Inhibitory effects of telmisartan on culture and proliferation of and Kv1.3 potassium channel expression in peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes from Xinjiang Kazakh patients with hypertension

INTRODUCTION

Activation of T lymphocytes, for which potassium channels are essential, is involved in the development of hypertension. In this study, we explored the inhibitory effects of telmisartan on the culture and proliferation of and Kv1.3 potassium channel expression in peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes derived from Xinjiang Kazakh patients with hypertension.

METHODS

CD4+ T-cell samples from hypertensive Kazakh patients and healthy Kazakh people were divided into healthy control, case control, telmisartan, and 4-aminopytidine groups. Changes in the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17 in the blood of the healthy control and case control subjects were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocytes were first activated and proliferated in vitro and then incubated for 0, 24, and 48 h under various treatment conditions. Thereafter, changes in CD4+ T-lymphocytic proliferation were determined using Cell Counting Kit-8 and microscope photography. Changes in messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of the Kv1.3 potassium channel in CD4+ T lymphocytes were detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blots, respectively.

RESULTS

The IL-6 and IL-17 expression levels were significantly higher in the blood of the hypertensive Kazakh patients than in the healthy Kazakh people. Telmisartan inhibited T-lymphocytic proliferation, as well as the mRNA and protein expression of the Kv1.3 potassium channel in CD4+ T lymphocytes, and the inhibitory effects were time-dependent, with the strongest inhibition observed after 48 h and significantly weaker inhibition observed after 24 h of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Telmisartan may potentially regulate hypertensive inflammatory responses by inhibiting T-lymphocytic proliferation and Kv1.3 potassium channel expression in CD4+ T lymphocytes.

Intersphincteric incision with seton at the inner opening plus contra-aperture drainage through the abscess cavity for treatment of horseshoe perianal abscess

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of intersphincteric incision with seton at the inner opening plus contra-aperture drainage through the abscess cavity for the treatment of horseshoe perianal abscess.

METHODS: Clinical data for 24 patients with horseshoe perianal abscess who underwent intersphincteric incision with seton at the inner opening plus contra-aperture drainage through the abscess cavity from January 2014 to December 2014 at the National Medical Center for Anorectal Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were retrospectively. Clinical recovery, recurrence during following-up, mean hospital stay time, mean time required for patients to return to work, mean cost of hospitalization, and Wexner incontinence score were evaluated.

RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 38.42 years ± 9.59 years. During the mean follow-up period of 10.08 mo ± 3.32 mo, 17 (70.83%) cases were cured, and 7 (29.17%) developed anal fistula. Two of 7 cases of fistula were diagnosed as tuberculosis by T-Spot and underwent anti-TB treatment; one was cured, and one improved at 9 mo of follow-up. Four of the other 5 cases were cured, but one unhealed.

CONCLUSION: Intersphincteric incision with seton at the inner opening plus contra-aperture drainage through the abscess cavity has good security, less damage, short recovery time, low hospitalization costs, and good reproducibility in the management of horseshoe perianal abscess.

Current status of efficacy evaluation in chronic constipation

AIM: To summarize the current status of efficacy evaluation in chronic constipation in China.

METHODS: Using "constipation" as a key word, the papers published between 2006 and 2015 in the CNKI full text database index system were searched. The methods of efficacy evaluation, therapeutic method and follow-up duration were analyzed.

RESULTS: A total of 370 papers were identified from 5610 papers selected. There were four methods of efficacy evaluation: classification assessment in 348 (94.1%) papers (94.1%), main symptom comparison in 82 (21.6%), clinical symptom scoring in 53 (14.3%), and laboratory result comparison in 41 (11.1%). These methods were used separately or in combination. 168 (45.4%) papers used the self-made clinical efficacy evaluation standard or the self-made symptom scoring questionnaire only. 83 (22%) papers papers involved the follow-up. Only 4 papers used the Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO).

CONCLUSION: Now in China, the methodologies of efficacy evaluation in chronic constipation vary greatly. Self-made clinical efficacy evaluation standards or the self-made integral questionnaires are widely used. Follow-up rate is low. PRO use should be strengthened in later clinical practice.

Association between five common polymorphisms in microRNA genes and the risk of gastric cancer: a meta-analysis

Gastric cancer (GC) is a prevalent disease with a high mortality rate, especially in developing countries. Accumulating evidence suggests that single nucleotide polymorphisms in microRNA (miRNA) genes might influence the susceptibility to GC; such sequence variation might contribute to the development of disease by altering crucial cellular pathways. In this study, we assessed the correlation between the miR-146a G>C, miR-196a-2 C>T, miR-499 T>C, miRNA-27a A>G, and miRNA-149 T>C polymorphisms and the susceptibility to GC. A comprehensive literature search for relevant studies published prior to August 2014 was conducted using PubMed/Medline, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases along with Google Scholar. Meta-analysis was performed using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as effect measures, incorporating 19 studies encompassing 8285 patients and 10,716 controls. Allelic, dominant, recessive, homozygous, and heterozygous genetic models were examined. Pooled results showed that none of the five polymorphisms studied were statistically related to GC. Stratified analyses by ethnicity and source of controls were conducted for miR- 146a G>C and miR-196a-2 C>T. Subgroup analysis suggested that the miR-146a G allele might increase the risk of GC in hospital-based case-control (HCC) but not in population-based case-control studies (HCC: recessive model: OR = 1.23, 95%CI = 1.10-1.37, P < 0.001; heterozygous model: OR = 1.19, 95%CI = 1.06-1.34, P = 0.004). Overall, this meta-analysis failed to detect an association between five common miR-146a gene polymorphisms and GC susceptibility. However, this does not necessarily completely rule out a correlation between miRNA polymorphisms and GC susceptibility.

Physiological integration enhanced the tolerance of Cynodon dactylon to flooding

Many flooding-tolerant species are clonal plants; however, the effects of physiological integration on plant responses to flooding have received limited attention. We hypothesise that flooding can trigger changes in metabolism of carbohydrates and ROS (reactive oxygen species) in clonal plants, and that physiological integration can ameliorate the adverse effects of stress, subsequently restoring the growth of flooded ramets. In the present study, we conducted a factorial experiment combining flooding to apical ramets and stolon severing (preventing physiological integration) between apical and basal ramets of Cynodon dactylon, which is a stoloniferous perennial grass with considerable flooding tolerance. Flooding-induced responses including decreased root biomass, accumulation of soluble sugar and starch, as well as increased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in apical ramets. Physiological integration relieved growth inhibition, carbohydrate accumulation and induction of antioxidant enzyme activity in stressed ramets, as expected, without any observable cost in unstressed ramets. We speculate that relief of flooding stress in clonal plants may rely on oxidising power and electron acceptors transferred between ramets through physiological integration.

[Progresses in inheritance of genes for avian eggshell color]

Eggshell has three colors: white, blue and brown. Chicken and duck eggs with blue eggshell have superior market for its better appearance, delicious taste, abundant nutrition and higher eggshell thickness and strength compared to those with white eggshell. However, error was often made when breeding blue-eggshell chicken or duck lines based on phenotypes. Studies on the forming and controlling mechanism of eggshell color had important theoretic and practical value. This review mainly discussed the types of eggshell color, its pigment composition and synthesis. Inheritance and heritability, genetic model, the number of genes, and the dominant-recessive relationship between genes for eggshell color were also reviewed. Information described in this review is useful for understanding the forming mechanism of eggshell color.