Urinary Matrix Metalloproteinase-7 and Prediction of AKI Progression Post Cardiac Surgery.

Aims: Early detection of patients at high risk for progressive acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery remains a major challenge. We aim to evaluate the utility of urinary matrix metalloproteinase-7 (uMMP-7) and other reported biomarkers for predicting AKI progression during postoperative hospital stay.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, multicenter cohort study in 121 adult patients with stage 1 or 2 AKI after cardiac surgery.

The regulation effect of WNT-RAS signaling in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus on renal fibrosis.

Background: Abnormal activation of wnt/β-catenin signaling and renin-angiotensin system is known to play a vital role in the development and progression of CKD. We hypothesized that abnormal expression of central wnt/β-catenin signaling and renin-angiotensin system (WNT-RAS signaling) was tightly involved in CKD.

Methods: We established sham-operated and 5/6 nephrectomized (5/6 NX) rat model and blocked the central wnt signaling by intracerebroventricular injection of adeno-associated virus vector which can overexpress target gene DKK1.

Wnt/β-catenin/RAS signaling mediates age-related renal fibrosis and is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction.

Renal fibrosis is the common pathological feature in a variety of chronic kidney diseases. Aging is highly associated with the progression of renal fibrosis. Among several determinants, mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in aging.

Characterization of protein arginine methyltransferase of TgPRMT5 in Toxoplasma gondii.

Background: Protein arginine methylation is a prevalent post-translational modification. The protein arginine methyltransferase family (PRMT) is involved in many cellular processes in eukaryotes, including transcriptional regulation, epigenetic regulation, RNA metabolism, and DNA damage repair. Toxoplasma gondii, an opportunistic protozoan parasite, encodes five conserved PRMTs.

Efficient genome engineering of Toxoplasma gondii using the TALEN technique.

Background: Aromatic amino acid hydroxylase 2 (AAH2) is a bradyzoite-specific upregulated protein that may alter host behaviour by altering the host dopaminergic pathway. To better understand the role of the parasite's AAH2 in host-parasite interactions, we generated an AAH2 fluorescent marker strain of T. gondii using the TALEN technique.

Numb Depletion Promotes Drp1-Mediated Mitochondrial Fission and Exacerbates Mitochondrial Fragmentation and Dysfunction in Acute Kidney Injury.

Aims: Mitochondrial fragmentation is a crucial mechanism contributing to tubular cell apoptosis during acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the mechanism of modulating mitochondrial dynamics during AKI remains unclear. Numb is a multifunction adaptor protein that is expressed in renal tubules.

[Observation of the Feline Intestinal Epithelial Cell Infected with Toxoplasma gondii].

Small intestine samples of neonatal cat were aseptically collected from the jejunum-ileum region and digested with collagenase XI/dispase I. Immunohistochemistry results showed that feline intestinal epithelial cells were successfully isolated and could be cultured. Cytokeratin was positive in the cytoplasm of feline intestinal epithelial cells.

[Advances in epigenetic researches of Toxoplasma gondii].

Toxoplasma gondii undergoes a complex life cycle that involves multiple development stages, hosts and environments. The ability to transform from one stage to another and adapt to changing environments demands precise regulation of gene expression. Bioinformatic surveys of the sequenced genomes of T.

[A hydroponic cultivation system for rapid high-yield transient protein expression in Nicotiana plants under laboratory conditions].

Objective: To develop a hydroponic Nicotiana cultivation system for rapid and high-yield transient expression of recombinant proteins under laboratory conditions.

Methods: To establish the hydroponic cultivation system, several parameters were examined to define the optimal conditions for the expression of recombinant proteins in plants. We used the green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the geminiviral plant transient expression vector as the model protein/expression vector.

Diagnosis of human toxoplasmosis by using the recombinant truncated surface antigen 1 of Toxoplasma gondii.

The goal of the present study is to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a truncated surface antigen 1 (SAG1) gene of Toxoplasma gondii for the diagnosis of human toxoplasmosis. The truncated SAG1 gene was highly expressed in Escherichia coli. An ELISA kit based on the purified recombinant truncated SAG1 (rtSAG1) was developed, which was used to detect antibodies against T.

[A colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay for detecting p38 antigen of Schistosome japonicum].

Objective: To establish a colloidal gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA) for detecting Schistosome japonicum (Sj).

Methods: Eight monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against Sj p38 antigen (1A6, 3C4, 3D12, 6F10, 6G12, 9H6, 9G7 and A5H) prepared previously were purified by protein-G affinity chromatography. The affinity constant (K(aff)) was determined by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

[Soluble expression and characterization of the immunoreactive multiepitope antigen of Toxoplasma gondii in E.coli].

Objective: To obtain soluble expression product of immunoreactive recombinant multiepitope antigen of Toxoplasma gondii from E.coli.

Methods: The gene encoding the multiple epitopes (MEG) of Toxoplasma gondii was amplified by PCR from the original plasmid containing MEG gene and cloned into the prokaryotic soluble expression vector pET32a.

[Construction of the plant expression vectors containing the multiepitope gene of Toxoplasma gondii].

Objective: To construct the plant expression vectors containing the multiepitope gene of Toxoplasma gondii (TGMG).

Methods: 1. TGMG was subcloned into pBAC55 vector to construct the intermediate plasmid pB35MG.

[Establishment of rabbit model of renal allograft transplantation using microsurgical technique].

Objective: To establish rabbit model of renal allograft transplantation with reduced complications and high survival rate using microsurgical technique.

Methods: Twelve healthy adult rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups of equal number, one as donor group and the other recipient. The left kidneys of the donor rabbits were removed followed by immediate reperfusion with 4 degrees celsius H-CA solution, before they were transplanted into the recipient rabbits with their left kidneys excised and end-to-end anastomosis of the renal arteries, veins and ureter respectively performed with microsurgical technique.

[Preliminary study of cercaria antigen of Schistosoma japonicum before and after ultraviolet irradiation].

Objective: To study the changes in the constituents of the cercaria antigen of Schistosoma japonicum before and after ultraviolet irradiation.

Methods: The cercaria of Schistosoma japonicum were exposed to ultraviolet light (UV) irradiation at a dose of 400 mgrW/cm2 for 1 min, and the UV-irradiated cercaria antigen (UVCA) and normal cercaria antigen (NCA) were simultaneously analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting.

Results: At least 2 antigens with relative molecular mass (Mr) of 212 000 and 82 000 were identified in UVCA but not in NCA by SDS-PAGE analysis, and the concentrations of the antigens with Mr of 116 000, 26 000 and 16 000 in UVCA were significant higher than those in NCA.