Sodium thiosulfate through preserving mitochondrial dynamics ameliorates oxidative stress induced renal apoptosis and ferroptosis in 5/6 nephrectomized rats with chronic kidney diseases.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression may be evoked through dysregulated mitochondrial dynamics enhanced oxidative stress and inflammation contributing to high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Previous study has demonstrated sodium thiosulfate (STS, Na2S2O3) could effectively attenuate renal oxidative injury in the animal model of renovascular hypertension. We explored whether the potentially therapeutic effect of STS is available on the attenuating CKD injury in thirty-six male Wistar rats with 5/6 nephrectomy.

Diabetes associated with hypertension exacerbated oxidative stress-mediated inflammation, apoptosis and autophagy leading to erectile dysfunction in rats.

Background: Diabetes or hypertension contributes to erectile dysfunction (ED). We hypothesized that excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) production evoked by diabetes combined with hypertension may further suppress endothelial nitric oxide (NO) expression/activity and promote oxidative stress in the ED penis.

Methods: Twenty-four adult male Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were divided into four groups: normal WKY, diabetic WKY, normal SHR and diabetic SHR.

Green Tea Polyphenol Catechins Inhibit Coronavirus Replication and Potentiate the Adaptive Immunity and Autophagy-Dependent Protective Mechanism to Improve Acute Lung Injury in Mice.

Effective antiviral therapeutics are urgently required to fight severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused by a SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Because polyphenol catechins could confer antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antimicrobial activities, we assessed the therapeutic effects of catechins against SARS-CoV replication in Vero E6 cells, the preventive effect of catechins on CD25/CD69/CD94/CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes-mediated adaptive immunity, and the protective effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. We found that catechins containing 32.

A Coordinated Emergency Response: A Color Dust Explosion at a 2015 Concert in Taiwan.

In June 2015, nearly 500 concert attendees suffered injuries from smoke inhalation and severe burns following a color-dust explosion at a waterpark in Taiwan. We report on the progressions of the incident and government responses, share cross-departmental mobilization and case management lessons, and reflect on clinical and complex policy issues emerged. The timely and coordinated emergency responses, a high-quality universal health care system, and dedicated clinicians voluntarily working overtime resulted in an unprecedented 2.

Measuring health indicators and allocating health resources: a DEA-based approach.

This paper suggests new empirical DEA models for the measurement of health indicators and the allocation of health resources. The proposed models were developed by first suggesting a population-based health indicator. By introducing the suggested indicator into DEA models, a new approach that solves the problem of health resource allocation has been developed.

The Therapeutic Potential of Human Umbilical Mesenchymal Stem Cells From Wharton's Jelly in the Treatment of Rat Peritoneal Dialysis-Induced Fibrosis.

A major complication in continuous, ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease who are undergoing long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD) is peritoneal fibrosis, which can result in peritoneal structural changes and functional ultrafiltration failure. Human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) in Wharton's jelly possess stem cell properties and are easily obtained and processed. This study focuses on the effects of HUMSCs on peritoneal fibrosis in in vitro and in vivo experiments.

Effect of Adenoviral Catalase Gene Transfer on Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) may through overt H₂O₂-induced pathophysiologic mechanisms lead to renal dysfunction. We explore whether catalase (CAT) protein overexpression by adenoviral CAT gene (Adv-CAT) transfection may improve ischemia/reperfusion-induced renal dysfunction. We augmented renal CAT expression by intrarenal arterial Adv-CAT administration with renal venous clamping in avertin-anesthetized female Wistar rats.

Deep-sea water containing selenium provides intestinal protection against duodenal ulcers through the upregulation of Bcl-2 and thioredoxin reductase 1.

Deep-sea water (DSW), which is rich in micronutrients and minerals and with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities, may be developed as marine drugs to provide intestinal protection against duodenal ulcers. We determined several characteristics in the modified DSW. We explored duodenal pressure, oxygenation, microvascular blood flow, and changes in pH and oxidative redox potential (ORP) values within the stomach and duodenum in response to tap water (TW, hardness: 2.

Sialic acid rescues repurified lipopolysaccharide-induced acute renal failure via inhibiting TLR4/PKC/gp91-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis signaling.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) through Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) activation induce systemic inflammation where oxidative damage plays a key role in multiple organ failure. Because of the neutralization of LPS toxicity by sialic acid (SA), we determined its effect and mechanisms on repurified LPS (rLPS)-evoked acute renal failure. We assessed the effect of intravenous SA (10 mg/kg body weight) on rLPS-induced renal injury in female Wistar rats by evaluating blood and kidney reactive oxygen species (ROS) responses, renal and systemic hemodynamics, renal function, histopathology, and molecular mechanisms.

Therapeutic potential of traditional chinese medicine on inflammatory diseases.

Increased oxidative stress induces inflammation to several tissues/organs leading to cell death and long-term injury. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and autophagic regulatory functions has been widely used as preventive or therapeutic strategy in modern medicine. Oxidative stress and inflammation have been widely reported to contribute to cigarette smoke-induced lung inflammation, hepatotoxicity, or sympathetic activation-induced liver inflammation, lipopolysaccharide-induced renal inflammation, and substance P-mediated neurogenic hyperactive bladder based on clinical findings.

