Association between serum chloride levels and estimated glomerular filtration rate among US adults: evidence from NHANES 1999-2018.

Purpose: Chloride, the predominant anion in extracellular fluid from humans, is essential to maintaining homeostasis. One important metric for thoroughly assessing kidney function is the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). However, the relationship between variations in serum chloride concentration and eGFR in general populations has been poorly studied.

Urinary exosomal mRNAs as biomarkers for predicting the therapeutic effect of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors in IgA nephropathy patients.

Background: Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi) treatment is the basic therapy for IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients. However, there is few of biomarker that can predict the efficacy of RASi. This study aimed to find urinary exosomal mRNAs related to the therapeutic effect of RASi in the treatment of proteinuria in IgAN patients.

Ultrasensitive DNA-Biomacromolecule Sensor for the Detection Application of Clinical Cancer Samples.

Diagnostic testing of biological macromolecules is of great significance for early warning of disease and cancer. Nevertheless, restricted by limited surface area and large steric hindrance, sensitive detection of macromolecules with interface-based sensing method remains challenging. Here, a "biphasic replacement" electrochemical aptamer-based (BRE-AB) sensing strategy which placed capture reaction of the biomacromolecule in a homogeneous solution phase and replaced with a small diameter of single-stranded DNA to attach to the interface is introduced.

Nonplanar Helicene Benzo[4]Helicenium for the Precise Treatment of Renal cell Carcinoma.

Immune and targeted therapy are becoming the first-line treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, therapeutic outcomes are limited due to the low efficiency and side effect. Here, it is found that helicenes are able to exhibit an anticancer capability through changing the molecular structure from planar to nonplanar.

P2X7 receptor signaling promotes inflammation in renal parenchymal cells suffering from ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and its receptor, P2X7 receptor (P2X7R), are playing an important role in the pathological process of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, but their underlying mechanism remains unclear. Also, the effects of tubular epithelium-expressed P2X7 receptor on ischemia acute kidney injury is still unknown. The aim of this study is to clarify if this mechanism involves the activation of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in the renal tubular epithelial cells.

Differential toxicity mechanism of gold nanoparticles in HK-2 renal proximal tubular cells and 786-0 carcinoma cells.

To research the influence and mechanism of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with different size for HK-2 cells (kidney normal cells) and 786-0 cells (kidney cancer cells). HK-2 cells and 786-0 cells were treated with 5 and 200 nm AuNPs at 1 and 10 μg/ml. The cell viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, cell apoptosis, cell autophagy, and related cell signaling pathways were analyzed.

Programing Assembling/Releasing Multifunctional miRNA Nanomedicine to Treat Prostate Cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) therapy has shown to have great promise for the treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer (AIPC) due to the low efficiency of hormonal therapy. However, instability of RNA and inefficiency of RNA therapy limit the use of miRNAs in the treatment of AIPC. Here, we report a pH/ATP-activated nanocomplexes for increasing cytosolic delivery of miR146a which can effectively inhibit the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in AIPC.

Yes-associated protein regulates podocyte cell cycle re-entry and dedifferentiation in adriamycin-induced nephropathy.

Podocytes are terminally differentiated cells with little proliferative capacity. The high expression levels of cell cycle inhibitory proteins, including p21, p27, and p57, play an important role in maintaining the low level of proliferation of mature podocytes. In the present study, we aimed to explore the role of yes-associated protein (YAP) signalling in adriamycin-induced podocyte re-entry into the cell cycle and dedifferentiation.

Reduction of mitochondria and up regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 of skeletal muscle in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Aim: Muscle weakness is commonly among chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Muscle mitochondrial dysfunction and decreased pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity occur in CKD animals but have not been confirmed in humans, and changes in pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) and pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase (PDP) expression have not been evaluated in CKD muscle. We presume that the reduction of muscle mitochondria and post-translational modification of PDH may cause muscle weakness in CKD patients.

Serum miR-192 Is Related to Tubulointerstitial Lesion and Short-Term Disease Progression in IgA Nephropathy.

Background/aims: Clinical manifestation and renal histology serve as the current "gold standard" for evaluation of renal lesions in IgA nephropathy. MiR-192 is regarded as a potential noninvasive biomarker for kidney disease. We sought to elucidate a relationship between intrarenal, serum, and urinary exosomal miR-192 with renal lesions and disease progression in IgA nephropathy.

Is Pooled CRISPR-Screening the Dawn of a New Era for Functional Genomics.

Functional genomics aims to develop an in-depth understanding of how specific gene dysfunctions are related to diseases. A common method for investigating the genome and its complex functions is via perturbation of the interactions between the DNA, RNA and their protein respective protein derivatives. Commonly, arrayed and pooled genetic screens are utilized to achieve this and in recent years have been fundamental in achieving the current level of understanding for gene dysfunctions.

Pharmacological inhibition of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor promotes peritoneal angiogenesis in a peritoneal dialysis rat model.

Background: Molecular mechanisms of peritoneal dialysis (PD) ultrafiltration failure, peritoneal neo-angiogenesis, and fibrosis remain to be determined. We aimed to determine the role of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) inhibition on angiogenesis of peritoneal membrane in a PD rat model.

Methods: 32 male Wistar rats were assigned into (1) control group; (2) uremic non-PD group: subtotal nephrectomy-induced uremic rats without PD; (3) uremic rats subjected to PD: uremic rats that were dialyzed with Dianeal for 4 weeks; (4) CRM 197 group: dialyzed uremic rats were supplemented with CRM197, a specific HB-EGF inhibitor.

Implications of dynamic changes in miR-192 expression in ischemic acute kidney injury.

Purpose: Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) with poor outcomes. While many important functions of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified in various diseases, few studies reported miRNAs in acute kidney IRI, especially the dynamic changes in their expression and their implications during disease progression.

