Long noncoding RNA Airn protects podocytes from diabetic nephropathy lesions via binding to Igf2bp2 and facilitating translation of Igf2 and Lamb2.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a severe diabetic microvascular complication with high mortality. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are characterized as important regulators of various biological processes by emerging researches, whereas the molecular mechanisms by which lncRNAs participate in DN progression need to be further clarified. Herein, we conducted a study on the regulatory role in DN of an lncRNA named antisense of Igf2r non-protein-coding RNA (Airn).

Synthesis and evaluation of Gd-DTPA-labeled arabinogalactans as potential MRI contrast agents.

Arabinogalactan derivatives conjugated with gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) by ethylenediamine (Gd-DTPA-CMAG-A2) or hexylamine (Gd-DTPA-CMAG-A6) have been synthesized and characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Relaxivity studies showed that arabinogalactan-bound complexes possessed higher relaxation effectiveness compared with the clinically used Gd-DTPA, and the influence of the spacer arm lengths on the T1 relaxivities was studied. Their stability was investigated by competition study with Ca2+, EDTA, and DTPA.