臀低组术后14 d的总有效率为97.7 %,高于水平位组的86.4 %（P<0.05）。头高臀低组术后14 d的假道形成、输尿管穿孔、粘膜撕脱、感染等总发生率为4.5 %,低于水平位组的25.0 %（P<0.05）。两组术后14 d的血清同型半胱氨酸（Hcy）和β2-微球蛋白（β2-MG）含量较术前1 d低（P<0.05）,头高臀低组低于水平位组（P<0.05）。所有患者术后随访6个月,头高臀低组的复发率为2.3 %,低于水平位组的13.6 %（P<0.05）。结论：相对水平截石位,头高臀低截石位在输尿管上段结石患者输尿管硬镜手术患者的应用能提高总体治疗效果,促进患者康复,也可降低血清同型半胱氨酸和β2-微球蛋白,减少并发症的发生,降低复发率。     

TNF-α-induced exosomal miR-146a mediates mesenchymal stem cell-dependent suppression of urethral stricture

The effective treatment of urethral stricture remains a medical problem. The use of proinflammatory cytokines as stimuli to improve the reparative efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) towards damaged tissues represents an evolving field of investigation. However, the therapeutic benefits of this strategy in the treatment of urethral stricture remain unknown. Here, we enriched exosomes derived from human umbilical cord-derived MSCs pretreated with or without tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) to evaluate their therapeutic effects in an in vivo model of TGFβ1-induced urethral stricture. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received sham (saline) or TGFβ1 injections to urethral tissues followed by incisions in the urethra. Animals in the TGFβ1 injection (urethral fibrosis) cohort were subsequently injected with vehicle control, or with exosomes derived from MSCs cultured with or without TNF-α. After 4 weeks, rats underwent ultrasound evaluation and, following euthanasia, urethral tissues were harvested for histological and molecular analysis. In vitro, the effects of MSC-derived exosomes on fibroblast secretion of collagen and cytokines were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blot analysis. Exosomes derived from MSCs pretreated with TNF-α were more effective in suppressing urethral fibrosis and stricture than exosomes from untreated MSCs. We found that miR-146a, an anti-inflammatory miRNA, was strongly upregulated in TNF-α-stimulated MSCs and was selectively packaged into exosomes. Moreover, miR-146a-containing exosomes were taken up by fibroblasts and inhibited fibroblast activation and associated inflammatory responses, a finding that may underlie the therapeutic mechanism for suppression of urethral stricture. Inhibition of miR-146a in TNF-α-treated MSCs partially reduced antifibrotic effects and increased the release of proinflammatory factors of exosomes derived from these cells. Together these findings demonstrate that exosomes derived from TNF-α-treated MSCs are of therapeutic benefit in urethral fibrosis, suggesting that this strategy may have utility as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of urethral stricture diseases.     

Ⅱ期经皮输尿管镜治疗输尿管上段结石梗阻致孤立肾急性肾功能衰竭

目的:探讨经皮肾微造瘘术后Ⅱ期经皮输尿管镜治疗输尿管上段结石致孤立肾急性肾功能衰竭的安全性与有效性。方法:从2004年7月～2009年5月,利用经皮肾微造瘘建立经皮肾通道,引流1周后肾功能明显好转,再行经皮肾输尿管镜碎石治疗孤立肾输尿管上段结石。结果:16例患者中,所有患者均为单通道取石,结石清除率例(81.2%),未出现高热、出血等并发症。术后1月复查13例无结石残留。结论:微创经皮输尿管镜分期治疗输尿管上段结石致孤立肾急性肾功能衰竭是安全、有效的,同传统经皮肾镜相比,具有对病人创伤小,易恢复等优点。     

原位可注射壳聚糖基温敏水凝胶的制备及其在预防ESD术后食管狭窄中分阶段释药应用研究

摘要 目的：构建一种可以分阶段释放药物的原位可注射水凝胶，通过直接注射在ESD（Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection，内镜黏膜下剥离术）术后伤口处，形成水凝胶敷料，起到保护伤口的作用。同时凝胶中的两种药物通过分阶段释放的方式，更好地促进伤口的无瘢痕愈合，为ESD术后食管狭窄的预防提供一种新的参考方案。方法：在壳聚糖/β-甘油磷酸钠（CS/β-GP）温敏水凝胶的体系中加入聚多巴胺（PDA），制备壳聚糖/β-甘油磷酸钠/聚多巴胺（CS/?β-GP/PDA）水凝胶。通过在载药水凝胶中加入聚乙二醇-聚乳酸-羟基乙酸（PEG-PLGA）纳米载药微粒制备CS/β-GP/PDA/NPs双载药水凝胶，通过两种载药体系的复合，实现药物的分阶段释放。通过流变学实验测定CS/β-GP、CS/β-GP/PDA、CS/β-GP/PDA/NPs凝胶体系的相转变温度以及凝胶强度。通过高效液相色谱法检测CS/β-GP/PDA/NPs水凝胶中两种药物的释放动力学特征。通过CCK-8细胞增殖实验评价CS/β-GP/PDA、CS/β-GP/PDA/NPs温敏水凝胶的生物相容性。在体外猪食管中，模拟ESD术后创口，通过内镜辅助将水凝胶母液注射在伤口处，并通过内镜观察水凝胶的凝胶状态。结果：得到了粘附性显著增强的壳聚糖/β-甘油磷酸钠/聚多巴胺（CS/β-GP/PDA）凝胶体系。流变学实验证明聚多巴胺（PDA）的加入可以显著降低水凝胶的凝胶温度，缩短原位成胶时间。CCK-8实验显示CS/β-GP/PDA、CS/β-GP/PDA/NPs凝胶体系无潜在的细胞毒性。在体外猪食管模拟实验中，将其凝胶母液注射在伤口处后，可原位形成凝胶，且凝胶贴合伤口，具有较强的粘附性。通过体外释药速率测定，验证了CS/β-GP/PDA/NPs水凝胶中所载两种药物释放速率存在明显差异，可实现药物的分阶段释放。结论：设计的CS/β-GP/PDA/NPs凝胶体系适用于ESD术后的伤口修复，并能够实现分阶段释药，对于预防ESD术后食管狭窄具有潜在的应用价值。     

甲磺酸伊马替尼对单侧输尿管梗阻小鼠肾间质纤维化的保护作用

目的研究甲磺酸伊马替尼（STI571）改善单侧输尿管梗阻（UUO）小鼠肾间质纤维化的作用及机制。方法48只小鼠随机分为4组：假手术组,模型组,小剂量治疗组（80mg/kg/d）,大剂量治疗组（160mg/kg/d）。采用左侧输尿管双结扎的方法建立UUO模型,治疗组每天以STI57180、160mg/Kg灌胃。分别于术后第8,11d分别处死各组小鼠6只。光镜下观察肾脏病理改变。用免疫组化技术检测肾组织TGF-β1、PAI-1、α-SMA和PCNA的表达。结果治疗组的肾间质纤维化定量显著低于模型组（P〈0.05）,且不同剂量组之间存在显著差异（P〈0.05）。模型组和治疗组左肾TGF-β1、PAI-1、α-SMA和PCNA的表达均随梗阻时间延长而逐渐增加,治疗组α-SMA和PCNA的表达较模型组明显减低（P〈0.05）。结论甲磺酸伊马替尼可显著减轻UUO小鼠梗阻侧肾脏间质纤维化,下调α-SMA和PCNA的表达,减少肾间质细胞外基质的沉积,对UUO小鼠肾间质纤维化有一定防治作用。