Mingyan Hei

Dihydroquercetin (DHQ) ameliorated concanavalin A-induced mouse experimental fulminant hepatitis and enhanced HO-1 expression through MAPK/Nrf2 antioxidant pathway in RAW cells.

Autoimmune hepatitis represents a ubiquitous human health problem and has a poor prognosis. Dihydroquercetin (DHQ), a well-known antioxidant, significantly inhibits fulminant hepatitis through anti-oxidant and anti-inflammation mechanisms. In this study, we show that administration of DHQ ameliorated concanavalin A (ConA)-induced mouse liver injury by increasing the survival rate, reducing the serum ALT and AST level, preventing histopathological injuries and decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression in hepatic tissue. As macrophages/Kupffer cells in oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory mediators play an important role in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated hepatitis, we further exposed mouse RAW264 macrophage cell lines to ConA in vitro and found that DHQ significantly inhibited mRNA expression and secretion of IFN-γ and TNF-α in cell culture supernatant. In addition, DHQ significantly enhanced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner via increased Nrf2 expression in cytoplasm and nuclear translocation. Furthermore, DHQ enhanced phosphorylation of three members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, and cell treatment with MEK/ERK (PD98059), p38 (SB203580) and JNK (SP600125) inhibitors reduced DHQ-induced HO-1 expression. These results indicate that DHQ possesses hepatoprotective properties against ConA-induced liver injury, which are attributed to its ability to scavenge oxidative stress and to inhibit the release of inflammatory mediators via upregulation of HO-1 activity through the MAPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway in macrophages/Kupffer cells.

Catheter-related infection and pathogens of umbilical venous catheterization in a neonatal intensive care unit in China.

We studied the incidence of umbilical venous catheterization (UVC)-related infection and pathogens in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in China. Patients were grouped into <2000-g UVC or <2000-g non-UVC groups or ≥2001-g UVC or ≥2001-g non-UVC groups. Blood culture and umbilical root skin swab culture were taken following UVC insertion and extraction. UVCs were removed after 7 days and cultures of UVC tips were performed then. A total of 516 patients were enrolled. The incidence of UVC-related septicemia was 9.5%. The incidence of UVC-related septicemia per 1000 UVC days was 13.6. No significant difference was noted between <2000-g UVC and <2000-g non-UVC groups and between ≥2001-g UVC group and ≥2001-g non-UVC groups, in the number of positive blood cultures and skin cultures, the percentage of catheter-related septicemia, the incidence of catheter-related septicemia per 1000 catheter days, and the increase in the number of positive cultures between two skin cultures following UVC insertion and extraction. The predominant pathogen in all cultures was gram-positive pathogens. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most frequently noted pathogen. UVC did not increase the incidence of catheter-related infection in the NICU. It is necessary to consider local pathogen spectrum when choosing antibiotic therapy before specific culture results become available.

Tanshinone IIa Alleviates the Biochemical Changes Associated with Hypoxic Ischemic Brain Damage in a Rat Model

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Tanshinone IIa (TanIIa) on the biochemical changes associated with hypoxic ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in a rat model. Neonatal SD rats were randomized into normal control, HIBD and TanIIa + HIBD groups. At different time points after HIBD, TanIIa was given at 1 µg/g. The intracellular free calcium concentration and the expression of phospho‐NR1 S897 was determined. The intracellular free calcium concentration in the HIBD group was significantly increased. The induction of intracellular free calcium concentration in the TanIIa + HIBD group was less than that in the HIBD group. Large amounts of phospho‐NR1 S897 positive cells were distributed in the cortex in the normal control group; the number of phospho‐NR1 S897 positive cells in the ipsilateral cortex was dramatically decreased at 24 h after HIBD. Both the number of phospho‐NR1 S897 positive cells and the FITC fluorescent density in the HIBD + TanIIa group were less than those in the normal control group at every time point after HIBD, but more than those in the HIBD group. TanIIa alleviated the down‐regulation of phospho‐NR1 S897 and the elevated intracellular free calcium concentration in the cerebral cortex in the HIBD model. TanIIa could exert a neuroprotective effect through affecting NMDA receptor expression, inhibiting calcium transportation and decreasing the intracellular free calcium concentration. Copyright

