RESUMEN
Previous studies have focused on the relationship between imaginary companions (ICs) and children's social developments. As far as we know, few studies have focused on the relationship between ICs and children's agency attributions. This study aimed to explore the potential differences in agency attributions between children with and without ICs, children with egalitarian IC relationships and hierarchical IC relationships. Children's agency attributions were measured by two experiments. One was based on behavioral cues (Random animations/ToM animations) and the other was based on appearance characteristics (ball/doll). The results revealed that children with ICs attributed more cognitive properties to Random and ToM animations than children without ICs. Compared with children without ICs, children with ICs attributed marginally more biological properties to a ball and more psychological properties to a ball and a doll. However, children with egalitarian and hierarchical IC relationships did not differ in their agency attributions. The results suggest that children with ICs are more likely to attribute agencies to non-human items with behavioral cues or appearance characteristics than children without ICs. Compared with child-IC relationship qualities, IC status may be more related to children's agency attributions. However, only a correlation between IC status and children's agency attributions was found in this study and it is interesting for future researchers to investigate the potential causal directions between children's IC status and their agency attributions. If one of the causal directions or both the causal directions exist, future researchers can further explore the underlying mechanism.
RESUMEN
This article was aimed to study the proteomic spectra expression of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cold and heat constitution rats with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), in order to search for the cold and heat-associated proteins for the investigation of the biological basis of TCM cold and heat body constitution formation. The total protein in rat’s liver cell was extracted. The 2-DE and MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry (MS) were used in the screening and identification of differentially expressed proteins of cold and heat constitution rats. The results showed that a total of 10 different points in the protein expression were obtained with statistical significance after screening and MS, which were carbamoyl-phosphate synthase, protein disulfide isomerase associated 3, catalase, hydroperoxide isomerase, cytosol aminopeptidase, glutamate dehydrogenase 1, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A synthase 2, heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) precursor, homocysteine, 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein precursor. It was concluded that some differences were existed in the proteomic spectra expression of TCM cold and heat constitution rats. The abnormality of enzyme protein metabolism may be one of the material bases for the formation of cold and heat constitution.
RESUMEN
AIM:To investigate the effects of Zhenwu decoction ( ZWD) on the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and NF-κB in diabetic nephropathy ( DN) rats.METHODS:Diabetic rat model was induced by intrape-ritoneal injection of streptozotocin ( STZ) , and the animals were randomly divided into STZ group ( n=22) and STZ+ZWD group (n=23).The normal rats served as control (n=16).All rats were sacrificed on 8 weeks after modeling.Biochemical assay and pathological observation ( HE staining and transmission electron microscopy ) were used to evaluate the effects of Zhenwu decoction on the renal function and pathological morphology .The body weight , renal index , blood glucose , total urinary protein in 24 h, and superoxide dismutase ( SOD ) , malondialdehyde ( MDA ) , inducible nitric oxide synthase ( iNOS) were determined as well .Western blotting was used to observe the effects of Zhenwu decoction on the expression ofα-SMA and NF-κB in diabetic nephropathy ( DN) rats.RESULTS:Compared with normal group , the renal index , blood glucose concentration, total urinary protein in 24 h, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr) and MDA were significantly higher and body weight was lower in DN rats (P<0.05).Pathological examination of the kidneys in DN group showed glomerular hypertrophy , glomerular basement membrane thickening , tubular epithelial cell degeneration , me-sangial matrix proliferation , protein cast formation in some renal tubules .The protein expression levels of α-SMA and NF-κB were markedly increased (P<0.05).After ZWD treatment, the level of renal index, total urinary protein in 24 h, BUN, SCr and the expression of α-SMA and NF-κB at the protein level were significantly decreased (P<0.05).The renal histological injury in ZWD group was significantly ameliorated .CONCLUSION: Zhenwu decoction might protect kidney against STZ-induced injury via decreasing the expression of α-SMA and NF-κB.