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Xiao-Ying Hu,1– 5 Dong-Wei Liu,1– 5 Ying-Jin Qiao,1– 5 Xuan Zheng,6 Jia-Yu Duan,1– 5 Shao-Kang Pan,1– 5 Zhang-Sou Liu1– 5 1Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, People’s Republic of China; 2Research Institute of Nephrology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, People’s Republic of China; 3Research Center for Kidney Disease, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China; 4Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Chronic Kidney Disease in Henan Province, Zhengzhou 450052, People’s Republic of China; 5Core Unit of National Clinical Medical Research Center of Kidney Disease, Zhengzhou 450052, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing, 100021, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zhang-Sou LiuDepartment of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-0371-66295921Fax +86-0371-66970906Email zhangsuoliu@zzu.edu.cnPurpose: To develop and validate a nomogram model to predict the occurrence of acute kidney disease (AKD) after nephrectomy.Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort including 378 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who had undergone radical or partial nephrectomy between March 2013 and December 2017 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University was analyzed. Of these, patients who had undergone surgery in an earlier period of time formed the training cohort (n=265) for nomogram development, and those who had undergone surgery thereafter formed the validation cohort (n=113) to confirm the model’s performance. The incidence rate of AKD was measured. Univariate and multivariate logistics regression analysis was used to estimate the independent risk factors associated with AKD. The independent risk factors were incorporated into the nomogram. The accuracy and utility of the nomogram were evaluated by calibration curve and decision curve analysis, respectively.Results: Overall, AKD occurred in 27.5% and 28.3% of patients in the training and validation cohorts, separately. The final nomogram included surgery approach, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and the decrement of eGFR. This model achieved good concordance indexes of 0.78 (95% CI=0.71– 0.84) and 0.76 (95% CI=0.67– 0.86) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The calibration curves and decision curve analysis (DCA) demonstrated the accuracy and the clinical usefulness of the proposed nomogram, separately.Conclusion: The nomogram accurately predicts AKD after nephrectomy in patients with RCC. The risk for patients’ progress into AKD can be determined, which is useful in guiding clinical decisions.Keywords: kidney cancer, renal cell carcinoma, nephrectomy, acute kidney disease, nomogram

Hu XY, Liu DW, Qiao YJ, et al. Cancer Manag Res. 2020;12:11783‒11791. On page 11783, the last author and the correspondence author’s name should read from Zhang-Sou Liu to Zhang-Suo Liu. This error was introduced by the Editorial staff during the publication process. Read the original article

Salt-sensitivity hypertension (SSH) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular event-related death. Despite the extensiveness of research on hypertension, which covers areas such as the sympathetic nervous system, the renin-angiotensin system, the vascular system, and the immune system, its pathogenesis remains elusive, with sub-optimal blood pressure control in patients. The gut microbiota is an important component of nutritional support and constitutes a barrier in the host. Long-term high salt intake can lead to gut microbiota dysbiosis and cause significant changes in the expression of gut microbiota-related metabolites. Of these metabolites, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), trimethylamine oxide, amino acids, bile acids, and lipopolysaccharide are essential mediators of microbe-host crosstalk. These metabolites may contribute to the incidence and development of SSH via inflammatory, immune, vascular, and nervous pathways, among others. In addition, recent studies, including those on the histone deacetylase inhibitory mechanism of SCFAs and the blood pressure-decreasing effects of H 2 S via vascular activation, suggest that several proteins and factors in the classical pathway elicit their effects through multiple non-classical pathways. This review summarizes changes in the gut microbiota and its related metabolites in high-salt environments, as well as corresponding treatment methods for SSH, such as diet management, probiotic and prebiotic use, antibiotic use, and fecal transplantation, to provide new insights and perspectives for understanding SSH pathogenesis and the development of strategies for its treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japanese Society of Hypertension.)