Is family integrated care in neonatal intensive care units feasible and good for preterm infants in China: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundBy changing the paradigm of neonatal intensive care and integrating parents into the care team, the ‘family integrated care’ (FICare) model developed in Canada ensures that infants receive more consistent care and parents are better able to care for their infants within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and at home. However, Chinese health policy dictates that parents are not allowed into the NICU during their infant’s stay, which inhibits this type of parent–infant interaction and may affect infant outcomes. This project aims to demonstrate that allowing parents to care for their newborn infants in the NICU improves the medical outcomes of infants.Methods/DesignThis cluster randomized controlled trial will evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of FICare in six Chinese tertiary-level NICUs in China – three ‘intervention’ and three ‘control’ NICUs. The study steps are: (1) planning and preparation; (2) staff recruitment and training; (3) pilot study in two centers; (4) interim analysis and confirmation of sample size for main study; (5) implementation of main study; (6) data analysis and preparation and publication of study reports. The primary outcome measure is duration of hospital stay from admission to discharge. Secondary outcome measures are: (1) clinical outcomes, such as nosocomial infection, (2) weight gain, (3) breastfeeding, (4) time to full feed, and (5) maternal stress.DiscussionThis study will assess the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of FICare in China. By establishing that FICare is a practical model of NICU care for stable preterm infants in China, this project will have a significant impact on health outcomes, medical practice and policy, and the cost of medical care. The approach used in this project could be transferable to many other areas of medical care, such as pediatrics, chronic care, and geriatrics. Data in this project can be used to inform health policy in NICUs across China so that parents are allowed to enter the NICU and be at their infant’s bedside during the baby’s hospitalization, and modifying the design of NICUs in China to facilitate the participation of parents in caring for their newborns.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR-TRC-14004736

Effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on mitochondrial function of neuronal cells in the cortex of neonatal rats after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage

The timing and mechanisms of protection by hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) in hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) have only been partially elucidated. We monitored the effect of HBO on the mitochondrial function of neuronal cells in the cerebral cortex of neonatal rats after HIBD. Neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats (total of 360 of both genders) were randomly divided into normal control, HIBD, and HIBD+HBO groups. The HBO treatment began immediately after hypoxia-ischemia (HI) and continued once a day for 7 consecutive days. Animals were euthanized 0, 2, 4, 6, and 12 h post-HI to monitor the changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) occurring soon after a single dose of HBO treatment, as well as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 days post-HI to study ΔΨm changes after a series of HBO treatments. Fluctuations in ΔΨm were observed in the ipsilateral cortex in both HIBD and HIBD+HBO groups. Within 2 to 12 h after HI insult, the ΔΨm of the HIBD and HIBD+HBO groups recovered to some extent. A secondary drop in ΔΨm was observed in both groups during the 1-4 days post-HI period, but was more severe in the HIBD+HBO group. There was a secondary recovery of ΔΨm observed in the HIBD+HBO group, but not in the HIBD group, during the 5-7 days period after HI insult. HBO therapy may not lead to improvement of neural cell mitochondrial function in the cerebral cortex in the early stage post-HI, but may improve it in the sub-acute stage post-HI.

Environmental factors for the development of fetal urinary malformations.

BackgroundThe development of the kidneys and other organs of the urinary tract also follow the natural rule of gene-environment-lifestyle interaction. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors may be associated with the etiology of various kinds of urinary malformations. The environmental factors belong to extrinsic factors, which have attracted increasing attention from researchers.MethodsPublications about urinary malformations were searched from databases such as PubMed, Elsevier, Chemical Abstract, Excerpta Medica, Chinese Hospital Knowledge Database and Wanfang Database.ResultsUrinary malformation is associated with low birth weight, maternal diseases, placental insufficiency, maternal drug exposure, and maternal exposure to environmental pesticides. Living environment and socioeconomic factors may also influence the incidence of urinary malformation.ConclusionIt is important to understand the association of environmental factors with the development of the renal system and urinary malformation in order to decrease the incidence of urinary malformations.

