Dietary fiber intake is associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and cardiovascular risk, but not protein nutritional status, in adults with CKD.

Background And Objectives: Evidence suggests that dietary fiber benefits patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, this conclusion requires further validation. In this study, we examined the effects of dietary fiber on kidney function, inflammation, indoxyl sulfate, nutritional status, and cardiovascular risk in patients with advanced CKD.

Methods And Study Design: We performed linear regressions to assess the association between dietary fiber intake and CKD parameters.

Amyloid-beta peptide decreases expression and function of glutamate transporters in nervous system cells.

Glutamate is an essential excitatory neurotransmitter that regulates brain functions, and its activity is tightly regulated by glutamate transporters. Excess glutamate in the synaptic cleft and dysfunction of excitatory amino acid transporters have been shown to be involved in development of Alzheimer's disease, but the precise regulatory mechanism is poorly understood. Using a D-[H]-aspartic acid uptake assay, we found that Aβ oligomers impaired glutamate uptake in astrocytes and neurons.

Rapamycin upregulates glutamate transporter and IL-6 expression in astrocytes in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Rapamycin protects mice against 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced loss of dopaminergic neurons, which is an established model for Parkinson's disease. We demonstrated that rapamycin preserves astrocytic expression of glutamate transporters and glutamate reuptake. The protective effect was also observed in astrocyte cultures, indicating that rapamycin acts directly on astrocytes.

Regulation of glutamate transporter trafficking by Nedd4-2 in a Parkinson's disease model.

Glutamate transporters play a key role in glutamate clearance and protect the central nervous system from glutamate excitotoxicity. Dysfunctional glutamate transporters contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD); however, the mechanisms that underlie the regulation of glutamate transporters in PD are still not well characterized. Here we report that Nedd4-2 mediates the ubiquitination of glutamate transporters in 1-methyl-4- phenylpyridinium (MPP)-treated astrocytes and in the midbrain of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-constructed PD model mice.

Astragalus polysaccharides decrease muscle wasting through Akt/mTOR, ubiquitin proteasome and autophagy signalling in 5/6 nephrectomised rats.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Existing evidences suggest that Radix Astragali and its polysaccharides composition (APS) can improve muscle mass, but the mechanisms need more research.

Aim Of The Study: In this study, we aimed to examine the effects of APS on muscle wasting at molecular level in 5/6 nephrectomised rats.

Materials And Methods: We performed 5/6 nephrectomy or sham operation in 160 6-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats, and feed animals with or without 2% APS for 155 days.

An update on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of alisertib, a selective Aurora kinase A inhibitor.

Human Aurora kinases, including Aurora kinase A (AURKA), B (AURKB), and C (AURKC), play an essential role in mitotic events such as monitoring of the mitotic checkpoint, creation of bipolar mitotic spindle and alignment of centrosomes on it, also regulating centrosome separation, bio-orientation of chromosomes and cytokinesis. AURKA and AURKB are key regulators of mitosis and centrosome via polymerizing microfilaments and controlling chromatid segregation. In particular, AURKA plays critical roles in the regulation of mitotic entry, centrosome function, bipolar spindle assembly, and chromosome segregation.

Novel targeting of PEGylated liposomes for codelivery of TGF-β1 siRNA and four antitubercular drugs to human macrophages for the treatment of mycobacterial infection: a quantitative proteomic study.

Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major public health issue in developing countries, and its chemotherapy is compromised by poor drug compliance and severe side effects. This study aimed to synthesize and characterize new multimodal PEGylated liposomes encapsulated with clinically commonly used anti-TB drugs with linkage to small interfering RNA (siRNA) against transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). The novel NP-siRNA liposomes could target THP-1-derived human macrophages that were the host cells of mycobacterium infection.

Pro-apoptotic and pro-autophagic effects of the Aurora kinase A inhibitor alisertib (MLN8237) on human osteosarcoma U-2 OS and MG-63 cells through the activation of mitochondria-mediated pathway and inhibition of p38 MAPK/PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumor occurring mostly in children and adolescents between 10 and 20 years of age with poor response to current therapeutics. Alisertib (ALS, MLN8237) is a selective Aurora kinase A inhibitor that displays anticancer effects on several types of cancer. However, the role of ALS in the treatment of OS remains unknown.

The pan-inhibitor of Aurora kinases danusertib induces apoptosis and autophagy and suppresses epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in human breast cancer cells.

Danusertib (Danu) is a pan-inhibitor of Aurora kinases and a third-generation breakpoint cluster region-Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog 1 (Bcr-Abl) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, but its antitumor effect and underlying mechanisms in the treatment of human breast cancer remain elusive. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Danu on the growth, apoptosis, autophagy, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the molecular mechanisms in human breast cancer MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. The results demonstrated that Danu remarkably inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and autophagy, and suppressed EMT in both breast cancer cell lines.

Herb-drug interactions and mechanistic and clinical considerations.

Herbal medicines are often used in combination with conventional drugs, and this may give rise to the potential of harmful herb-drug interactions. This paper updates our knowledge on clinical herb-drug interactions with an emphasis of the mechanistic and clinical consideration. In silico, in vitro, animal and human studies are often used to predict and/or identify drug interactions with herbal remedies.

Herbal bioactivation, molecular targets and the toxicity relevance.

There have been increasing reports on the adverse reactions associated with herbal consumption. For many of these adverse reactions, the underlying biochemical mechanisms are unknown, but bioactivation of herbal compounds to generate reactive intermediates have been implicated. This minireview updates our knowledge on metabolic activation of herbal compounds, molecular targets and the toxicity relevance.

[Laparoscopic anterior resection of rectal carcinoma with preservation of the left colonic artery].

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of laparoscopic anterior resection of rectal carcinoma with preservation of the left colonic artery.

Methods: From February 2006 to February 2009, 52 patients with rectal carcinoma formerly scheduled for Dixon operation (clinical stage I and II) received laparoscopic Dixon surgery. The inferior mesenteric artery, left colonic artery, sigmoid artery or superior rectal artery, and lymph nodes were dissected through the vasa vasorum approach.

[Expression of Beclin1 in primary hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To detect Beclin1 expression and explore its clinical significance in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Beclin1 expressions in 10 normal hepatic tissues, 30 hepatitis liver, 30 cirrhotic liver and 50 HCC tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining.

Results: The positivity rates of Beclin1 expression in the HCC, cirrhotic liver, hepatitis liver and normal liver tissues were 78.