Kupffer cells, the limelight in the liver regeneration.

Kupffer cells are pivotal in initiating hepatocyte proliferation and establishing connections between different cell types during liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy. As resident macrophages within the liver, Kupffer cells collaborate with hepatocytes and non-parenchymal cells to release various inflammatory mediators that promote hepatocyte proliferation through induction signals like STAT3 phosphorylation. Additionally, the regeneration and replenishment of Kupffer cells themselves are integral components of liver regeneration.

Ponatinib exacerbate renal injury in systemic lupus erythematosus mouse model through PDGFR-PI3K/AKT pathway.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a common clinical complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Proliferative lupus nephritis represents the gravest form of LN, and since effective drugs for its treatment are still lacking, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) find extensive clinical utility due to their notable impact on suppressing cell proliferation and may serve as potential drugs for LN treatment. However, previous studies on the effects of TKI on LN have been controversial.

Molecular interaction mechanisms on (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate improving activities of inhibited acetylcholinesterase by selected organophosphorus pesticides in vitro & vivo.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is reported to have benefits for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease by binding with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to enhance the cholinergic neurotransmission. Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) inhibited AChE and damaged the nervous system. This study investigated the combined effects of EGCG and OPs on AChE activities in vitro & vivo.

[Pollution Assessment and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals in the Surrounding Soil of Typical Mining Areas in Tongling, Anhui Province].

To study the level of heavy metal pollution and ecological risks in the soil around typical mining areas in Tongling, a total of 150 soil samples were collected from the study area. The content characteristics of 10 elements, namely, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Fe, and Zn, in the soils were analyzed. Methods including enrichment factor, the geo-accumulation index, single-factor pollution index, Nemero comprehensive pollution index, and potential ecological risk index were used to evaluate the pollution status of heavy metals in the soil of the study area.

DrugFlow: An AI-Driven One-Stop Platform for Innovative Drug Discovery.

Artificial intelligence (AI)-aided drug design has demonstrated unprecedented effects on modern drug discovery, but there is still an urgent need for user-friendly interfaces that bridge the gap between these sophisticated tools and scientists, particularly those who are less computer savvy. Herein, we present DrugFlow, an AI-driven one-stop platform that offers a clean, convenient, and cloud-based interface to streamline early drug discovery workflows. By seamlessly integrating a range of innovative AI algorithms, covering molecular docking, quantitative structure-activity relationship modeling, molecular generation, ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity) prediction, and virtual screening, DrugFlow can offer effective AI solutions for almost all crucial stages in early drug discovery, including hit identification and hit/lead optimization.

Acquired Fanconi syndrome in mixed cryoglobulinemia patients: a single-center case series.

Purpose: Cryoglobulinemia is a pathological condition characterized by the presence of cryoglobulins in the blood, with cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis being the most frequent form of renal involvement. Fanconi syndrome presents as a generalized dysfunction of the proximal tubule, characterized by the presence of polyuria, phosphaturia, glycosuria, proteinuria, proximal renal tubular acidosis, and osteomalacia. We aimed to present five cases co-occurring with Fanconi syndrome and cryoglobulinemia.

New-onset metabolic syndrome is associated with accelerated renal function decline partially through elevated uric acid: an epidemiological cohort study.

Background: The burden of metabolic syndrome (MetS) continues to rise globally and is associated with complications of multiple organ systems. We aimed to identify the association between changes in MetS status and accelerated renal function progression through a regional epidemiological survey in China, thus discovering influence factors with treatable potential.

Methods: This study was a population-based survey conducted in 2008 and 2014, assessing a representative sample of 5,225 individuals from rural areas of China.

Rare renal proximal tubular dysfunctions in primary biliary cholangitis.

Introduction: Renal involvement of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) usually presents as distal renal tubular acidosis. Proximal tubular (PT) dysfunctions in PBC were rarely reported with unclear clinicopathological characteristics and renal prognosis.

Methods: We identified 11 cases of PBC with PT dysfunctions (PBC-PT).

Malignancy-associated membranous nephropathy: focus on diagnosis and treatment.

Background: The clinicopathological features of malignancy-associated membranous nephropathy have been described previously, but information about diagnosis and treatment remains limited.

Methods: Patients with malignancy-associated membranous nephropathy in a tertiary hospital in China between June 2012 and October 2021 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Forty-two patients with malignancy-associated membranous nephropathy were identified.

Case Report: Successful treatment of advanced hepatocarcinoma with the PD-1 inhibitor Camrelizumab.

Primary liver cancer is characterized by closely related with chronic liver inflammation, thereby reversing hypoxic immunosuppressive microenvironment of tumor cell growth by immunotherapy drug is a potentially effective strategy. Camrelizumab is an anti-PD-1 antibody being developed by Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

Development and Comparative Analysis of an Early Prediction Model for Acute Kidney Injury within 72-Hours Post-ICU Admission Using Evidence from the MIMIC-III Database.

Background: Prompt recognition of patients predisposed to acute kidney injury (AKI) within 72 hours of intensive care unit (ICU) admission holds significant clinical importance as it can considerably lower mortality rates. However, existing AKI prediction models often require complex data collection yet yield only moderate performance. This study aims to develop a straightforward and efficient AKI prediction model, providing ICU physicians with a powerful tool to expedite the detection of AKI patients.

Chemical-microbial effects of acetic acid, oxalic acid and citric acid on arsenic transformation and migration in the rhizosphere of paddy soil.

