Diffusion-weighted imaging of the kidney: comparison between simultaneous multi-slice and integrated slice-by-slice shimming echo planar sequence.

Aim: To compare the simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) and integrated slice-by-slice shimming (iShim) single-shot echo planar imaging (ssEPI) for diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the kidneys.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective study, six healthy volunteers and 22 patients with renal diseases underwent SMS and iShim DWI of the kidney with five b-values (0, 80, 400, 800, 1,600 s/mm) at 3 T. The subjective image quality, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and ADC values were evaluated.

Cardiovascular Diseases Deaths Attributable to High Sodium Intake in Shandong Province, China.

Background High sodium intake elevates blood pressure and thereby raises cardiovascular diseases ( CVD s). Sodium intake is high in northern China, including Shandong province where the SMASH (Shandong-Ministry of Health Action on Sodium and Hypertension) is currently underway. Methods and Results Blood pressure values and sodium intake measurements using 24-hour urinary excretion were collected from the 2011 SMASH baseline survey, which was conducted in 20 counties/districts using a multistage stratified cluster random sampling method.

Can quantitative CT texture analysis be used to differentiate subtypes of renal cell carcinoma?

Aim: To investigate whether computed tomography (CT) texture analysis (TA) can be used to differentiate non-clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (non-ccRCC) from clear-cell RCC (ccRCC) and classify non-ccRCC subtypes.

Materials And Methods: One hundred ccRCC and 27 non-ccRCC (12 papillary and 15 chromophobe) were analysed. Texture parameters quantified from multiphasic CT images were compared for the objectives.

Arterial stiffness is associated with target organ damage in subjects with pre-hypertension.

Introduction: Present study was to evaluate whether increased arterial stiffness was associated with target organ damage in pre-hypertensive subjects.

Material And Methods: Pre-hypertensive subjects enrolled and echocardiography was used to evaluate left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and the first morning urine was collected to evaluate albumin and creatinine ratio (ALB/Cr ratio). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) was measured.

Identification and functional analysis of spermatogenesis-associated gene modules in azoospermia by weighted gene coexpression network analysis.

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) or testicular failure is the most severe form of male infertility. A variety of conditions, both acquired and congenital, can cause azoospermia. However, in a large number of azoospermia patients who are classified as idiopathic cases, the etiology remains poorly understand mainly due to the lack of knowledge of all the genetic causes and molecular mechanisms responsible for spermatogenesis failure.

miR-216b Post-Transcriptionally Downregulates Oncogene KRAS and Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Invasion in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background/aims: Increasing evidence has shown that miR-216b plays an important role in human cancer progression. However, little is known about the function of miR-216b in renal cell carcinoma.

Methods: The expression levels of miR-216b in renal cell carcinoma tissues and cell lines were examined by qRT-PCR.

KRT1 gene silencing ameliorates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury via the activation of the Notch signaling pathway in mouse models.

Myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury (MIRI) includes major drawbacks, such as excessive formation of free radicals and also overload of calcium, which lead to cell death, tissue scarring, and remodeling. The current study aims to explore whether KRT1 silencing may ameliorate MIRI via the Notch signaling pathway in mouse models. Myocardial tissues were used for the determination of the positive rate of KRT1 protein expression, apoptosis of myocardial cells, creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) expression, expression of related biomarkers as well as myocardial infarction area.

miR‑338‑3p mediates gluconeogenesis via targeting of PP4R1 in hepatocytes.

Hyperglycaemia is a characteristic of type 2 diabetes. In hepatocytes, impaired insulin sensitivity leads to increased gluconeogenesis and decreased glycogenesis. MicroRNA (miR)‑338‑3p is associated with tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‑α‑induced suppression of hepatic glycogenesis via regulation of protein phosphatase 4 regulatory subunit 1 (PP4R1).

miR-291b-3p mediated ROS-induced endothelial cell dysfunction by targeting HUR.

Endothelial dysfunction is an early marker of atherosclerosis. Previous studies have indicated that microRNA (miR)‑291b‑3p regulates the metabolism of lipids and glucose in the liver via targeting adenosine monophosphate‑activated kinase α1 and transcription factor p65. The present study investigated whether miR‑291b‑3p mediated H2O2‑mediated endothelial dysfunction.

Simultaneous Multislice Accelerated Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Thigh Muscles in Myositis.

Objective: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has long been proposed as a potential tool for quantitatively evaluating muscle lesions of dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM), but adapting DTI to thigh muscles requires minimizing acquisition time. We investigated the clinical feasibility of using SMS-EPI-DTI (simultaneous multislice [SMS] accelerated echo planar imaging [EPI] DTI) to image and analyze the anisotropic diffusion characteristics of thigh muscles in patients with DM or PM.

