Curative effect of laparoscopic ureteral end-to-side anastomosis at the pelvic level for a duplex kidney in children.

Background: To analyze the clinical efficacy and experience with laparoscopic ureteral end-to-side anastomosis at the pelvic level for a duplex kidney (DK) in children.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 20 children diagnosed with a complete DK in the pediatric surgery department of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University between January 2018 and July 2024. The cohort comprised 15 girls and five boys aged 5-100 months (mean ± SD, 38.

Benazepril Promotes the Proliferation and Differentiation of Urine-Derived Stem Cells from Children with Nephrotic Syndrome During the Chronic Kidney Disease Stage.

Nephrotic Syndrome (NS), especially in the Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) stage, poses significant challenges in pediatric nephrology. Urine-derived stem cells (USCs) show promise for renal repair and regeneration. While benazepril is commonly used to treat CKD, its impact on USCs from children with NS during the CKD stage is unclear.

Green Radish Polysaccharides Ameliorate Hyperlipidemia in High-Fat-Diet-Induced Mice via Short-Chain Fatty Acids Production and Gut Microbiota Regulation.

The objective of this study was to examine the hypolipidemic effect and potential mechanism of action of green radish polysaccharide (GRP) in hyperlipidemic mice. We found that in mice fed a high-fat diet, supplementing with GRP reduced body weight and liver index, significantly improved serum lipid levels and markers of liver damage, and mitigated oxidative stress and inflammation. Mechanistically, in these hyperlipidemic mice, the size of fat cells was reduced by GRP, and the abnormal accumulation of lipid droplets was reduced.

Green Radish Polysaccharide Prevents Alcoholic Liver Injury by Interfering with Intestinal Bacteria and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Mice.

This study aimed to ascertain the potential benefits of green radish polysaccharide (GRP) in treating alcoholic liver disease (ALD) in mice and explore its mechanism of action. Using biochemical analysis, high-throughput sequencing of gut microbiota, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to measure short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces, we found that GRP intervention significantly improved lipid metabolism and hepatic function in mice subjected to excessive alcohol intake. The GRP intervention reduced malondialdehyde levels by 66% and increased total superoxide dismutase levels by 22%, thereby mitigating alcohol-induced oxidative stress.

Effects of Scallop Mantle Toxin on Intestinal Microflora and Intestinal Barrier Function in Mice.

Previous studies have shown that feeding mice with food containing mantle tissue from Japanese scallops results in aggravated liver and kidney damage, ultimately resulting in mortality within weeks. The aim of this study is to evaluate the toxicity of scallop mantle in China's coastal areas and explore the impact of scallop mantle toxins (SMT) on intestinal barrier integrity and gut microbiota in mice. The Illumina MiSeq sequencing of V3-V4 hypervariable regions of 16S ribosomal RNA was employed to study the alterations in gut microbiota in the feces of SMT mice.

Characterization and Stability of a Novel Toxin in Scallop Mantle Tissue.

Previous studies have shown that mice fed a diet containing 1% mantle tissue exhibited decreased food consumption and led to death. Toxic substances present in the mantle tissue have been isolated and identified. In the present study, we explored the characteristics and stability of mantle tissue toxicity.

Single-Cell Sequencing Identifies the Heterogeneity of CD8+ T Cells and Novel Biomarker Genes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

CD8+ T cells are required for the establishment of antitumor immunity, and their substantial infiltration is associated with a good prognosis. However, CD8+ T cell subsets in the tumor microenvironment may play distinct roles in tumor progression, prognosis, and immunotherapy. In this study, we used the scRNA-seq data of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to reveal the heterogeneity of different CD8+ T cell subsets.

Characterization of Localization, Ligand Binding, and pH-Dependent Conformational Changes of Two Chemosensory Proteins Expressed in the Antennae of the Japanese Carpenter Ant, .

uses basiconic antennal sensilla (s. basiconica) to sense a colony-specific blend of species-specific cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). The inner portion of the s.

Enhancement of the Olfactory Response by Lipocalin Cp-Lip1 in Newt Olfactory Receptor Cells: An Electrophysiological Study.

Previously, we have detected the expression of 2 lipocalin genes (lp1 and lp2) in the olfactory epithelium of the Japanese newt Cynops pyrrhogaster. Recombinant proteins of these genes (Cp-Lip1 and Cp-Lip2, respectively) exhibited high affinities to various odorants, suggesting that they work like the odorant-binding proteins (OBPs). However, the physiological functions of OBP generally remain inconclusive.

Impaired Regeneration Potential in Urinary Stem Cells Diagnosed from the Patients with Diabetic Nephropathy.

Stem cells present in urine possess regenerative capacity to repair kidney injury. However, the unique characteristics of urinary stem cells (USC) from patients with diabetic nephropathy (d-USC) are unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate stemness properties in cell phenotype and regenerative potential of d-USC, compared to USC from healthy individuals.

Two Consecutive Polar Amino Acids at the End of Helix E are Important for Fast Turnover of the Archaerhodopsin Photocycle.