Low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs) are essential components of rice roots exudates and an important source of soil organic carbon. The chemical-microbial pathway by which LMWOA affects arsenic (As) cycling in the rhizosphere of paddy soils is still unclear. In this study, three typical LMWOAs (acetic acid (AA), oxalic acid (OA), and citric acid (CA)) in rice root exudates were added to As-contaminated soil at a concentration of 10 mM, mimicking the rhizosphere environment.

Urinary complement proteins in IgA nephropathy progression from a relative quantitative proteomic analysis.

Aim: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is one of the leading causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Urine testing is a non-invasive way to track the biomarkers used for measuring renal injury. This study aimed to analyse urinary complement proteins during IgAN progression using quantitative proteomics.

Identification of CBPA as a New Inhibitor of PD-1/PD-L1 Interaction.

Targeting of the PD-1/PD-L1 immunologic checkpoint is believed to have provided a real breakthrough in the field of cancer therapy in recent years. Due to the intrinsic limitations of antibodies, the discovery of small-molecule inhibitors blocking PD-1/PD-L1 interaction has gradually opened valuable new avenues in the past decades. In an effort to discover new PD-L1 small molecular inhibitors, we carried out a structure-based virtual screening strategy to rapidly identify the candidate compounds.

Clinicopathological Features of Gitelman Syndrome with Proteinuria and Renal Dysfunction.

Introduction: Gitelman syndrome (GS) is a rare renal tubular salt-wasting disorder. Besides kidney electrolyte loss, proteinuria and renal dysfunction were also observed. However, their incidence, risk factors, pathological features, and prognosis were unclear.

Response to therapy at 6 months predicts long-term renal outcome in lupus nephritis with poor kidney function.

Objective: It is unclear whether aggressive treatment would benefit lupus nephritis (LN) with poor renal function, which has been excluded from most clinical trials. We aimed at demonstrating their clinicopathological features and prognosis.

Methods: From August 2012 to December 2018, patients with active LN with poor renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 15 and 59 mL/min/1.

Diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

The global incidence rate of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is approximately 25%. With the global increase in obesity and its associated metabolic syndromes, NAFLD has become an important cause of chronic liver disease in many countries. Despite recent advances in pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapeutics, there are still challenges in its treatment.

Trace elements in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in China: Spatiotemporal variation and human health implications.

The enrichment and health risk assessment of trace elements in crayfish on a national scale are significant for food safety due to the rapidly expanding crayfish consumption in China. In the present study, 4709 samples were extracted from databases to explore the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of trace elements in crayfish. Due to the variance in the background value of trace elements, the level of trace elements varies by region.

Arsenic and cadmium bioavailability to rice (Oryza sativa L.) plant in paddy soil: Influence of sulfate application.

Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) accumulate easily in rice grains that pose a non-negligible threat to human health worldwide. Sulfur fertilizer has been shown to affect the mobilization of As and Cd in paddy soil, but the effect of co-contamination by As and Cd has not been explored. This study selected three soils co-contaminated with As and Cd from Shangyu (SY), Tongling (TL) and Ma'anshan (MA).

Diagnostic Potential of Plasma IgA1 O-Glycans in Discriminating IgA Nephropathy From Other Glomerular Diseases and Healthy Participants.

Aberrant O-glycosylation of IgA1 plays an important role in IgA nephropathy pathogenesis. Previous proteomic studies analyzed O-glycans of the circulating IgA1 hinge region and found that the N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) and galactose numbers in the hinge region of IgA1 of patients with IgA nephropathy were lower than those in healthy participants. However, the diagnostic performance of the O-glycosylation traits in the hinge region of plasma IgA1 for IgA nephropathy remains unelucidated.

Ligand-based pharmacophore modeling, virtual screening and biological evaluation to identify novel TGR5 agonists.

Takeda G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) is emerging as an important and promising target for the development of anti-diabetic drugs. To understand the structural characteristics of TGR5 agonists, the common feature pharmacophore models were generated and molecular docking was performed. The ligand-based virtual screening combined with pharmacophore mapping and molecular docking was performed to identify novel nonsteroidal TGR5 agonists.

HGF/c-Met: A Key Promoter in Liver Regeneration.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a peptide-containing multifunctional cytokine that acts on various epithelial cells to regulate cell growth, movement and morphogenesis, and tissue regeneration of injured organs. HGF is sequestered by heparin-like protein in its inactive form and is widespread in the extracellular matrix of most tissues. When the liver loses its average mass, volume, or physiological and biochemical functions due to various reasons, HGF binds to its specific receptor c-Met (cellular mesenchymal-epithelial transition) and transmits the signals into the cells, and triggers the intrinsic kinase activity of c-Met.

The spectrum of kidney biopsy findings in Chinese HIV-infected patients.

Objectives: HIV-associated kidney disease is common but data on the pathology spectrum of kidney biopsy in China is lacking. This study aimed to illustrate the clinical presentation, laboratory findings and pathological spectrum of different subtypes of HIV-associated kidney disease in China.

Methods: Eighteen HIV patients with renal biopsy indications at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2002 to October 2021 were retrospectively enrolled.

Endocarditis-associated rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis mimicking vasculitis: a diagnostic and treatment challenge.

Background: Infective endocarditis (IE)-associated rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) is rarely reported. Sporadic case reports have noted the diagnostic and therapeutic challenge in IE-associated glomerulonephritis because it may masquerade as idiopathic vasculitis.

Methods: Patients with clinical diagnosis of IE-related RPGN in a tertiary hospital in China between January 2004 and May 2021 were identified and retrospectively reviewed.