Objectives: Potassium supplementation reduces blood pressure and the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, with K + -induced natriuresis playing a potential key role in this process. However, whether these beneficial effects occur in diabetes remains unknown., Methods: In this study, we examined the impact of high-K + intake on renal Na + /K + transport by determining the expression of major apical Na + transporters, diuretics responses (as a proxy for specific Na + transporter function), urinary Na + /K + excretion, and plasma Na + /K + concentrations in db/db mice, a model of type 2 diabetes mellitus., Results: Although db/m mice exhibited increased fractional excretion of sodium (FE Na ) and fractional excretion of potassium (FE K ) under high-K + intake, these responses were largely blunted in db/db mice, suggesting impaired K + -induced natriuresis and kaliuresis in diabetes. Consequently, high-K + intake increased plasma K + levels in db/db mice, which could be attributed to the abnormal activity of sodium-hydrogen exchanger 3 (NHE3), sodium-chloride cotransporter (NCC), and epithelial Na + channel (ENaC), as high-K + intake could not effectively decrease NHE3 and NCC and increase ENaC expression and activity in the diabetic group. Inhibition of NCC by hydrochlorothiazide could correct the hyperkalemia in db/db mice fed a high-K + diet, indicating a key role for NCC in K + -loaded diabetic mice. Treatment with metformin enhanced urinary Na + /K + excretion and normalized plasma K + levels in db/db mice with a high-K + diet, at least partially, by suppressing NCC activity., Conclusion: Collectively, the impaired K + -induced natriuresis in diabetic mice under high-K + intake may be primarily attributed to impaired NCC-mediated renal K + excretion, despite the role of NHE3., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Diabetes is closely associated with K + disturbances during disease progression and treatment. However, it remains unclear whether K + imbalance occurs in diabetes with normal kidney function. In this study, we examined the effects of dietary K + intake on systemic K + balance and renal K + handling in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. The control and STZ mice were fed low or high K + diet for 7 days to investigate the role of dietary K + intake in renal K + excretion and K + homeostasis and to explore the underlying mechanism by evaluating K + secretion-related transport proteins in distal nephrons. K + -deficient diet caused excessive urinary K + loss, decreased daily K + balance, and led to severe hypokalemia in STZ mice compared with control mice. In contrast, STZ mice showed an increased daily K + balance and elevated plasma K + level under K + -loading conditions. Dysregulation of the NaCl cotransporter (NCC), epithelial Na + channel (ENaC), and renal outer medullary K + channel (ROMK) was observed in diabetic mice fed either low or high K + diet. Moreover, amiloride treatment reduced urinary K + excretion and corrected hypokalemia in K + -restricted STZ mice. On the other hand, inhibition of SGLT2 by dapagliflozin promoted urinary K + excretion and normalized plasma K + levels in K + -supplemented STZ mice, at least partly by increasing ENaC activity. We conclude that STZ mice exhibited abnormal K + balance and impaired renal K + handling under either low or high K + diet, which could be primarily attributed to the dysfunction of ENaC-dependent renal K + excretion pathway, despite the possible role of NCC. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Neither low dietary K + intake nor high dietary K + intake effectively modulates renal K + excretion and K + homeostasis in STZ mice, which is closely related to the abnormality of ENaC expression and activity. SGLT2 inhibitor increases urinary K + excretion and reduces plasma K + level in STZ mice under high dietary K + intake, an effect that may be partly due to the upregulation of ENaC activity.

Ferroptosis is a novel form of lipid peroxidation-driven, iron-dependent programmed cell death. Various metabolic pathways, including those involved in lipid and iron metabolism, contribute to ferroptosis regulation. The gut microbiota not only supplies nutrients and energy to the host, but also plays a crucial role in immune modulation and metabolic balance. In this review, we explore the metabolic pathways associated with ferroptosis and the impact of the gut microbiota on host metabolism. We subsequently summarize recent studies on the influence and regulation of ferroptosis by the gut microbiota and discuss potential mechanisms through which the gut microbiota affects ferroptosis. Additionally, we conduct a bibliometric analysis of the relationship between the gut microbiota and ferroptosis in the context of chronic kidney disease. This analysis can provide new insights into the current research status and future of ferroptosis and the gut microbiota., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Breast cancer is a significant threat to life and health, which needs more safe and effective drugs to be explored. Teadenol B is a characteristic chemical component of microbial fermented tea. This study discovered that teadenol B could exhibit obvious inhibitory effects on all four different clinical subtype characteristics of breast cancer cells. Proteomic studies show that deoxycytidine triphosphate deaminase (DCTD), which could block DNA synthesis and repair DNA damage, had the most significant and consistent reduction in all four types of breast cancer cells with the treatment of teadenol B. Considering MDA-MB-231 cells exhibit poor clinical prognosis and displayed substantial statistical differences in KEGG pathway enrichment analysis results, we investigated its impact on the size and growth of MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast tumors transplanted into nude mice and demonstrated that teadenol B significantly suppressed tumor growth without affecting body weight significantly. Finally, we found that the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II in MDA-MB-231 increased significantly with teadenol B treatment. This proved that teadenol B could be a strong autophagy promotor, which explained the down-regulation of DCTD to some extent and may be the potential mechanism underlying teadenol B's anti-breast cancer effects. This finding provides new evidence for drinking fermented tea to prevent breast cancer and highlights the potential of teadenol B as a novel therapeutic option for breast cancer prevention and treatment, necessitating further investigations to clarify its exact target and the details involved.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD), a major microvascular complication of diabetes, is characterized by its complex pathogenesis, high risk of chronic renal failure, and lack of effective diagnosis and treatment methods. GSK3β (glycogen synthase kinase 3β), a highly conserved threonine/serine kinase, was found to activate glycogen synthase. As a key molecule of the glucose metabolism pathway, GSK3β participates in a variety of cellular activities and plays a pivotal role in multiple diseases. However, these effects are not only mediated by affecting glucose metabolism. This review elaborates on the role of GSK3β in DKD and its damage mechanism in different intrinsic renal cells. GSK3β is also a biomarker indicating the progression of DKD. Finally, the protective effects of GSK3β inhibitors on DKD are also discussed., (© 2024 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.)