Methods: The expression of miR-192, a specific kidney-enriched miRNA, was assessed in both the plasma and kidney of IRI rats at different time points after kidney injury and compared to renal function and kidney histological changes.

Fe3O4 nanoparticles and cryoablation enhance ice crystal formation to improve the efficiency of killing breast cancer cells.

The key problem of cryoablation is that only freezing is often unable to kill the capillaries at tumor edges, leading to a high rate of recurrence. Here, we found that Fe3O4 nanoparticles were highly useful to improve the freezing capability of cryosurgery due to their ability to alter intracellular ice formation (IIF) and growth in tumor cells. The killing efficiency of cryoablation for MCF-7 breast cancer cells can be expected to be enhanced as the Fe3O4 nanoparticles concentration increased, it was mainly because that more IIF was induced by the participation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles during freezing, recrystallization and thawing.

Size-dependent cytotoxicity of Fe3O4 nanoparticles induced by biphasic regulation of oxidative stress in different human hepatoma cells.

The application of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) has made great progress in the diagnosis of disease and in the drug delivery system for cancer therapy, but the relative mechanisms of potential toxicity induced by Fe3O4 have not kept pace with its development in the application, which has hampered its further clinical application. In this article, we used two kinds of human hepatoma cell lines, SK-Hep-1 and Hep3B, to investigate the cytotoxic effects and the involved mechanisms of small Fe3O4 NPs with different diameters (6 nm, 9 nm, and 14 nm). Results showed that the size of NPs effectively influences the cytotoxicity of hepatoma cells: 6 nm Fe3O4 NPs exhibited negligible cytotoxicity and 9 nm Fe3O4 NPs affected cytotoxicity via cellular mitochondrial dysfunction and by inducing necrosis mediated through the mitochondria-dependent intracellular reactive oxygen species generation.

Autophagy protects renal tubular cells against ischemia / reperfusion injury in a time-dependent manner.

Background/aims: Autophagy is a dynamic catabolic process that maintains cellular homeostasis. Whether it plays a role in promoting cell survival or cell death in the process of renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) remains controversial, partly because renal autophagy is usually examined at a certain time point. Therefore, monitoring of the whole time course of autophagy and apoptosis may help better understand the role of autophagy in renal I/R.

Testosterone regulates the autophagic clearance of androgen binding protein in rat Sertoli cells.

Dysregulation of androgen-binding protein (ABP) is associated with a number of endocrine and andrology diseases. However, the ABP metabolism in Sertoli cells is largely unknown. We report that autophagy degrades ABP in rat Sertoli cells, and the autophagic clearance of ABP is regulated by testosterone, which prolongs the ABP biological half-life by inhibiting autophagy.

Survey of acute kidney injury and related risk factors of mortality in hospitalized patients in a third-level urban hospital of Shanghai.

Objective: The main aim of this study is to investigate the incidence and prognosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) and to clarify the risk factors associated with the prognosis of AKI in hospitalized patients.

Method: All patients hospitalized from January 1st to December 31st 2012 in Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine Shanghai Jiao Tong University were screened by the Lab Administration Network. All the patients with an intact medical history of AKI according to the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) were enrolled in the study cohort.

The level of the biomarkers at the time of nephrology consultation might predict the prognosis of acute kidney injury in hospitalized patients.

Introduction: The value of biomarkers at the time of nephrology consultation in predicting the prognosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in hospitalized patients has not been well described. This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of biomarkers at the time of nephrology consultation in predicting the prognosis of AKI.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 103 hospitalized patients who developed AKI.

Renal tissue thawed for 30 minutes is still suitable for gene expression analysis.

Some biosamples obtained from biobanks may go through thawing before processing. We aim to evaluate the effects of thawing at room temperature for different time periods on gene expression analysis. A time course study with four time points was conducted to investigate the expression profiling on 10 thawed normal mice renal tissue samples through Affymetrix GeneChip mouse gene 2.

Impact of thawing on reference gene expression stability in renal cell carcinoma samples.

More and more samples are obtained from biobanks for biomedical research; however, some of these samples may undergo thawing before processing. We aim to evaluate the reference gene expression stability in thawed renal cell carcinoma samples. Sixteen matched malignant and nonmalignant renal tissue samples were obtained and each sample was divided into 4 aliquots before being snap frozen and stored at -80°C.

Consent for use of clinical leftover biosample: a survey among Chinese patients and the general public.

Background: Storage of leftover biosamples generates rich biobanks for future studies, saving time and money and limiting physical impact to sample donors.

Objective: To investigate the attitudes of Chinese patients and the general public on providing consent for storage and use of leftover biosamples.

Design, Setting And Participants: Cross-sectional surveys were conducted among randomly selected patients admitted to a Shanghai city hospital (n = 648) and members of the general public (n = 492) from May 2010 to July 2010.

Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and L-type fatty acid binding protein as diagnostic markers of early acute kidney injury after liver transplantation.

Objective: We examined the value of two potential novel urinary biomarkers, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and L-type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP), in diagnosing acute kidney injury (AKI) in liver transplant recipients.

Methods: NGAL and L-FABP in urinary sample from Twenty-five patients before surgery and at 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 120 h after the anhepatic phase were tested. Standard statistics were used along with receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to evaluate the diagnostic value of selected markers.

Impact of warm ischemia on gene expression analysis in surgically removed biosamples.

Surgically removed samples of high quality provide more accurate and reliable results in downstream molecular assays. Some factors, including the type of anesthesia, surgical manipulation, transport time and mode, preservation method, storage length, and number of freeze-thaw cycles, can affect biosample quality and the subsequent gene expression analysis. Warm ischemia resulting from these factors has a substantial effect on biosample quality and is the focus of this mini review.