Abstract Background Anti-ribosomal P (anti-Rib-P) antibody is a specific serological marker for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and routinely tested by targeting the common epitope of three ribosomal proteins of P0, P1 and P2. This study aimed to investigate if testing antibodies against individual ribosomal protein, but not the common epitope, is required to achieve the best diagnostic benefit in SLE. Methods The study included 82 patients with SLE and 22 healthy donors. Serum antibodies were determined by ELISA and immunoblot. Results The prevalence of each antibody determined by ELISA was 35.4% (anti-Rib-P), 45.1% (anti-Rib-P0), 32.9% (anti-Rib-P1) and 40.2% (anti-Rib-P2) at 99% specificity, respectively. Of 53 patients with negative anti-Rib-P antibody, 21 (39.6%) were positive for anti-Rib-P0, 9 (17.0%) for anti-Rib-P1 and 12 (22.6%) for anti-Rib-P2 antibody. The positive rate of anti-Rib-P antibody detected by ELISA was close to the results by immunoblot (33.4%). Patients with any of these antibodies were featured by higher disease activity and prevalence of skin rashes than those with negative antibodies. Moreover, each antibody was particularly related to some clinical and laboratory disorders. The distribution of subclasses of IgG1–4 was varied with each antibody. Anti-Rib-P0 IgG1 and IgG3 were strongly correlated with disease activity and lower serum complement components 3 and 4. Conclusions Anti-Rib-P antibody is not adequate to predict the existence of antibodies against ribosomal P0, P1 and P2 protein. The examination of antibodies against each ribosomal protein is required to achieve additional diagnostic benefit and to evaluate the association with clinical and serological disorders as well.

ABSTRACT Pepper is one of the most important vegetable crops in China. Consumers in China are increasingly demanding high quality pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fruit. As in flood crops, natural disasters, such as flooding, might not only affect pepper yield, but also significantly impact fruit quality. Thus, it is necessary to study the change in fruit quality under waterlogging stress and seek an improved method. Pepper '5901' was the experimental material; we investigated the effects of spraying exogenous Ca2+ on the photosynthetic characteristics and quality of pepper plants under waterlogging stress. We found that waterlogging significantly reduced the photosynthesis rate (PN), stomatal conductance (g s), fruit length, individual fruit diameter, individual fruit fresh weight, and soluble protein, soluble sugar, free amino acid, P, Fe, vitamin C (Vc), and vitamin E (Ve) contents. It significantly decreased the expression levels of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase 1 (ACO-1), catalase (CAT-2), and pyruvate kinase (PK) genes, and it significantly increased intracellular CO2 concentration, capsaicin content, and the expression level of the alcohol dehydrogenase-1 (ADH-1) gene. The parenchymatous cells in the root system and stem were loosely arranged, the degree of lignification was deepened, leaves became thinner, and palisade tissue thickness was reduced. Exogenous Ca2+ significantly enhanced capsaicin content, alleviated the extent of the reduction in the abovementioned physiological parameters, and maintained epithelial cell shape in the mesophyll layer. It maintained the intactness of the cell wall in the root system, cell membrane, and pulp cavity; it also reduced cell injury and stimulated the expression levels of ACO-1, ADH-1, CAT-2, and PK genes. Compared to the normal control, expression levels of these genes increased by 52.03%, 99.48%, 40.78%, and 125.67%, respectively. The present study indicates that spraying exogenous Ca2+ can effectively alleviate injury to pepper plants caused by waterlogging stress and improve the quality of pepper fruit.

ABSTRACT PURPOSE: To test whether hemorrhagic shock (HS) increases the Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in the intestine and whether this enhanced COX-2 expression mediates the intestinal dysmotility after HS. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into HS sham group and HS group. At 180 min following HS establishment, the duodenum samples were harvested to assess the motility function, protein expression of COX-2 and the downstream products of COX-2, prostaglandins. RESULTS: Examination of motility function ex vivo showed that the contractile response to acetylcholine of smooth muscle strips of rats subjected to HS was significantly suppressed. A COX-2 inhibitor, NS-398, abolished this depressed contractile response after HS. Western blotting revealed an increased protein expression of COX-2 in intestinal tissues of HS rats. Immunohistochemical examination indicated that intestine tissues of HS rats were manifested by part of villous expansion and disruption, a large amount of COX-2 positive cells appearance in lamina propria and submucosa. Furthermore, the contents of prostaglandin E2 was significantly increased in intestinal tissues of HS rats. CONCLUSION: The enhanced COX-2/ prostaglandin E2 involves in the hemorrhagic shock induced intestinal dysmotility.

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of protein kinase G (PKG) in blocking post-shock mesenteric lymph (PSML) return ameliorating the calcium sensitivity in hemorrhagic shock rats. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham, shock, shock+ligation (shock plus mesenteric lymph duct ligation (MLDL)), shock+drainage (shock plus PSML drainage) groups. After shock (hypotension 40mmHg) for three hours or corresponding times, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was taken out for detecting the PKG and phospho PKG (p-PKG) contents, and the vascular rings of SMA were prepared for assaying the calcium sensitivity using an isolated organ perfusion system. RESULTS: The PKG and p-PKG contents of SMA in shock group were significantly increased than that of sham group, and MLDL or PSML drainage reducing the levels of PKG and p-PKG. Meanwhile, the vascular calcium sensitivity in shock group was significantly lower than that of sham group, MLDL or PSML drainage enhanced the calcium sensitivity. After incubating with PKG regulators in shock+ligation and shock+drainage groups, the PKG agonist 8Br-cGMP reduced the contractility of vascular rings to gradient calcium ions and Emax and the PKG inhibitor agonist KT5823 elevated the calcium sensitivity significantly. CONCLUSION: Protein kinase G plays an important role in post-shock mesenteric lymph blockage improving vascular calcium sensitivity.

Disturbances of the microcirculation and abnormal hemorheological properties are important factors that play an important role in disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and result in organ dysfunction or failure. In the present study, we established an animal model of DIC using intravenous Dextran 500 in rats, and used exogenous normal lymph corresponding to 1/15 of whole blood volume for injection through the left jugular vein. We found that normal lymph could improve the blood pressure and survival time of rats with DIC. The results regarding the mesenteric microcirculation showed that the abnormality of the diameter of mesenteric microvessels and micro-blood flow speed in the DIC+lymph group was significantly less than in the DIC+saline group. Whole blood viscosity, relative viscosity, plasma viscosity, hematocrit (Hct), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and electrophoresis time of erythrocytes were significantly increased in the DIC+saline group compared to the control group. The electrophoretic length and migration of erythrocytes from the DIC+saline and DIC+lymph groups were significantly slower than the control group. Blood relative viscosity, Hct, ESR, and electrophoretic time of erythrocytes were significantly increased in the DIC+lymph group compared to the control group. Whole blood viscosity, relative viscosity and reduced viscosity were significantly lower in the DIC+lymph group than in the DIC+saline group, and erythrocyte deformability index was also significantly higher than in the DIC+saline and control groups. These results suggest that exogenous normal lymph could markedly improve the acute microcirculation disturbance and the abnormal hemorheological properties in rats with DIC induced by Dextran 500.