The global prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has led to widespread multi-system damage, especially in cardiovascular and renal functions, heightening morbidity and mortality. Emerging antidiabetic drugs sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) have demonstrated efficacy in preserving cardiac and renal function, both in type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic individuals. To understand the exact impact of these drugs on cardiorenal protection and underlying mechanisms, we conducted a comprehensive review of recent large-scale clinical trials and basic research focusing on SGLT2i, GLP-1RAs, and DPP-4i. Accumulating evidence highlights the diverse mechanisms including glucose-dependent and independent pathways, and revealing their potential cardiorenal protection in diabetic and non-diabetic cardiorenal disease. This review provides critical insights into the cardiorenal protective effects of SGLT2i, GLP-1RAs, and DPP-4i and underscores the importance of these medications in mitigating the progression of cardiovascular and renal complications, and their broader clinical implications beyond glycemic management., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Fu, Huo, Mao, Pan, Liu, Liu, Wu and Gao.)

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major public health problem worldwide that still lacks effective treatments. Recent studies have suggested that ferroptosis is a key mediator of AKI due to its activation of lipid peroxidation. Therefore, we hypothesized that antiferroptosis agents might be a novel potential therapeutic strategy for AKI. Herein, we demonstrated that liquiritigenin (LG), an active ingredient of liquorice, improves renal function by inhibiting vitamin K epoxide reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1)-mediated ferroptosis, both in vivo and in vitro . In a folic acid-induced murine AKI model, after a single pre-treatment intravenous injection, LG markedly alleviated the loss of renal function through suppressing ferroptosis induced by iron accumulation. LG prevented mitochondrial morphological changes and upregulated glutathione and glutathione peroxidase 4 levels, while downregulating malonaldehyde and divalent iron levels. An in vitro RNA-sequence analysis suggested that the protective role of LG may involve upregulation of VKORC1. Moreover, knockdown of VKORC1 diminished the renal protective and antiferroptosis roles of LG. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that LG protected against AKI by inhibiting VKORC1-mediated ferroptosis. This suggests that inhibiting ferroptosis might be a novel therapeutic approach in the future.

In India, during mining and ore processing, ore fine generation is a common phenomenon, in which more than 60% of process ore becomes discarded material. To explore the alternative of high-grade ores, mutual replacement with the utility of dump ore fines is the best way. With this perspective, Kiruburu iron ore mine (Iron Ore No.1) and Meghataburu iron ore mine (Iron Ore No.2) dumped fines were chosen for a Blaine no. investigation, in the connection of firing temperatures, to get optimum desirable physical properties, Cold Compression Strength (C.C.S.),and Apparent Porosity (A.P.), with physico-chemical properties, Reducibility Degradation Index (R.D.I.), and Reducibility Index (R.I.). To characterize pellet properties with input variables, a microstructure phase study has been conducted using a scanning electron microscope (S.E.M.), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The Iron Ore No.1 and 2 fine pellets survey showed good, desirable properties, at the Blaine no., of 1678 cm 2 /g and 2311 cm 2 /g (corresponding to 200 mesh size), and the best results are attained at a firing temperature of 1300 °C. Thermal kinetic analysis of the heating of pellets has been done to knowthe activation energy of different ore characteristics. The results showed that Iron Ore No.2 pellets have high activation energy.

