[Twenty years in the 21st century: research approaches and techniques in modern system biology for mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing].

Clarifying the mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing is pivotal to the modernization of Chinese medicine. Research on Chinese medicinal processing gives priority to the mechanisms of the processing in enhancing efficacy, reducing toxicity, and repurposing medicinals. During the past 20 years, scholars have carried out in-depth studies on the mechanisms of Chinese medicinal processing via modern system biology.

[Twenty years in the 21st century: identification technologies for and multimodal research on chemical changes in exploration of processing mechanism of Chinese medicine].

Chinese medicine undergoes complex chemical changes during processing and identifying these changes is the key to the processing mechanism. In the past 20 years of the 21 st century, research on the chemical changes in Chinese medicine after processing has focused the changes in the biopharmaceutical process in addition to the variation during processing. With the surging of information technologies, various identification technologies(instrumental analysis techniques, molecular biological techniques, data mining techniques, and biotransformation techniques) have developed rapidly and been widely applied to the research on processing mechanism.

[Gaseous Nitrogen Emission from Soil After Application of NH-N Loaded Biochar].

To safely and effectively transfer NH-N from eutrophic water to soil, biochar was applied to adsorb NH-N from wastewater, and this NH-N loaded biochar (N-BC) was subsequently used as a soil amendment. Understanding the influence of N-BC on NO-N emission and NH-N volatilization is important for both decreasing the application of chemical fertilizers and reducing gaseous nitrogen loss from soil. In this study, experiments were conducted in soil columns with four treatments, namely CK (no fertilizer), NPK (chemical fertilizer), N-BC+PK (NH-N loaded biochar+chemical fertilizer), and BC+NPK (biochar+chemical fertilizer).

[Effect of Applying Hydrochar for Reduction of Ammonia Volatilization and Mechanisms in Paddy Soil].

Hydrochar, as a product of the hydrothermal carbonization of biomass, has good application prospects for the NH volatilization reduction in rice fields due to its rich pore structure and functional surface. In this study, hydrochar was applied as a soil conditioner to paddy soil. A soil column experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of hydrochar on NH volatilization throughout the growth period of rice.

Cathepsin D protects renal tubular cells from damage induced by high glucose independent of its enzymatic activity.

Although glomerular and vascular damage have been considered the main characteristics of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), accumulating data now indicate that tubular atrophy also plays a major role. Cathepsin D (CatD) is the major aspartate protease within lysosomes. The current study demonstrated that CatD expression was altered in the renal tubular epithelium in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Changes of the Bacterial Abundance and Communities in Shallow Ice Cores from Dunde and Muztagata Glaciers, Western China.

In this study, six bacterial community structures were analyzed from the Dunde ice core (9.5-m-long) using 16S rRNA gene cloning library technology. Compared to the Muztagata mountain ice core (37-m-long), the Dunde ice core has different dominant community structures, with five genus-related groups sp.

BAG3 regulates ECM accumulation in renal proximal tubular cells induced by TGF-β1.

Previously we have demonstrated that Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is increased in renal fibrosis using a rat unilateral ureteral obstruction model. The current study investigated the role of BAG3 in renal fibrosis using transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-treated human proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells. An upregulation of BAG3 in vitro models was observed, which correlated with the increased synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and expression of tissue-type plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1.

Cordyceps sinensis attenuates renal fibrosis and suppresses BAG3 induction in obstructed rat kidney.

BAG3 regulates a number of cellular processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion and migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the role of BAG3 in renal tubular EMT and renal interstitial fibrosis remains elusive. This study aimed to examine the dynamic expression of BAG3 during renal fibrosis, and to investigate the efficacy of Cordyceps sinensis (C.

Implication of Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 in fibroblast growth factor-2-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in renal epithelial cells.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tubular epithelial cells to myofibroblast-like cells plays a substantial role in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis, which is a common pathological character of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) triggers EMT in tubular epithelial cells and increases Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) expression in neural progenitor and neuroblastoma cells. In addition, a novel role of regulation of EMT has been ascribed to BAG3 recently.

Genetic variants in interleukin genes and susceptibility to IgA nephropathy: a meta-analysis.

Many existing studies have demonstrated that genetic variants in interleukin (IL) genes might have an impact on an individual's susceptibility to IgA nephropathy (IgAN); but individually published results are inconclusive. This meta-analysis aimed to derive a more precise estimation of the relationships between IL genetic variants and IgAN risk. We searched CISCOM, CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, and China BioMedicine (CBM) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases from inception through August 1, 2013.

The role of CD44-hyaluronic acid interaction in exogenous mesenchymal stem cells homing to rat remnant kidney.

Background/aims: The aim of our study was to reveal the role of CD44-Hyaluronic acid (HA) in the homing and improving renal function of systemically transplanted MSCs in chronic renal failure.

Methods: First, a remnant kidney model was established in rats and the expression of HA was determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blotting. Next, chemotaxis assay using flow cytometry, and cell migration assay of MSCs were performed in vitro.

[A multi-center, randomized, controlled, double blind and double dummy clinical trial of antofloxacin hydrochloride tablet versus levofloxacin tablet for the treatment of acute bacterial infections].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of antofloxacin hydrochloride tablet for the treatment of acute bacterial infections.

Methods: A multi-center randomized control, double blind and double dummy clinical trial was conducted; levofloxacin tablet was closed as controlled drug. The duration of treatment was 7-14 days in both groups.

[Value of urinary kidney injury molecule-1 protein in early diagnosis of radiocontrast- induced nephropathy in rats].

Objective: To assess the value of determination of urine kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) protein content in the early diagnosis of radiocontrast-induced nephropathy (RCIN) in rats.

Methods: Seventy-two adult male SD rats were randomly divided into groups A, B, C (n=8) and D group (which was subdivided into 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 h and 7 days groups, n=8). Group A was subject to injections via the tail vein of PBS and normal saline (NS), group B received injections of PBS, NS, and contrast medium (CM), group C with indomethacin (INDO), nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (L-NAME), and NS, and group D with INDO, L-NAME and CM.

The recent deposition of persistent organic pollutants and mercury to the Dasuopu glacier, Mt. Xixiabangma, central Himalayas.

High mountains may serve as condensers for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and the ice/snow core can provide long-term records of atmospheric deposition of pollutants. In this study, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in firn core from Dasuopu Glacier were analyzed and the seasonal variation and deposition flux of these pollutants were investigated. PCB 28 was always detected in samples from different firn core layers and concentrations of PCB 28 were in the range of 0.

Involvements of Rho-kinase and TGF-beta pathways in aldosterone-induced renal injury.

Recent studies have suggested a role for aldosterone in the pathogenesis of renal injury. This study investigated the potential contributions of Rho-kinase and TGF-beta pathways to aldosterone-induced renal injury. Rats were uninephrectomized and then treated for 5 wk with 1% NaCl in a drinking solution and one of the following: Vehicle (2% ethanol, subcutaneously; n = 9); aldosterone (0.