Anti-apoptotic role of peroxiredoxin III in cervical cancer cells

AbstractAs a member of peroxiredoxin (Prx) family, PrxIII is predominantly located in mitochondria and plays an important role as a scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Since previous reports demonstrated over-expression of PrxIII in cervical cancer, we conducted the present study to investigate the significance of PrxIII in cervical cancer development and/or progression.Cervical cancer cells were cultured from tissues derived from cervical cancer patients. After successful knockdown of PrxIII expression by small interfering RNA, we evaluated ROS level, viable cell number, and apoptosis of cervical cancer cells along with the culture time.The production of ROS was increased in cervical cancer cells as compared with normal cervical epithelia. Knockdown of PrxIII expression induced up-regulation of other Prx members including PrxI, PrxII, and PrxV. ROS level was higher in down-regulated cervical cancer cells than in controls and the difference was increasing with culture time. We also observed increased apoptosis and decreased viable cell number in down-regulated cervical cancer cells.Our results suggest that PrxIII is an indispensable ROS scavenger, which protects tumor cells against oxidative damage and subsequent apoptosis

Additional file 2 of Effect of electrical impedance-guided PEEP in reducing pulmonary complications after craniotomy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Additional file 2. Ethical Review Approval

The thickness of glomerular basement membrane predicts complete remission in primary membranous nephropathy

AbstractObjective Glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening is a typical and essential histopathological characteristic for the diagnosis of primary membranous nephropathy (PMN). The present study aimed to explore the relationship between GBM thickness and treatment response in PMN patients.Methods A total of 128 patients with nephrotic syndrome concurrent with PMN were studied. The highest GBM thickness was measured from at least five glomerular capillary loops using an electron microscope, and the mean value was obtained. Patients were categorized into three groups according to the tertiles of GBM thickness as follows: Group 1 (GBM thickness ≤ 1100 nm, n = 48), Group 2 (1100 nm 1300 nm, n = 40). Clinicopathological features and treatment response were compared among the three groups. The associations of GBM thickness with complete remission (CR) were assessed by Cox proportional hazard analyses and a cubic spline curve.Results During a median follow-up period of 25.80 months, 69 (53.9%) patients achieved CR. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the non-CR probability was significantly higher in the highest tertile of GBM thickness (p˂0.001). Univariate Cox proportional hazard analysis indicated that GBM thickness was associated with CR (HR per SD 0.617, 95% CI [0.471–0.809], p˂0.001). After adjusting for age, duration of PMN, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urinary protein excretion, grade of C3 deposition, and titer of serum anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibody, GBM thickness remained an independent predictor of CR (HR per SD 0.580, 95% CI [0.436–0.772], p˂0.001). Further multivariable-adjusted restricted cubic spline analysis confirmed a significant reverse linear association between GBM thickness and CR (p for nonlinear = 0.1261).Conclusions GBM thickness is an independent risk factor of CR. PMN patients with an increased level of GBM thickening at diagnosis have a lower probability of achieving CR

Implications of lymphatic alterations in the pathogenesis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by intense immune dysregulation, gut microbiota imbalance, and intestinal epithelium destruction. Among the factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of IBD, lymphatics have received less attention, hence less studied, characterized, and explored. However, in recent years, the role of the lymphatic system in gastrointestinal pathophysiology continues to be highlighted. This paper examines the implications of lymphatic changes in IBD pathogenesis related to immune cells, gut microbiota, intestinal and mesenteric epithelial barrier integrity, and progression to colorectal cancer (CRC). Therapeutic targets of lymphatics in IBD studies are also presented. Available studies indicate that lymph nodes and other secondary lymphatic tissues, provide highly specialized microenvironments for mounting effective immune responses and that lymphatic integrity plays a significant role in small intestine homeostasis, where the lymphatic vasculature effectively controls tissue edema, leukocyte exit, bacterial antigen, and inflammatory chemokine clearance. In IBD, there are functional and morphological alterations in intestinal and mesenteric lymphatic vessels (more profoundly in Crohn's disease [CD] compared to ulcerative colitis [UC]), including lymphangiogenesis, lymphangiectasia, lymphadenopathy, and lymphatic vasculature blockade, affecting not only immunity but gut microbiota and epithelial barrier integrity. While increased lymphangiogenesis is primarily associated with a good prognosis of IBD, increased lymphangiectasia, lymphadenopathy, and lymphatic vessel occlusion correlate with poor prognosis. IBD therapies that target the lymphatic system seek to increase lymphangiogenesis via induction of lymphangiogenic factors and inhibition of its antagonists. The resultant increased lymphatic flow coupled with other anti-inflammatory activities restores gut homeostasis

Beyond catalysis and membranes: visualizing and solving the challenge of electrode water accumulation and flooding in AEMFCs

A majority of anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) reported in the literature have been unable to achieve high current or power. A recently proposed theory is that the achievable current is largely limited by poorly balanced water during cell operation. In this work, we present convincing experimental results – coupling operando electrochemical measurements and neutron imaging – supporting this theory and allowing the amount and distribution of water, and its impact on AEMFC performance, to be quantified for the first time. We also create new electrode compositions by systematically manipulating the ionomer and carbon content in the anode catalyst layer, which allowed us to alleviate the mass transport behavior limitations of H2/O2 AEMFCs and achieve a new record-setting peak power density of 1.9 W cm−2 – a step-change to existing literature. Our efforts cast a new light on the design and optimization of AEMFCs – potentially changing the way that AEMFCs are constructed and operated

Characteristics of urinary sodium excretion in patients with chronic kidney disease in Jiangsu, China

Abstract The current study aimed to assess the dietary salt intake in patients with CKD in Jiangsu province and investigate the relationship of urinary sodium excretion with blood pressure. A total of 800 patients with CKD stages 1–4 were recruited. All enrolled patients were asked to collect complete 24‐h urine specimen. At the same time, patient's demographic and laboratory data were recorded. The mean age was 47.45 ± 15.25 years old, including 423 men and 377 women. There was no significant difference in urinary sodium excretion among different stages of CKD (p = .748). This study revealed that the median urinary sodium excretion of all patients was 127.20 mmol/d (IQR 91.03–172.06), corresponding to a salt intake of 7.4 g/d. Among them, only 167 (20.9%) cases had salt intake <5 g/d. Moreover, urinary sodium excretion in overweight group and obese group was higher than that in normal weight group (p = .001, p ˂ .001). Likewise, urinary sodium excretion in men was higher than that in women (p ˂ .001). Spearman correlation analysis indicated that urinary sodium excretion positively correlated with urinary protein excretion (r = .178, p ˂ .001), SBP (r = .109, p = .002), and DBP (r = .086, p = .015). After adjusting for age, gender, BMI, eGFR, urinary protein excretion, and history of taking antihypertensive drug, multivariate linear regression demonstrated that higher level of urinary sodium excretion associated with increased level of SBP, DBP, and MAP (β = 0.020, p = .049; β = 0.015, p = .040; β = 0.016, p = .025, respectively). In conclusion, the dietary salt intake in CKD patients, especially in male, overweight and obese subjects, remains high in Jiangsu province. It is vital to decline salt intake to control blood pressure in Jiangsu patients with CKD