Ultrasound Assessment of the Gastrocnemius Muscle as a Potential Tool for Identifying Sarcopenia in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective: This study aims to examine the clinical significance of ultrasound evaluation of the gastrocnemius muscle (GM) in identifying sarcopenia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: One hundred and fifty-three patients with T2D were included in this study. We measured the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), handgrip strength, and 6-meter walking speed.

A randomized controlled trial to evaluate efficacy and safety of early conversion to a low-dose calcineurin inhibitor combined with sirolimus in renal transplant patients.

Background: The calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based immune maintenance regimen that is commonly used after renal transplantation has greatly improved early graft survival after transplantation; however, the long-term prognosis of grafts has not been significantly improved. The nephrotoxicity of CNI drugs is one of the main risk factors for the poor long-term prognosis of grafts. Sirolimus (SRL) has been employed as an immunosuppressant in clinical practice for over 20 years and has been found to have no nephrotoxic effects on grafts.

Inhibition of Circ-Snrk ameliorates apoptosis and inflammation in acute kidney injury by regulating the MAPK pathway.

Background: Circular RNA (circRNA) is involved in the process of acute kidney injury (AKI), but only a few circRNAs have been reported. In the study, we investigated a new circRNA and its association with AKI.

Methods: An AKI model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats, followed by serum creatinine and urea nitrogen tests measured by a biochemical analyzer.

Anastomotic leakage after intrathoracic versus cervical oesophagogastric anastomosis for oesophageal carcinoma in Chinese population: a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics and predictors for anastomotic leakage after oesophagectomy for oesophageal carcinoma from the perspective of anastomotic level.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Settings: A single tertiary medical centre in China.

Donation after brain death followed by circulatory death, a novel donation pattern, confers comparable renal allograft outcomes with donation after brain death.

Background: Organ donation after brain death (DBD) is the standard strategy for organ transplantation; however, the concept of brain death is not universally accepted due to cultural beliefs and barriers amongst billions of people worldwide. Hence, a novel donation pattern has been established in China which outlines the concept of donation after brain death followed by circulatory death (DBCD). Differently from any current donation classification, this new concept is formulated based on combination of recognizing brain death and circulatory death.

Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells as induction therapy are safe and feasible in renal allografts: pilot results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background: Kidneys from deceased donors are being used to meet the growing need for grafts. However, delayed graft function (DGF) and acute rejection incidences are high, leading to adverse effects on graft outcomes. Optimal induction intervention should include both renal structure injury repair and immune response suppression.

Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell as induction therapy to prevent both delayed graft function and acute rejection in deceased donor renal transplantation: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Using kidneys from deceased donors is an available strategy to meet the growing need of grafts. However, higher incidences of delayed graft function (DGF) and acute rejection exert adverse effects on graft outcomes. Since ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and ongoing process of immune response to grafts are the major causes of DGF and acute rejection, the optimal induction intervention should possess capacities of both repairing renal structure injury and suppressing immune response simultaneously.

Mycoparasitism of endophytic fungi isolated from reed on soilborne phytopathogenic fungi and production of cell wall-degrading enzymes in vitro.

Antagonism of three endophytic fungi isolated from common reed (Phragmites australis) against eight soilborne pathogenic fungi was investigated on potato dextrose agar by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Inhibitory zones were not observed. The microscopical studies suggested that the endophytes inhibit growth of soilborne pathogens by means of coiling around hyphae and, after penetration, the degradation of hyphal cytoplasm.

[The role RNA interference of alpha1, 3GT plays in resistance to complement mediated cytotoxicity of porcine endothelial cells].

Objective: To evaluate whether RNA interference can protect porcine endothelial cells from complement mediated cytotoxicity.

Methods: Immortalized porcine aortic endothelial cells of the line PED were cultured and transfected with alpha1,3-galactosyltransferase (alpha1, 3-GT) specific siRNAs. Cells transfected with mismatch SiRNA was used as negative controls.

Inhibition of xenogeneic response in porcine endothelium using RNA interference.

Background: Rejection mediated by antibody recognition of the alpha-Gal epitope (Galalpha1-3Galbeta1-4GlcNAc-R) is a major barrier in porcine-to-human xenotransplantation. Because the synthesis of alpha-Gal is dependent on alpha1,3 galactosyltransferase (alpha1,3GT), methods of blocking this enzyme are needed. RNA interference induced by small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a powerful technique for allowing the silencing of mammalian genes with great specificity and potency.