Decreased levels of pNR1 S897 protein in the cortex of neonatal Sprague Dawley rats with hypoxic-ischemic or NMDA-induced brain damage

Our objective was to investigate the protein level of phosphorylated N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-1 at serine 897 (pNR1 S897) in both NMDA-induced brain damage and hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD), and to obtain further evidence that HIBD in the cortex is related to NMDA toxicity due to a change of the pNR1 S897 protein level. At postnatal day 7, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (13.12 ± 0.34 g) were randomly divided into normal control, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) cerebral microinjection, HIBD, and NMDA cerebral microinjection groups. Immunofluorescence and Western blot (N = 10 rats per group) were used to examine the protein level of pNR1 S897. Immunofluorescence showed that control and PBS groups exhibited significant neuronal cytoplasmic staining for pNR1 S897 in the cortex. Both HIBD and NMDA-induced brain damage markedly decreased pNR1 S897 staining in the ipsilateral cortex, but not in the contralateral cortex. Western blot analysis showed that at 2 and 24 h after HIBD, the protein level of pNR1 S897 was not affected in the contralateral cortex (P > 0.05), whereas it was reduced in the ipsilateral cortex (P < 0.05). At 2 h after NMDA injection, the protein level of pNR1 S897 in the contralateral cortex was also not affected (P > 0.05). The levels in the ipsilateral cortex were decreased, but the change was not significant (P > 0.05). The similar reduction in the protein level of pNR1 S897 following both HIBD and NMDA-induced brain damage suggests that HIBD is to some extent related to NMDA toxicity possibly through NR1 phosphorylation of serine 897.

Effect of Tanshinone IIA on phosphorylated NMDA receptor 1 expression and intracellular free calcium concentration in neonatal SD rats with hypoxic ischemic brain damage

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of Tanshinone IIA (TanIIA) on the phosphory-lated NMDA receptor 1 at Serine 897 site (phospho-NR1 S897) and intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in neonatal SD rats with hypoxic ischemic brain damage (HIBD), and to explore the neuroprotective mechanism of TanIIA in HIBD. METHODS Neonatal SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control, and an HIBD and TanIIA+HIBD group. Rice-Vannucci method was used for HIBD animal model. Time points were: 3, 6, 12, and 24 h after HIBD (n=10 in each group at each time point). TanIIA was intraperitoneally given at 1 μg/g every 12 h. Fura-2AM was used to mark the fluorescent calcium probe and [Ca(2+)](i) was measured by a Hitachi F-4500 Fluorescence Spectrophometer. Fluorescent immunohisotichemical study was used for the expression of phospho-NR1 S897. RESULTS (1) Compared with the normal control group, both the [Ca(2+)](i) absolute number and ipsi-/contra-lateral ratio were increased at each time point with statistical significance (P<0.05). Compared with the HIBD group, the [Ca(2+)](i) in the HIBD+ TanIIA group was decreased at each time point. At 24 h after HIBD, the ipsi-/contra-lateral ratio of HIBD+ TanIIA group was 24.9% less than that of HIBD group with statistical significance (P<0.05). (2) In the normal control group, abundant phospho-NR1 S897 positive cells were nicely distributed in the cortex. Compared with the normal control group, at each time point, both the absolute number of phospho-NR1 S897 positive cells and the fluorescent intensity of phospho-NR1 S897 in the ipsilateral cortex of the HIBD group were decreased with statistical significance (P<0.05). Compared with the HIBD group, both the absolute number of phospho-NR1 S897 positive cells and the fluorescent intensity of phospho-NR1 S897 in the ipsilateral cortex of HIBD+ TanIIA were increased. There was significant difference at 3 and 12 h after the HIBD (P<0.05). CONCLUSION TanIIA reduced the HIBD-caused down-regulation of phospho-NR1 S897 and the HIBD-caused [Ca(2+)](i) elevation in the cortex. The neuroprotective effect of TanIIA may be related to influencing NMDA receptor expression and decreasing intracellular free calcium aggregation.