Recombinant Cellular Repressor of E1A-Stimulated Genes Protects against Renal Fibrosis in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats.

Background: Human cellular repressor of E1A-stimulated genes (CREG) is a secreted glycoprotein that attenuates angiotensin II-induced hypertension, alleviates myocardial fibrosis, and improves heart function. However, the role of CREG in high-salt (HS) diet-induced hypertensive nephropathy is unclear.

Methods: To determine the effects and molecular mechanisms of CREG in HS diet-induced hypertensive nephropathy, we established a hypertensive nephropathy animal model in Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats fed a HS diet (8% NaCl, n = 20) for 8 weeks.

Two-Dimensional Nanochannel Arrays Based on Flexible Montmorillonite Membranes.

Two-dimensional (2D) nanochannel arrays are constructed by bottom-up reassembly of montmorillonite monolayers that are obtained by liquid-phase exfoliation of its layered crystals, and the as-constructed interstitial space between these monolayers is uniform and provides ions with nanoscale transport channels. Surface-charge-controlled ion transport behavior is observed through these nanochannels as the electrolyte concentration reduces to 10 M at room temperature. Furthermore, the nanochannel structure remains even after 400 °C heat treatment, and nanofluidic devices based on the annealed nanochannel arrays still exhibit surface-charge-governed ion transport at low electrolyte concentrations.

Effects of ketamine exposure on dopamine concentrations and dopamine type 2 receptor mRNA expression in rat brain tissue.

Objective: To explore the effects of ketamine abuse on the concentration of dopamine (DA), a monoamine neurotransmitter, and the mRNA expression of dopamine type 2 (D2) receptors in brain tissue, we used male Wistar rats to model ketamine abuse through chronic intraperitoneal infusion of ketamine across different doses.

Methods: The rats were sacrificed 45 minutes and 1, 2, and 3 weeks after initiating the administration of ketamine or normal saline, as well as 3 days following discontinuation. Brain tissue was harvested to examine the concentration of 2,5-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid, the primary metabolites of DA, as well as the expression of D2 receptor mRNA.

Effect of baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparent diffusion coefficient lesion volume on functional outcome in ischemic stroke.

Objective: We explored the relationship between predicted infarct core, predicted ischemic penumbras and predicted final infarct volumes obtained though apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)-based method, as well as other clinical variables, and functional outcome.

Methods: Patients with acute cerebral ischemic stroke were retrospectively recruited. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was evaluated at baseline and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at day 90.

Neurotoxic effect of the complex of the ovine prion protein (OvPrP(C)) and RNA on the cultured rat cortical neurons.

Prion diseases are conformational diseases, many factors are involved in altering the conformation of prion, such as RNA, DNA, pH, and copper etc. However the neurotoxic mechanism of prion diseases is not clear yet. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the nucleoprotein complex of RNA and recombinant ovine prion protein (OvPrP(C)) on the cultured rat cortical neurons in vitro.

Potential protection of green tea polyphenols against 1800 MHz electromagnetic radiation-induced injury on rat cortical neurons.

Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) are harmful to public health, but the certain anti-irradiation mechanism is not clear yet. The present study was performed to investigate the possible protective effects of green tea polyphenols against electromagnetic radiation-induced injury in the cultured rat cortical neurons. In this study, green tea polyphenols were used in the cultured cortical neurons exposed to 1800 MHz EMFs by the mobile phone.

Prediction of infarct core and salvageable ischemic tissue volumes by analyzing apparent diffusion coefficient without intravenous contrast material.

Rationale And Objectives: To investigate whether baseline apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps can be employed to predict both infarct core and salvageable ischemic tissue volumes in acute ischemic stroke.

Materials And Methods: An automated image analysis system based on baseline ADC maps was tested against 30 patients with acute ischemic stroke of anterior circulation to predict both infarct core and salvageable ischemic tissue volumes. The predicted infarct core and predicted salvageable ischemic tissue were quantitatively and qualitatively compared with follow-up imaging data in recanalization and no recanalization groups, respectively.

Can baseline magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) status become a foremost factor in selecting optimal acute stroke patients for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) thrombolysis beyond 3 hours?

Objective: We investigated whether baseline vessel status evaluated by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) can be the foremost factor to classify acute ischemic stroke patients into subgroups for thrombolytic therapy within 3-6 hours of symptom onset.

