Novel Muscle-Homing Peptide FGF1 Conjugate Based on AlphaFold for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Drugs for metabolic diseases usually require systemic administration and act on multiple tissues, which may produce some unpredictable side effects. There have been many successful studies on targeted drugs, especially antitumor drugs. However, there is still little research on metabolic disease drugs targeting specific tissues.

A Novel Pyroptosis-Related Prognostic Signature for Risk Stratification and Clinical Prognosis in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Emerging research has substantiated that pyroptosis-related biomarkers were mightily related to the clinical outcome of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, a single-gene biomarker's moderate predictive power is insufficient, and more accurate prognostic models are urgently needed. We conducted this investigation in order to develop a robust pyroptosis-related gene signature for use in risk stratification and survival prognosis in colorectal cancer.

LncRNA CRNDE Exacerbates IgA Nephropathy Progression by Promoting NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation in Macrophages.

Background: Activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages contributes greatly to IgA nephropathy (IgAN) progression. This study intended to investigate the underlying mechanism of NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation in the development of IgAN.

Methods: We examined the expression levels of colorectal neoplasia differentially expressed (CRNDE), NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and J774A.

Association of Urinary Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 Levels With Incident Renal Flare in Lupus Nephritis.

Objective: Flares of lupus nephritis (LN) are frequent and associated with impaired renal prognosis. One major management obstacle in LN flare is the lack of effective methods to identify at-risk patients earlier in their disease course. This study was undertaken to test the utility of measurement of urinary matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP-7) for the dynamic surveillance of renal disease activity and prediction of renal flares in LN.

A nomogram for the prediction of renal outcomes among patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy.

The early prediction of renal outcomes in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (iMN) remains challenging. The present retrospective study evaluated patients with iMN confirmed by renal biopsy. An optimized Cox regression model and a nomogram were constructed for the early prediction of renal outcomes.

Kruppel-like factor 4 improves obesity-related nephropathy through increasing mitochondrial biogenesis and activities.

Obesity is positively linked to multiple metabolic complications including renal diseases. Several studies have demonstrated Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) participated in renal dysfunction and structural disorders in acute kidney injuries, but whether it affected the process of chronic kidney diseases was unknown. Therefore, present study was to disclose the role of renal KLF4 in dietary-induced renal injuries and underlying mechanisms in obesity.

Urinary Angiotensinogen Predicts Renal Disease Activity in Lupus Nephritis.

A noninvasive indicator of renal histological lesions and disease activity in lupus nephritis (LN) is needed for timely and targeted treatment before overt renal injury. Here, we tested the utility of urinary angiotensinogen (UAGT) to predict renal disease activity in LN. A prospective, three-stage study was performed in patients with LN.

FGF1 ameliorates chronic kidney disease via PI3K/AKT mediated suppression of oxidative stress and inflammation.

Currently, there is a lack of effective therapeutic approaches to the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) with irreversible deterioration of renal function. This study aimed to investigate the ability of mutant FGF1 (FGF1, which has reduced mitogenic activity) to alleviate CKD and to study its associated mechanisms. We found that FGF1 exhibited much weaker mitogenic activity than wild-type FGF1 (FGF1) in renal tissues.

Down-regulation of the long non-coding RNA XIST ameliorates podocyte apoptosis in membranous nephropathy via the miR-217-TLR4 pathway.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? What is the role of the long non-coding RNA X-inactive specific transcript (XIST), which is up-regulated in injured podocytes and membranous nephropathy, in the pathogenesis of membranous nephropathy? What is the main finding and its importance? XIST was up-regulated in kidney tissue with membranous nephropathy and in injured podocytes. Down-regulation of XIST inhibited podocyte apoptosis. XIST negatively regulated miR-217, and miR-217 modulated Toll-like receptor 4.

Relationship between Serum Soluble Klotho Protein and Coronary Artery Calcification and Prognosis in Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis.

Background: We aimed to investigate the relationship between serum soluble Klotho protein (sKlotho) level and coronary artery calcification (CAC) as well as prognosis in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD).

Methods: Overall, 128 adult patients with end-stage renal failure treated with MHD were collected in the Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang Province, China in 2013. Serum sKlotho was detected by ELISA and coronary artery calcification was measured by multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT).

Urinary angiotensinogen: an indicator of active antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated glomerulonephritis.

Background: One of the major challenges in improving the management of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated glomerulonephritis (ANCA-GN) is the lack of a disease-specific indicator for histological lesions and disease activity. Here we tested the utility of urinary angiotensinogen (UAGT) as a biomarker of renal disease activity in ANCA-GN.

Methods: A prospective, two-stage cohort study was performed in ANCA-GN patients.

MiR-133a/133b inhibits Treg differentiation in IgA nephropathy through targeting FOXP3.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of miR-133a and miR-133b on regulatory T cell (Treg) differentiation in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) through targeting forkhead box P3 (FOXP3).

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from IgAN patients (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 20). Percentage of Tregs defined as CD4 + CD25 + FOXP3 + T cells were determined by flow cytometry.

Effects of macrophage migration inhibitory factor on cardiac reperfusion injury in mice with depression induced by constant-darkness.

Rationale: Depression is associated with coronary artery disease and increases adverse outcomes and mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction, but the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) on cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice with constant darkness-induced depression.

Methods And Results: Twenty C57BL/6 mice (8 weeks old, male) were randomly divided into 2 groups: one group was housed in a 12h light/dark cycle environment (LD) and the other in a constant darkness environment (DD).

Increased C4 and decreased C3 levels are associated with a poor prognosis in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy: a retrospective study.

Background: An association between serum complement levels and poor renal prognosis in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) remains controversial.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study examining the relationship between serum complement levels and prognosis in patients with IgAN. Between 2009 and 2013, patients with biopsy-confirmed IgAN were identified from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, China, and various parameters were documented during follow-up until 2015.

Chlorogenic Acid Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Kidney Injury by Inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB Signal Pathway.

Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a polyphenolic compound, exists widely in medicinal herbs, which has been shown a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. This study investigated the protective effects and mechanism of CGA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Treatment of CGA successfully ameliorates LPS-induced renal function and pathological damage.

Overexpression of Intrarenal Renin-Angiotensin System in Human Acute Tubular Necrosis.

Background/aims: Acute tubular necrosis (ATN), a leading cause of acute kidney injury (AKI), is associated with decreased survival and increased progression of chronic kidney disease. A barrier to improving the clinical outcomes is the incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of AKI. Our objective is to test the hypothesis that intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is overexpressed in patients with ATN and could be an indicator of ATN severity.

Elevated serum interleukin-35 levels correlate with poor prognosis in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Increasing evidences have demonstrated that serum interleukin-35 (IL-35) levels are closely associated with the development, progression, and poor prognosis of a variety of cancers. However, the relationship between IL-35 and the progression of human clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are poorly understood. The aim of present study was to assess the expression of IL-35 and determine its clinical significance in human ccRCCs.

Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity in Human Embryonic Kidney Cells Exposed to Surface Modify Chitosan Nanoparticles Loaded with Curcumin.

The rapid progress in the development and scientific investments of modified nanoparticles are due to their owed activity to various diseased conditions for which they are prepared. But the toxicity which they cause cannot be overlooked. The present study demonstrates the development of phosphatidylserine (PS)-coated chitosan (CS) nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with curcumin (CU), which was then investigated against human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293) for its cytotoxic and genotoxic effect in rats.