[Regulatory effect of berberine on unbalanced expressions of renal tissue TGF-beta1/SnoN and smad signaling pathway in rats with early diabetic nephropathy].

Objective: To investigate the effect of berberine (BBR) on unbalanced expression of renal tissue TGF-beta1/SnoN and Smad signal pathway in rats with early diabetic nephropathy (DN), and discuss BBR's effect on DN rats with early diabetic nephropathy and its possible mechanism.

Method: DN rat model were established by injecting streptozotocin (STZ). The rats were divided into six groups: the control group, the model group, three BBR (50, 100, 200 mg x kg(-1)) treatment groups and the enalapril treatment group.

Effect of dietary copper on the growth performance, non-specific immunity and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila of juvenile Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis.

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to determine the dietary copper (Cu) on growth performance and immune responses of juvenile Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis. Six semi-purified diets with six copper levels (1.88, 11.

Uremia and thrombotic microangiopathy: conditions that may havethe same manifestation.

In this article, we present the case of a man with uremia. Laboratory testing revealed thrombocytopenia, erythrocyte fragmentation, elevated lactate dehydrogenase, and malignant hypertension, manifestations that are similar to thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Thromboasthenia, manifested as a decrease in the platelet aggregation rate, was also noted.

Analogs of sulfakinin-related peptides demonstrate reduction in food intake in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, while putative antagonists increase consumption.

The insect sulfakinins (SKs) constitute a family of neuropeptides that display both structural and functional similarities to the mammalian hormones gastrin and cholecystokinin (CCK). As a multifunctional neuropeptide, SKs are involved in muscle contractions as well as food intake regulation in many insects. In the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, the action on food intake by a series of synthetic SK analogs and one putative antagonist was investigated by injection in beetle adults.

Regulation of periodontal ligament cell behavior by cyclic mechanical loading and substrate nanotexture.

Background: Periodontal ligament (PDL) cells play an important role in regulating osseous remodeling and ligament formation. Mechanical loading and the specific cellular environment are involved in these processes, regulating cell behavior. However, most in vitro experimental setups investigate mechanical loading or substrate texture separately and thus do not fully represent the PDL microenvironment.

Computer-aided molecular modeling study on antibody recognition of small molecules: an immunoassay for triazine herbicides.

Most immunoassays for determination of small molecules are still designed on the basis of the "trial and error" method, due to the lack of understanding of antibody recognition. In the present study, we developed a heterologous indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for determination of triazine herbicides, with limits of detection for 11 triazines ranging from 0.05 to 29.

Spontaneous excitation patterns computed for axons with injury-like impairments of sodium channels and Na/K pumps.

In injured neurons, "leaky" voltage-gated sodium channels (Nav) underlie dysfunctional excitability that ranges from spontaneous subthreshold oscillations (STO), to ectopic (sometimes paroxysmal) excitation, to depolarizing block. In recombinant systems, mechanical injury to Nav1.6-rich membranes causes cytoplasmic Na(+)-loading and "Nav-CLS", i.

The influence of electrospun fibre scaffold orientation and nano-hydroxyapatite content on the development of tooth bud stem cells in vitro.

In stem cell-based dental tissue engineering, the goal is to create tooth-like structures using scaffold materials to guide the dental stem cells. In this study, the effect of fiber alignment and hydroxyapatite content in biodegradable electrospun PLGA scaffolds have been investigated. Fiber orientation of the scaffolds was random or aligned in bundles.

Coding conspecific identity and motion in the electric sense.

Interactions among animals can result in complex sensory signals containing a variety of socially relevant information, including the number, identity, and relative motion of conspecifics. How the spatiotemporal properties of such evolving naturalistic signals are encoded is a key question in sensory neuroscience. Here, we present results from experiments and modeling that address this issue in the context of the electric sense, which combines the spatial aspects of vision and touch, with the temporal aspects of audition.

Chitosan/bioactive glass nanoparticle composite membranes for periodontal regeneration.

Barrier membranes are used in periodontal applications with the aim of supporting periodontal regeneration by physically blocking migration of epithelial cells. The present work proposes a combination of chitosan (CHT) with bioactive glass nanoparticles (BG-NPs) in order to produce a novel guided tissue and bone regeneration membrane, fabricated by solvent casting. The CHT/BG-NP nanocomposite membranes are characterized in terms of water uptake, in mechanical tests, under simulated physiological conditions and in in vitro bioactivity tests.

Sedimentary record of PAHs in the Liangtan River and its relation to socioeconomic development of Chongqing, Southwest China.

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected in sediment cores and surface sediment samples from the Liangtan River of Chongqing, Southwest China. The total concentration of 16 PAHs ranged from 69 to 6251 ng g(-1). The spatial distribution of the PAHs reflects the intensity and scope of human activity in the catchment.

Characterization and expression of glutamate dehydrogenase in response to acute salinity stress in the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis.

Background: Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is a key enzyme for the synthesis and catabolism of glutamic acid, proline and alanine, which are important osmolytes in aquatic animals. However, the response of GDH gene expression to salinity alterations has not yet been determined in macro-crustacean species.

Methodology/principal Findings: GDH cDNA was isolated from Eriocheir sinensis.

Distrontium lithium beryllium triborate, Sr(2)LiBeB(3)O(8).