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate and update the current prevalence of and risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in a central Chinese urban population., Methods: From December 2017 to June 2018, a total of 5231 subjects were randomly enrolled from 3 communities in 3 districts of Zhengzhou. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min.1.73m 2 or urinary albumin to creatinine ratio ≥ 30 mg/g (albuminuria). Diabetic subjects with systolic blood pressure > 140 mmHg, albuminuria or an eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 were classified as having DKD. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing lifestyle and relevant medical history, and blood and urine specimens were taken. Serum creatinine, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein and urinary albumin were assessed. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalences of CKD and DKD were calculated, and risk factors associated with the presence of reduced eGFR, albuminuria, DKD, severity of albuminuria and progression of reduced renal function were analyzed by binary and ordinal logistic regression., Results: The overall adjusted prevalence of CKD was 16.8% (15.8-17.8%) and that of DKD was 3.5% (3.0-4.0%). Decreased renal function was detected in 132 participants (2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.5-3.2%), whereas albuminuria was found in 858 participants (14.9, 95% CI: 13.9-15.9%). In all participants with diabetes, the prevalence of reduced eGFR was 6.3% (95% CI = 3.9-8.6%) and that of albuminuria was 45.3% (95% CI = 40.4-50.1%). The overall prevalence of CKD in participants with diabetes was 48.0% (95% CI = 43.1-52.9%). The results of the binary and ordinal logistic regression indicated that the factors independently associated with a higher risk of reduced eGFR and albuminuria were older age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, overweight, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia., Conclusions: Our study shows the current prevalence of CKD and DKD in residents of Central China. The high prevalence suggests an urgent need to implement interventions to relieve the high burden of CKD and DKD in China.

Inflammation plays a key role in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is recognized to fight against CVD. PPARα belongs to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily and can interfere with inflammatory processes. Autophagy can degrade inflammasome proteins and counteract inflammation. Overexpression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) 1 in endothelial cells contributes to monocyte migration into the vascular intima. Here we investigated the mechanisms by which DHA inhibits TNFα-induced ICAM-1 expression in EA. hy926 endothelial cells. DHA markedly activated PPARα and suppressed TNFα-induced ICAM-1 expression, ICAM-1 promoter activity, p65 nuclear translocation, NFκB and DNA binding activity, and THP-1 cell adhesion. PPARα knockdown abolished the ability of DHA to inhibit TNFα-induced ICAM-1 expression and THP-1 cell adhesion. The PPARα antagonist GW6471 reversed the inhibitory effect of DHA on TNFα-induced ICAM-1 expression, p65 nuclear translocation, NFκB and DNA binding activity, and THP-1 cell adhesion. DHA significantly activated autophagy as evidenced by the formation of autophagosomes and increased LC3II protein expression. By contrast, wortmannin, which inhibits autophagy, abrogated DHA-induced autophagy and the inhibition of TNFα-induced ICAM-1 protein expression by DHA. Our results suggest that DHA likely inhibits TNFα-induced ICAM-1 expression by activating PPARα and autophagy., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The number of patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) is still on the rise worldwide, and this requires the development of new therapeutic strategies. Recent reports have highlighted genetic factors in the treatment of DN. Herein, we aimed to study the roles of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) and histone 3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) in DN. A model of DN was established by inducing diabetes in mice with streptozotocin. Mouse podocyte clone 5 (MPC5) podocytes and primary podocytes were cultured in normal and high glucose media to observe cell morphology and to quantify PVT1 expression. The roles of PVT1 and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) were validated via loss-of-function and gain-of-function in vitro experiments to identify the interactions among PVT1, EZH2, and forkhead box A1 (FOXA1). The podocyte damage and apoptosis due to PVT1 and FOXA1 were verified with in vivo experiments. PVT1 was highly expressed in MPC5 and primary podocytes in DN patients and in cultures grown in high glucose medium. A large number of CpG (C-phosphate-G) island sites were predicted at the FOXA1 promoter region, where PVT1 recruited EZH2 to promote the recruitment of H3K27me3. The silencing of PVT1 or the overexpression of FOXA1 relieved the damage and inhibited the apoptosis of podocytes in DN, as was evidenced by the upregulated expression of synaptopodin and podocin, higher expression of Bcl-2, and lower expression of Bax and cleaved caspase-3. The key findings of this study collectively indicate that the suppression of lncRNA PVT1 exerts inhibitory effects on podocyte damage and apoptosis via FOXA1 in DN, which is of clinical significance.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients are susceptible to Helicobacter pylori (HP), and it has been reported that the occurrence of proteinuria is associated with HP infection in T2DM patients; however, this view remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the association between HP infection and the occurrence of proteinuria in T2DM patients. In addition, we hope to provide some recommendations to readers in clinical or related fields., Methods: Our meta-analysis was conducted with the methodology of the Cochrane Collaboration. Search strategies were formulated by relevant professionals. Case-control studies that compared the occurrence of proteinuria in T2DM patients with and without HP infection were involved in our meta-analysis. Relevant English or Chinese studies were searched on online databases before 2018, including PubMed, the Cochrane library, Medline, Google Scholar, the China National Infrastructure, and Wanfang database. The search strategies were "diabetic proteinuria, diabetic microalbuminuria, diabetic albuminuria, diabetic kidney disease, diabetic renal dysfunction, diabetic renal disease, diabetic nephropathy, diabetic complications, and diabetic mellitus, combined with HP." The quality of these involved articles was separately assessed by two investigators using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted and pooled using fixed-effects models., Results: Seven studies involving 1029 participants were included. The quality of these seven articles was all above five stars as assessed by NOS, and there was no significant publication bias in our meta-analysis. We found that T2DM patients with HP infection had a 2.00 times higher risk of the occurrence of proteinuria than patients without HP infection (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.48-2.69)., Conclusions: Our analysis showed that HP infection was associated with the occurrence of proteinuria in T2DM patients. HP radical surgery might be a therapeutic option for protecting kidney function in patients with T2DM., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest

Effect of chitooligosaccharides on the denaturation of bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) surimi protein during frozen storage at -18 °C was investigated. The addition of 4 g of chitooligosaccharides to 100 g of the bighead carp (A. nobilis) surimi effectively inhibited the inactivation of the Ca(2+)-ATPase during frozen storage at -18 °C for 15 days compared to the control group (p<0.05), while excessive chitooligosaccharides decreased the inhibition effect. The Ca(2+)-ATPase activity of actomyosin for the treatment group decreased gradually during frozen storage at -18 °C, while that of the control dropped drastically and could not be detected after 30 days of storage. On the other hand, the addition of chitooligosaccharides also significantly increased the solubility of actomyosin compared to the control group (p<0.05) during frozen storage at -18 °C up to 120 days., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, chitooligosaccharides were prepared from cicada slough of Cryptotympana atrata Fabricius by hydrolysis using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Factors affecting the hydrolysis of chitosan were investigated and the optimum hydrolysis conditions were as follows: time, 4 h; temperature, 65 °C; amount of H2O2, 2% (v/v); and pH, 5. Under these conditions, the average degree of polymerisation decreased to ~4.5. The Fourier transform infrared spectra and product sugar composition indicate that there were no significant chemical changes in the backbones of the chitosan treated with H2O2.The chitooligosaccharides had high antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli at the concentration of 100mg/mL., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Crocodilians are diving reptiles that can hold their breath under water for long periods of time and are crepuscular animals with excellent sensory abilities. They comprise a sister lineage of birds and have no sex chromosome. Here we report the genome sequence of the endangered Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) and describe its unique features. The next-generation sequencing generated 314 Gb of raw sequence, yielding a genome size of 2.3 Gb. A total of 22 200 genes were predicted in Alligator sinensis using a de novo, homology- and RNA-based combined model. The genetic basis of long-diving behavior includes duplication of the bicarbonate-binding hemoglobin gene, co-functioning of routine phosphate-binding and special bicarbonate-binding oxygen transport, and positively selected energy metabolism, ammonium bicarbonate excretion and cardiac muscle contraction. Further, we elucidated the robust Alligator sinensis sensory system, including a significantly expanded olfactory receptor repertoire, rapidly evolving nerve-related cellular components and visual perception, and positive selection of the night vision-related opsin and sound detection-associated otopetrin. We also discovered a well-developed immune system with a considerable number of lineage-specific antigen-presentation genes for adaptive immunity as well as expansion of the tripartite motif-containing C-type lectin and butyrophilin genes for innate immunity and expression of antibacterial peptides. Multifluorescence in situ hybridization showed that alligator chromosome 3, which encodes DMRT1, exhibits significant synteny with chicken chromosome Z. Finally, population history analysis indicated population admixture 0.60-1.05 million years ago, when the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau was uplifted.