Archaerhodopsins (ARs) is one of the members of microbial rhodopsins. Threonine 164 (T164) and serine 165 (S165) residues of the AR from Halorubrum sp. ejinoor (HeAR) are fully conserved in ARs, although they are far from the proton transfer channel and the retinal Schiff base, and are likely involved in a hydrogen-bonding network at the end of the Helix E where most microbial rhodopsins assume a "bent structure".

Urothelium with barrier function differentiated from human urine-derived stem cells for potential use in urinary tract reconstruction.

Background: Autologous urothelial cells are often obtained via bladder biopsy to generate the bio-engineered urethra or bladder, while urine-derived stem cells (USC) can be obtained by a non-invasive approach. The objective of this study is to develop an optimal strategy for urothelium with permeability barrier properties using human USC which could be used for tissue repair in the urinary tract system.

Methods: USC were harvested from six healthy adult individuals.

Photocycle of Sensory Rhodopsin II from Halobacterium salinarum (HsSRII): Mutation of D103 Accelerates M Decay and Changes the Decay Pathway of a 13-cis O-like Species.

Aspartic acid 103 (D103) of sensory rhodopsin II from Halobacterium salinarum (HsSRII, or also called phoborhodopsin) corresponds to D115 of bacteriorhodopsin (BR). This amino acid residue is functionally important in BR. This work reveals that a substitution of D103 with asparagine (D103N) or glutamic acid (D103E) can cause large changes in HsSRII photocycle.

Tissue-specific extracellular matrix promotes myogenic differentiation of human muscle progenitor cells on gelatin and heparin conjugated alginate hydrogels.

Unlabelled: Myogenic differentiation, cell fusion, and myotube formation of skeletal muscle progenitor cells (SMPCs) have key roles during skeletal muscle development and repair. However, after isolation from living tissue and transition to culture dishes, SMPCs gradually lose their function and stop propagating due to the absence of extracellular matrix (ECM). Despite encouraging results of experiments using ECM components in cell culture for maintenance and propagation of some tissue types, the benefits of this approach on SMPC culture are limited, because the bioactive molecules and proteins instantly release and are degraded during culture.

Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium attenuate interstitial fibrosis and stimulate the repair of tubular epithelial cells in an irreversible model of unilateral ureteral obstruction.

Aim: The growing number of patients suffering from chronic renal disease (CKD) is a challenge for the development of innovative therapies. Researchers have studied the therapeutic effects of cell therapy in acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the therapeutic effect of conditional medium (CM) in the CKD models have been rarely reported.

Urethral reconstruction with autologous urine-derived stem cells seeded in three-dimensional porous small intestinal submucosa in a rabbit model.

Background: Urethral reconstruction is one of the great surgical challenges for urologists. A cell-based tissue-engineered urethra may be an alternative for patients who have complicated long strictures and need urethral reconstruction. Here, we demonstrated the feasibility of using autologous urine-derived stem cells (USCs) seeded on small intestinal submucosa (SIS) to repair a urethral defect in a rabbit model.

Urban fine particulate matter exposure causes male reproductive injury through destroying blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity.

Blood-testis barrier (BTB) provides a suitable microenvironment for germ cells that is required for spermatogenesis. Exposure to particulate matter (PM) is recognized to occasion male reproductive impairment, but the mechanism of which remains unclear. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used to establish animal models with PM exposure concentration of 0, 10, and 20mg/kg.

Incidence and risk of hypertension associated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors in cancer patients: a comprehensive network meta-analysis of 72 randomized controlled trials involving 30013 patients.

Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been developed during the last decade that target the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) are currently being evaluated as treatments for malignant tumors. The increased application of VEGFR-TKIs means that the probability of hypertension is a serious concern. However, the reported incidence varies markedly between clinical trials.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in Chinese children: a retrospective study of age-specific prevalence.

Background: Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is a globally prevalent herpesvirus associated with infectious mononucleosis and many malignancies. The survey on EBV prevalence appears to be important to study EBV-related diseases and determine when to administer prophylactic vaccine. The purpose of this retrospective study was to collect baseline information about the prevalence of EBV infection in Chinese children.

Stringent homology-based prediction of H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv protein-protein interactions.

Background: H. sapiens-M. tuberculosis H37Rv protein-protein interaction (PPI) data are essential for understanding the infection mechanism of the formidable pathogen M.

Tumor microenvironment macrophage inhibitory factor directs the accumulation of interleukin-17-producing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and predicts favorable survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

The accumulation of an intratumoral CD4(+) interleukin-17-producing subset (Th17) of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is a general characteristic in many cancers. The relationship between the percentage of Th17 cells and clinical prognosis differs among cancers. The mechanism responsible for the increasing percentage of such cells in NPC is still unknown, as is their biological function.

Distribution, characterization, and induction of CD8+ regulatory T cells and IL-17-producing CD8+ T cells in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: CD8+ effector cells often have an antitumor function in patients with cancer. However, CD8+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tcregs) and interleukin (IL)-17-producing CD8+ T cells (Tc17 cells) also derive from the CD8+ T cell lineage. Their role in the antitumor response remains largely unknown.