Single crystals of distrontium lithium beryllium triborate, Sr(2)LiBeB(3)O(8), were obtained by spontaneous nucleation from a high-temperature melt. In the Sr(2)Li[BeB(3)O(8)] structure, [BeB(2)O(7)](6-) rings, made up from one BeO(4) tetra-hedron and two BO(3) triangles, are connected to each other by [BO(3)] triangles to form the smallest repeat unit {[BeB(3)O(8)](8-)} and then form chains along the b axis. The Sr(2+) cations are seven- or eight--coordinated and Li(+) cations are tetra--coordinated and lie between the chains.

Hydrophilic anti-migraine triptans are substrates for OATP1A2, a transporter expressed at human blood-brain barrier.

OATP1A2 is expressed in the luminal membrane of human blood-brain barrier (BBB). The human tissue with the highest OATP1A2 mRNA expression is the brain. We have established a robust BacMam2-OATP1A2 transduced HEK293 system.

[Expression and significance of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus].

Objective: To explore the expression and significance of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: Thirty active SLE patients (including 17 SLE patients with lupus nephritis), 20 inactive SLE patients and 20 healthy controls were enrolled. The expressions of Th17 cells and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were evaluated by flow cytometry.

Gender differences on the job satisfaction in the phase of implementing advanced manufacturing technology in the Chinese manufacturing firms.

This research gave an effort to study on gender differences in the job satisfaction for technological innovation at Chinese manufacturing firm. The exploratory study was conducted in four Chinese furniture manufacturing firms, which are all in the phases of introducing advanced manufacturing system. The results of statistical analysis show that general satisfaction of female employees to their jobs is significantly higher than male employees.

Coherence depression in stochastic excitable systems with two-frequency forcing.

We study the response of two generic neuron models, the leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) model and the leaky integrate-and-fire model with dynamic threshold (LIFDT) (i.e., with memory) to a stimulus consisting of two sinusoidal drives with incommensurate frequency, an amplitude modulation ("envelope") noise and a relatively weak additive noise.

Cloning and differential expression pattern of pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating polypeptide and the PACAP-specific receptor in darkbarbel catfish Pelteobagrus vachelli.

Pituitary adenylyl cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) can mediate growth hormone and gonadotropin release in teleost pituitary via PACAP receptors. In this study, the full-length cDNAs encoding PACAP and PACAP-related peptide (PRP) and the PACAP-specific receptor (PAC1-R) were cloned from the brain of darkbarbel catfish Pelteobagrus vachelli. The PRP-PACAP cDNA had two variants expressed by alternative splicing: a long form encoding both PRP and PACAP and a short form encoding PACAP only.

A three-dimensional cell culture model to study the mechano-biological behavior in periodontal ligament regeneration.

Periodontitis is a disease affecting the supporting structures of the teeth, which can eventually result in tooth loss. A three-dimensional (3D) tissue culture model was developed that may serve to grow a 3D construct that not only transplants into defective periodontal sites, but also allows to examine the effect of mechanical load in vitro. In the current in vitro study, green fluorescent protein labeled periodontal ligament (PDL) cells form rat incisors were embedded in a 3D matrix and exposed to mechanical loading alone, to a chemical stimulus (Emdogain; enamel matrix derivative [EMD]) alone, or a combination of both.

Mitochondria-wide association study of common variants in osteoporosis.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants are involved in the pathogenesis of human complex diseases, especially for age-related disorders, including osteoporosis. However, the role of mtDNA variants in osteoporosis is largely unknown. In this study, we performed a mitochondria-wide association study for osteoporosis in a large sample of 2286 unrelated Caucasian subjects.

Genetic association study of common mitochondrial variants on body fat mass.

Mitochondria play a central role in ATP production and energy metabolism. Previous studies suggest that common variants in mtDNA are associated with several common complex diseases, including obesity. To test the hypothesis that common mtDNA variants influence obesity-related phenotypes, including BMI and body fat mass, we genotyped a total of 445 mtSNPs across the whole mitochondrial genome in a large sample of 2,286 unrelated Caucasian subjects.

Molecular cloning, characterization and expression of a C-type lectin cDNA in Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis.

C-type lectins are pattern-recognition proteins which are functionally important for pathogen recognition and immune regulation in vertebrates and invertebrates. In this study, a lectin cDNA named as Es-Lectin was cloned and characterized from the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. The full-length sequence of this Es-Lectin cDNA was 651 bp, including an open reading frame of 483 bp encoding 160 amino acids.

cDNA cloning and expression analysis of gustavus gene in the oriental river prawn Macrobrachium nipponense.

The gustavus gene is required for localizing pole plasm and specifying germ cells. Research on gustavus gene expression will advance our understanding of the biological function of gustavus in animals. A cDNA encoding gustavus protein was identified and termed MnGus in the oriental river prawn Macrobrachium nipponense.

Routing the flow of sensory signals using plastic responses to bursts and isolated spikes: experiment and theory.

Processing complex sensory environments efficiently requires a diverse array of neural coding strategies. Neural codes relying on specific temporal patterning of action potentials may offer advantages over using solely spike rate codes. In particular, stimulus-dependent burst firing may carry additional information that isolated spikes do not.