Most polysaccharides cannot dissolve in water but can be hydrolysed using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to yield a water-soluble product. This study presents a method of preparing water-soluble polysaccharides from peach gum by hydrolysis using H2O2. Extraction was monitored by the recovery rate. Factors affecting the hydrolysis of peach gum were investigated, and the optimum hydrolysis conditions were determined as follows: time, 8 h; temperature, 55°C; H2O2 concentration, 4% (v/v); and NaOH concentration, 2.0 M. The hydrolysates were filtered, neutralised with HCl, concentrated to ∼20% (w/v), precipitated with 5 volumes of ethanol, freeze-dried, and ground to yield a water soluble and white powder. The polysaccharide content of the product was 97.8%, and the yield was 83.6% (w/w)., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: In order to overcome the defects of chemical hydrolysis approach to prepare glucosamine, an enzymatic hydrolysis method was developed., Methods: Glucosamine was prepared by hydrolyzing chitosan, employing α-amylase initially, and subsequently, glucoamylase., Results: The optimal hydrolyzing conditions were as follows: reaction time, 4 h; pH, 5.0; temperature, 50 °C; and, α-amylase, 80 U/g for the initial reaction. Subsequently, glucoamylase was added in the presence of α-amylase. The optimal reaction conditions were found to be: reaction time, 8 h; pH, 4.5; temperature, 55 °C; and, glucoamylase, 4000 U/g. The hydrolysates were subject to filtrating, concentrating to about 20% (w/w), precipitating with five volumes of ethanol, and drying at 60 °C for 2 h. The content and the yield of glucosamine in the dried precipitate were 91.3% (w/w) and 86.2% (w/w), respectively., Conclusions: The method developed in this study is a promising option in the preparation of glucosamine.

Aim: Gene therapy represents a promising therapeutic strategy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To improve the ratio of killing efficacy on tumor cells to side-effect on normal cells, we constructed an oncolytic adenovirus vector, AdSu-hE, expressing the human endostatin (hE) gene, in which the chimeric promoter of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 enhancer and human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter was used to control the adenoviral E1a gene., Methods: Tumor-selective replication of adenovirus AdSu-hE and its concomitant expression of endostatin were measured by 50% tissue culture infective dose method, fluorescent protein expression, Western blot and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in cancer and normal cell lines. The antitumor efficacy was observed in nude mice bearing human HCCs., Results: The oncolytic adenovirus AdSu-hE replicated restrictedly in telomerase-positive cancer cells and resulted in oncolysis, but did not replicate in normal cell lines. Along with virus replication, AdSu-hE mediated 5-fold increased expression of endostatin in tumor cells compared with that in normal cells. Moreover, AdSu-hE expressed more endostatin in cancer cells than the non-replicative adenovirus vector Ad-hE. In vivo administration of the oncolytic adenovirus AdSu-hE into HCC-bearing nude mice produced a significant tumor reduction by synergistic effects of virus oncolysis and endostatin antiangiogenesis., Conclusion: The oncolytic virus with antiangiogenesis gene driven by the chimeric promoter has an improved killing efficacy on tumor cells, and may be useful for cancer gene therapy.

Elevated urinary methylmercury excretion was observed in a patient poisoned with mercury vapor. When he was treated with D-penicillamine, the urinary methylmercury excretion increased significantly in both cases of twice-repeated 4-day peroral administration, while the urinary total mercury excretion increased significantly only in the first series of administration.

The behaviors of inorganic mercury and selenite in rabbit blood, added in vitro individually or in combination, were investigated. Inorganic mercury incorporated into erythrocyte in the absence of selenite was mainly present in the fractions which were eluted from Sephadex G-200 column just after hemoglobin. On the other hand selenium incorporated into erythrocyte in the absence of mercury was eluted in hemoglobin fractions and also in those which are almost completely retained by the column. In the combination experiment, however, the incorporation of mercury and selenium was remarkably enhanced and the increased amounts of both the compounds were eluted together with each other around the void volume region of the Sephadex G-200 column. The existing state of mercury and selenium in the high-molecular weight fractions and the effects of some metabolic inhibitors on the behavior of these compounds in blood were also studied.

Chemical methylation of mercuric chloride with methylcobalamin has been studied. Methylated mercury was detected by gas chromatography; and analysis of the products of the reaction by thin-layer chromatography revealed that the methylation proceeded at a remarkably high rate when methylcobalamin and inorganic mercury were mixed. Dimethylmercury was an initial product of the reaction.