Background: The present study was to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the sub-chronic low-dose cadmium (Cd) exposure induced renal injury in rats.Methods: Totally 40 male adult SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, low-dose Cd group (1 mg/kg CdCl 2 ), moderate-dose Cd group (2.5 mg/kg) and high-dose Cd group (5 mg/kg).Results: From the 3 rd week, the body weight of rats in moderate-dose and high-dose declined significantly as compared to the control group (P<0.05); the liver to body weight ratio increased, the volumes of 24-hour urine and drinking-water decreased markedly (P<0.05), the BUN, SCr and β 2 -MG increased significantly, but the Fe 2+ concentration decreased markedly as compared to the control group (P<0.05); the serum MDA and SOD 1 content contents increased, but the serum SOD 2 and CAT contents decreased significantly in Cd-treated groups (P<0.05); Renal injury deteriorated with the increase in Cd dose; swelling glomeruli showed stenotic renal-tubules, and epithelial-cell-necrosis, shedding and accumulation in the lumen, massive infiltrated inflammatory cells and interstitial hyperaemia were observed; The mitochondria in renal-tubularepithelial-cells displayed swelling, deformation and vacuolation; the renal ROS content increased in Cdexposure-groups; the renal SOD 1 expression increased but the expression of SOD 2 and CAT decreased (P<0.05). The Bcl-2 expression decreased, but Bax expression and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio increased significantly in a Cd-dose dependent manner.Conclusions: Cd may cause renal injury in a dose dependent manner, which may be ascribed to the disordered Fe 2+ absorption, redox imbalance and apoptosis in the kidney.
Word count: 3000 words[Abstract] Objectives Latest epidemic data of Severe Acute Respiratory SyndromeCoronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected Pneumonia (COVID-19) was collected and a detailed statistical analysis was carried out to make comparison with 2003-SARS in order to provide scientific reference for the prevention and control of COVID-19. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.
The Middle Triassic Luoping Biota in south-west China represents the inception of modern marine ecosystems, with abundant and diverse arthropods, fishes and marine reptiles, indicating recovery from the Permian–Triassic mass extinction. Here we report a new specimen of the predatory marine reptile Diandongosaurus, based on a nearly complete skeleton. The specimen is larger than most other known pachypleurosaurs, and the body shape, caniniform teeth, clavicle with anterior process, and flat distal end of the anterior caudal ribs show its affinities with Diandongosaurus acutidentatus, while the new specimen is approximately three times larger than the holotype. The morphological characters indicate that the new specimen is an adult of D. acutidentatus, allowing for ontogenetic variation. The fang-like teeth and large body size confirm it was a predator, but the amputated hind limb on the right side indicate itself had been predated by an unknown hunter. Predation on such a large predator reveals that predation pressure in the early Mesozoic was intensive, a possible early hint of the Mesozoic Marine Revolution.
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