Methods: Acute ischemic stroke patients beyond 3 hours after symptom onset were examined by stroke magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging, and MRA) before and after thrombolysis treatment within 24-48 hours. Stroke MRI was used to classify acute ischemic stroke patients into subgroups and select optimal patients for thrombolytic treatment.

Potential protection of green tea polyphenols against ultraviolet irradiation-induced injury on rat cortical neurons.

The present study was performed to investigate the possible protective effects of green tea polyphenols against ultraviolet (UV)-C light irradiation-induced cell death in the cultured rat cortical neurons. We found that UV-C light irradiation induced marked cell death tested by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and TdT-mediated biotin-dUTP nicked-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Protective effects of green tea polyphenols on UV-C light irradiation-induced apoptosis in cortical neurons were demonstrated by testing the content of Bax, which is involved in cell death.

Copper(II) inhibits in vitro conformational conversion of ovine prion protein triggered by low pH.

To gain insight into the conformational conversion of ovine prion protein (OvPrP(C)) at different pH values and/or in the presence of CuCl(2), the secondary structure of OvPrP(C) was analysed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Copper treatment of OvPrP(C) under moderately acidic conditions (pH approximately 5.0-6.

Altered expression of the prion gene in rat astrocyte and neuron cultures treated with prion peptide 106-126.

Neuronal degeneration and astrogliosis are hallmarks of prion disease. Synthetic prion protein (PrP) peptide 106-126 (PrP106-126) can induce death of neurons and proliferation of astrocytes in vitro and this neurotoxic effect depends on the expression of cellular PrP (PrPC) and is hence believed to be PrP(C) -mediated. To further elucidate the involvement of PrPC in PrP106-126-induced neurotoxicity, we determined the expression of PrP mRNA in primary culture of rat cortical neuron cells, cerebellar granule cells, and astrocytes following treatment with 50 microM of PrP106-126 scrambled PrP106-126 by quantitative real-time RT-PCR.

[Effect of jiuxinfumai injection on L-type calcium currents in single guinea pig ventricular myocytes].

Objective: To determine the effect of 311 and 417, both active ingredients isolated from Jiuxinfumai injection (Citrus Aurantium) on L-type calcium currents (I(Ca-L)) in ventricular myocytes of guinea pigs.

Methods: Single myocytes were dissociated by enzymatic dissociation method. The whole-cell patch-clamp recording technique was used to record the change of calcium current after the administration of 311and 417.

[Directed differentiation of Balb/C mouse embryonic stem cells into pancreatic islet-like cell clusters in vitro: observation by atomic force microscope].

Objective: To observe the morphological changes of Balb/C mouse embryonic stem cells following directed differentiation into pancreatic islet-like cell clusters (PICC) in vitro using atomic force microscope (AFM).

Methods: Balb/C mouse embryonic stem cells were first cultured into embryonic bodies (EBs) and allowed to differentiate spontaneously for 4 days. The cells were then transferred to gelatin-coated dishes for the EBs to attach and spread on the tissue culture plates, in the course of which a series of cell growth factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and nicotinamide were added into the culture medium at specific time points to induce directed differentiation of the stem cells into PICC.

[The ultrastructure study of membrane surface of the bone marrow CD34+ cells with the atomic force microscope].

Human CD34(+) hematopoietic cells, a distinctive cell population containing hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC), have the capability to highly self-renewal, differentiation into all lineages of committed progenitor cells and reconstitution of both long-term hematopoiesis and immunefunctions after transplantation. CD34(+) hematopoietic cells from bone marrow (BM) recently have been employed for treating neoplastic and genetic disorders. This study was aimed to investigate membrane surface ultrastructures of bone marrow CD34(+) cell from mormal persons and leukemia patients and to compare their morphologic differences by using atomic force microscope (AFM).

[Surface morphology of CD34+ cells under atomic force microscope].

Objective: To observe the difference in surface morphology and structure between CD34(+) cells from normal human subjects and from patients with leukemia.

Methods: Bone marrow mononuclear cells from 3 normal human subjects and 3 patients with M2b leukemia were collected by Percoll gradient centrifugation, followed by purification of CD34(+) cells by means of immunomagnetic bead separation (MiniMAC) and examination with flow cytometry. The morphology of the cells were then observed with optical and atomic force microscope (AFM) in air.