Calcium oxalate calculi-induced clusterin expression in kidney

Effects of Calcium Oxalate on Expression of Clusterin and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Prostatitis and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Patients with Calculi

Background

Prostatic calculi are common in urological treatments. Our major purpose in the present study was to explore the occurrence and composition of prostatic calculi, and investigate the effect of calcium oxalate (CaOx) on clusterin expression and lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) in prostatitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients with calculi.

Material/Methods

From December 2016 to January 2017, a total of 79 prostatitis patients aged more than 50 years were enrolled. The patients were divided into 3 groups: group A had small calculi (discrete, small echoes); group B had large calculi (large masses of multiple echoes, much coarser), and group C had no calculi. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to evaluate the tissue scores. The clusterin expression was detected by quantitative real-time CR (qRT-PCR), Western blot, and immunofluorescence.

Results

According to multifactor analysis, age was significantly associated with prostatic calculus. The composition of prostatic calculus was an independent factor of LUTS. The clusterin expression was elevated in group B. The mRNA and protein levels of clusterin in prostatitis and BPH patients with stones were obviously higher than those in prostatitis and BPH patients without stones. CaOx enhanced clusterin expression in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusions

Large prostatic calculi were associated with LUST. Furthermore, CaOx enhanced clusterin expression, leading to large prostatic calculi. These results may provide a therapeutic strategy for prostatitis and BPH.

Alisol A 24-Acetate and Alisol B 23-Acetate Induced Autophagy Mediates Apoptosis and Nephrotoxicity in Human Renal Proximal Tubular Cells

Two natural compounds alisol A 24-acetate (24A) and alisol B 23-acetate (23B) are abundant in Rhizoma alismatis. In the present study, we evaluated the induction of 24A and 23B on apoptosis and possible nephrotoxicity of human renal proximal tubular (HK-2) cells by activating autophagy and also explored its regulation on PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Presently, Clusterin, Kim-1, and TFF-3 were considered to be new bioindicators of nephrotoxicity. Interestingly, the protein expression and mRNA levels of Clusterin, Kim-1 and TFF-3 could be significantly increased by 23B and 24A in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, cell apoptosis could be triggered by 23B and 24A via significantly decreasing the protein expression and mRNA levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl. Autophagy of HK-2 cells could be induced by both 23B and 24A via significantly enhancing the ratio of LC3II/LC3I, the protein expression of Beclin-1 as well as the mRNA levels of LC3 and Beclin-1. Meanwhile, PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway could be inhibited by these two compounds. An autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine, could partially reverse cell viability and conversely change the ratio of LC3II/LC3I and the protein expression of Bcl-2 and Kim-1. Thus this study helped to understand that 23B and 24A induced autophagy resulted in apoptosis and nephrotoxicity through inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, facilitating further studies for nephrotoxicity induced by these two compounds and could be beneficial for safe use of Rhizoma alismatis in clinic.

Biomarkers associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia/mortality in premature infants

BACKGROUND

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) portends lifelong organ impairment and death. Our ability to predict BPD in first days of life is limited, but could be enhanced using novel biomarkers.

METHODS

Using an available clinical and urine biomarker database obtained from a prospective 113 infant cohort (birth weight ≤1,200 g and/or gestational age ≤31 wk), we evaluated the independent association of 14 urine biomarkers with BPD/mortality.

RESULTS

Two of the 14 urine biomarkers were independently associated with BPD/mortality after controlling for gestational age (GA), small for gestational age (SGA), and intubation status. The best performing protein was clusterin, a ubiquitously expressed protein and potential sensor of oxidative stress associated with lung function in asthma patients. When modeling for BPD/mortality, the independent odds ratio for maximum adjusted urine clusterin was 9.2 (95% CI: 3.3-32.8, P < 0.0001). In this model, clinical variables (GA, intubation status, and SGA) explained 38.3% of variance; clusterin explained an additional 9.2%, while albumin explained an additional 3.4%. The area under the curve incorporating clinical factors and biomarkers was 0.941.

CONCLUSION

Urine clusterin and albumin may improve our ability to predict BPD/mortality. Future studies are needed to validate these findings and determine their clinical usefulness.