Augmented renal prostacyclin by intrarenal bicistronic cyclo-oxygenase-1/prostacyclin synthase gene transfer attenuates renal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Background: We elucidated the protective mechanism of increased prostacyclin (PGI2) derived from adenoviral cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-1/prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) (Adv-COPI) gene transfer in rat kidneys with ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury.

Methods: We tended to augment PGI2 production by intrarenal arterial Adv-COPI administration with renal venous clamping in female Wistar rats. After Adv-COPI transfection, we evaluated the renal COX-1 and PGIS protein expression and PGI2 and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels in the kidney and renal venous plasma.

Repetitive progressive thermal preconditioning hinders thrombosis by reinforcing phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt-dependent heat-shock protein/endothelial nitric oxide synthase signaling.

Objective: We compared the effects of modified progressive thermal preconditioning (PTP) and whole-body thermal preconditioning (TP) on stress responses, oxidative stress biomarkers, and arterial thrombosis formation, and explored their possible actions through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt-dependent heat-shock protein (Hsp)/endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathways.

Methods: We divided four groups of 249 male Wistar rats into nonimmersed controls, TP, and one (1-PTP) and three consecutive cycles (3-PTP) of PTP in a 42°C water bath. We evaluated the stress responses, including hemodynamics, total energy transfer, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress marker glucose-regulated protein (GRP78), and blood reactive oxygen species level during TP or PTP treatment.

Electrolysed-reduced water dialysate improves T-cell damage in end-stage renal disease patients with chronic haemodialysis.

Background: T-cell damage by increased oxidative stress in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing chronic haemodialysis (HD) led to the increased T-cell apoptosis and the alteration of surface markers and Th1/Th2 ratio in CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Antioxidant electrolysed-reduced water (ERW) was used as the dialysate in ESRD patients undergoing chronic HD to test for improved oxidative stress-related T-cell apoptosis, alterations of surface markers and intracellular cytokine profile.

Methods: We evaluated apoptosis formation by annexin V, CD25-related surface markers, and cytokine ratio of Th1/Th2 in CD4(+) T lymphocytes and Tc1/Tc2 in CD8(+) T lymphocytes of 42 ESRD patients haemodialysed with ERW for 1 year.

Repetitive hypoxic preconditioning attenuates renal ischemia/reperfusion induced oxidative injury via upregulating HIF-1 alpha-dependent bcl-2 signaling.

Background: In response to ischemic/hypoxic preconditioning, tissues/organs exhibit protective responses to subsequent and severe ischemic stress. We hypothesized that repetitive hypoxic preconditioning (RHP) may provide long-lasting protection than single preconditioning against ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat kidneys through hypoxia-induced factor (HIF)-1-dependent pathway.

Methods: For RHP induction, female Wistar rats were subjected to intermittent hypoxic exposure (380 Torr) 15 hr/day for 28 days.

Hypoxic preconditioning reinforces HIF-alpha-dependent HSP70 signaling to reduce ischemic renal failure-induced renal tubular apoptosis and autophagy.

Aims: Repetitive hypoxic preconditioning (RHP) may provide more efficient protection than single hypoxic preconditioning against renal ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury via hypoxia-induced factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha)-dependent heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) pathways.

Main Methods: Wistar rats were subjected to intermittent hypoxic exposure (15h/day), whereas controls were kept at sea level. We evaluated renal expression of HIF-1alpha, HSP70, the endoplasmic reticulum stress protein GRP78, caspase 12, Beclin-1, and poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP) with western blotting.

Colorectal distension enforce acute urinary bladder distension-induced hepatic vasoconstriction in the rat.

Acute urinary bladder distension (AUBD) and colorectal distension (CRD) activated mechanical afferents from the urinary bladder and colon and the activated afferent signaling affected visceral organ behavior. AUBD and CRD have been reported to affect the arterial blood pressure (ABP) response in the rat. We hypothesized that AUBD and CRD may influence the cardiovascular response in the liver by neurokinin receptor-mediated afferent transmission and sympathetic nerve-mediated vesicovascular reflex.

Impact of spiritual and religious activity on quality of sleep in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Sleep disorders are common in hemodialysis (HD) patients. This study examined the relationship between quality of sleep (QoS) and religious/spiritual activity in HD patients.

Methods: The study subjects were 861 HD patients from 14 dialysis clinics in Taiwan.

NMDA receptor blocker ameliorates ischemia-reperfusion-induced renal dysfunction in rat kidneys.

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activated by glutamate/glycine is located in the kidneys. The NMDA receptor subunit NR1 is increased in damaged renal tissue. This study explored the role of NMDA receptors in ischemia-reperfusion-induced renal dysfunction in rats.

Chronic green tea extract supplementation reduces hemodialysis-enhanced production of hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorous acid, atherosclerotic factors, and proinflammatory cytokines.

Background: Oxidative stress increases in patients with end-stage renal disease and exaggerates the related comorbidities.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation with decaffeinated green tea extract (catechins) on hemodialysis-induced reactive oxygen species, atherosclerotic disease risk factors, and proinflammatory cytokines.

Design: We enrolled 6 healthy subjects and 54 hemodialysis patients for the study.

Sexual dysfunction in peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background/aims: Sexual dysfunction in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) is highly prevalent, but studies addressing this issue are scarce. This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate sexual dysfunction and the determinants among PD patients.

Methods: All chronic PD patients in 8 PD centers were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire - the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) for men and the Index of Female Sexual Function (IFSF) for women - so that sexual function could be assessed.