Subjects And Methods: Both thighs of 20 patients (seven patients with DM and 13 patients with PM) and 10 healthy control subjects were prospectively scanned using SMSEPI-DTI.

Upstream stimulating factor 1 suppresses autophagy and hepatic lipid droplet catabolism by activating mTOR.

Previous studies indicate that the transcription factor upstream stimulating factor 1 (USF1) is involved in the regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism. However, the role of USF1 in lipid-induced autophagy remains unknown. Interestingly, we found that USF1 overexpression suppresses autophagy-related gene expression in HepG2 cells.

Crocin Protects Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells from High Glucose-Induced Injury Via Inhibiting the Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction plays a key role in diabetic atherosclerosis. High glucose (HG) is considered a stimulator in the development of diabetic atherosclerosis. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response is involved in HG-induced vascular injury.

Apelin/APJ axis improves angiotensin II-induced endothelial cell senescence through AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway.

Introduction: Previous studies have shown that endothelial cell senescence is involved in cardiovascular diseases such as cardiac fibrosis, atherosclerosis and heart failure. Accumulating evidence indicates that apelin exerts protective effects on ageing-related endothelial dysfunction. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of the apelin/APJ axis in angiotensin II (AngII)-induced endothelium senescence and its associated mechanisms.

Diagnostic Ultrasound and Microbubbles Treatment Improves Outcomes of Coronary No-Reflow in Canine Models by Sonothrombolysis.

Objectives: Effective treatment for microvascular thrombosis-induced coronary no-reflow remains an unmet clinical need. This study sought to evaluate whether diagnostic ultrasound and microbubbles treatment could improve outcomes of coronary no-reflow by dissolving platelet- and erythrocyte-rich microthrombi.

Design: Randomized controlled laboratory investigation.

Exogenous hydrogen sulfide ameliorates high glucose-induced myocardial injury & inflammation via the CIRP-MAPK signaling pathway in H9c2 cardiac cells.

Aims: Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is a novel signaling molecule with potent cytoprotective actions. In this study, we hypothesize that exogenous HS may protect cardiac cells against high glucose (HG)-induced myocardial injury and inflammation with the involvement of the CIRP-MAPK signaling pathway.

Main Methods: H9c2 cardiac cells cultured under HG conditions were transfected with siRNA and different inhibitor for detecting the effects of sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS) (a HS donor) on cell biological processes.

[Corrigendum] Heat shock protein 90/Akt pathway participates in the cardioprotective effect of exogenous hydrogen sulfide against high glucose‑induced injury to H9c2 cells.

Subsequently to the publication of this article, the authors have realized that the address affiliation for the corresponding author, Chengheng Hu, and the authors Longyun Peng and Xinxue Liao appeared incorrectly. These authors' affiliation information should have appeared as follows (the corrected address affiliation is featured in bold): XIAO KE1,2*, JINGFU CHEN3*, LONGYUN PENG4, WEI ZHANG5, YIYING YANG5, XINXUE LIAO4, LIQIU MO6, RUIXIAN GUO7, JIANQIANG FENG6, CHENGHENG HU4 and RUQIONG NIE2 1Department of Cardiology, Shenzhen Sun Yat‑sen Cardiovascular Hospital, Shenzhen; 2Department of Cardiology, Sun Yat‑sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong; 3Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and Dongguan Cardiovascular Institute, The Third People's Hospital of Dongguan City, Dongguan; 4Department of Cardiology and Key Laboratory on Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‑sen University; 5Department of Cardiovasology and Cardiac Care Unit (CCU), Huangpu Division of The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‑sen University; 6Department of Anesthesiology, Huangpu Division of The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat‑sen University; 7Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R.

Uric acid versus non-uric acid urinary stones: differentiation with single energy CT texture analysis.

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) texture analysis (TA) to differentiate uric acid (UA) stones from non-UA stones on unenhanced CT in patients with urinary calculi with ex vivo Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as the reference standard.

Materials And Methods: Fourteen patients with 18 UA stones and 31 patients with 32 non-UA stones were included. All the patients had preoperative CT evaluation and subsequent surgical removal of the stones.

The role of microRNA-1 targeting of MAPK3 in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats undergoing sevoflurane preconditioning via the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Recent studies have uncovered the vital roles played by microRNAs in regulating cardiac injury. Among them, the cardiac enriched microRNA-1 (miR-1) has been extensively studied and proven to be detrimental to cardiac myocytes. Hence, the current study aimed to explore whether miR-1 affects myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) in rats undergoing sevoflurane preconditioning and the underlying mechanism.

Role of statins in preventing cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury: an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The prevention of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) by statins remains controversial. Therefore, the present meta-analysis including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed to assess the effect of perioperative statin on CSA-AKI.

Methods: Two reviewers independently searched for RCTs about perioperative statin for prevention of CSA-AKI.