Microbiological and chemical hazards in cultured meat and methods for their detection.

Cultured meat, which involves growing meat in a laboratory rather than breeding animals, offers potential benefits in terms of sustainability, health, and animal welfare compared to conventional meat production. However, the cultured meat production process involves several stages, each with potential hazards requiring careful monitoring and control. Microbial contamination risks exist in the initial cell collection from source animals and the surrounding environment. During cell proliferation, hazards may include chemical residues from media components such as antibiotics and growth factors, as well as microbial issues from improper bioreactor sterilization. In the differentiation stage where cells become muscle tissue, potential hazards include residues from scaffolding materials, microcarriers, and media components. Final maturation and harvesting stages risk environmental contamination from nonsterile conditions, equipment, or worker handling if proper aseptic conditions are not maintained. This review examines the key microbiological and chemical hazards that must be monitored and controlled during the manufacturing process for cultured meats. It describes some conventional and emerging novel techniques that could be applied for the detection of microbial and chemical hazards in cultured meat. The review also outlines the current evolving regulatory landscape around cultured meat and explains how thorough detection and characterization of microbiological and chemical hazards through advanced analytical techniques can provide crucial data to help develop robust, evidence-based food safety regulations specifically tailored for the cultured meat industry. Implementing new digital food safety methods is recommended for further research on the sensitive and effective detection of microbiological and chemical hazards in cultured meat.

Ultra-small gold nanoparticles embedded cyclodextrin metal-organic framework composite membrane to achieve antibacterial and humidity-responsive functions.

Cyclodextrin metal-organic framework (CD-MOF) is an edible and porous material that can serve as a template for synthesizing small-sized metal nanoparticles. However, its highly hydrophilic nature has limited its wider application. Herein, ultra-small gold nanoparticles (U-AuNPs) were loaded into CD-MOF to produce a composite material Au@CD-MOF. The CD-MOF was utilized as a template to control the size of the AuNPs. The synthesized Au@CD-MOF was easily dispersible in aqueous medium and its released U-AuNPs exhibited effective water dispersion stability within 120 days. Additionally, compared to gold nanoparticles prepared using traditional methods (T-AuNPs), the U-AuNPs exhibited superior antibacterial properties. Furthermore, hydrophilic Au@CD-MOF was incorporated into a hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix (Au@CD-MOF/PDMS) to achieve a humidity-responsive antibacterial function. The composite membrane exhibited remarkable responsiveness to humidity, showing almost no release of U-AuNPs at 0 % humidity. However, it exhibited approximately 89 % release within 1 h, and complete release of U-AuNPs was observed within 4 h under 100 % humidity. These findings highlight the successful preparation of a humidity-responsive antibacterial composite membrane, which has great potential applications in various scenarios, particularly in the field of antibacterial food packaging.

Advances in Starch Nanoparticle for Emulsion Stabilization.

Starch nanoparticles (SNPs) are generally defined as starch grains smaller than 600-1000 nm produced from a series of physical, chemical, or biologically modified starches. Many studies have reported the preparation and modification of SNPs, which are mostly based on the traditional "top-down" strategy. The preparation process generally has problems with process complexity, long reaction periods, low yield, high energy consumption, poor repeatability, etc. A "bottom-up" strategy, such as an anti-solvent method, is proven to be suitable for the preparation of SNPs, and they are synthesized with small particle size, good repeatability, a low requirement on equipment, simple operation, and great development potential. The surface of raw starch contains a large amount of hydroxyl and has a high degree of hydrophilicity, while SNP is a potential emulsifier for food and non-food applications.

Synthesis of UiO-66 loaded-caffeic acid and study of its antibacterial mechanism.

The Zirconium-based metal-organic framework (UiO-66) has become important in the field of natural compounds delivery for its high drug loading capacity. Caffeic acid (CA) is a natural compound with unsatisfactory physicochemical stability. CA@UiO-66 improved the stability of CA and inhibited the growth of bacteria. UiO-66 was prepared by water-assisted method for the encapsulation of CA. CA@UiO-66 showed the highest CA loading rate of 56 % and a sustained-release ability of CA of 83 % until 100 h. It destroyed the surface morphology and ultrastructure of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for E. coli and S. aureus were 1.0 mg/mL and 2.0 mg/mL, respectively. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) 2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetry showed that the CA@UiO-66 had low toxicity or no toxicity to human normal liver cells LO2 at the concentration of MBC. Therefore, CA@UiO-66 has a potential in the field of food microbial safety.

Role of adenosine A2A receptors in the loss of consciousness induced by propofol anesthesia.

The mechanism of propofol-anesthesia-induced loss of consciousness (LOC) remains largely unknown. We speculated that the adenosine A2A receptor serves as a vital molecular target in regulating LOC states under propofol anesthesia. c-Fos staining helped observe the changes in the neuronal activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Initially, the adenosine signals in the NAc were measured under propofol anesthesia using fiber photometry recordings. Then, behavior tests and electrophysiological recordings were used to verify the effect of systemic A2A R agonist or antagonist treatment on propofol anesthesia. Next, the microinjection technique was used to clarify the role of the NAc A2A R under propofol anesthesia. Fiber photometry recordings were applied to assess the effect of A2A R agonist or antagonist systemic treatment on adenosine signal alterations in the NAc during propofol anesthesia. Then, as the GABAergic neurons are the main neurons in the NAc, we further measured the neuronal activity of GABAergic neurons. In our study, propofol anesthesia enhanced the neuronal activity in the NAc, and the adenosine signals were increased in the NAc. SCH58261 reduced the LOC time and sedative depth, while CGS21680 increased those via intraperitoneal injection. Additionally, CGS21680 increased the changes in delta, theta, alpha, beta, and low-gamma oscillations in the NAc. Moreover, microinjection of SCH58261 significantly shortened the LOC time, whereas microinjection of CGS21680 into the NAc significantly prolonged the LOC duration. The results illustrated that after A2A R agonist administration, the level of extracellular adenosine signals in the NAc was decreased and the neuronal activity of GABAergic neurons was enhanced, whereas after A2A R antagonist administration via intraperitoneal injection, the opposite occurred. This study reveals the vital role of the A2A R in propofol-induced LOC and that the A2A R could affect the maintenance of propofol anesthesia.

Preoperative Acute Sleep Deprivation Causes Postoperative Pain Hypersensitivity and Abnormal Cerebral Function.

Preoperative sleep loss can amplify post-operative mechanical hyperalgesia. However, the underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown. In the current study, rats were randomly allocated to a control group and an acute sleep deprivation (ASD) group which experienced 6 h ASD before surgery. Then the variations in cerebral function and activity were investigated with multi-modal techniques, such as nuclear magnetic resonance, functional magnetic resonance imaging, c-Fos immunofluorescence, and electrophysiology. The results indicated that ASD induced hyperalgesia, and the metabolic kinetics were remarkably decreased in the striatum and midbrain. The functional connectivity (FC) between the nucleus accumbens (NAc, a subregion of the ventral striatum) and the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vLPAG) was significantly reduced, and the c-Fos expression in the NAc and the vLPAG was suppressed. Furthermore, the electrophysiological recordings demonstrated that both the neuronal activity in the NAc and the vLPAG, and the coherence of the NAc-vLPAG were suppressed in both resting and task states. This study showed that neuronal activity in the NAc and the vLPAG were weakened and the FC between the NAc and the vLPAG was also suppressed in rats with ASD-induced hyperalgesia. This study highlights the importance of preoperative sleep management for surgical patients.

Identification and Antioxidant Capacity of Free and Bound Phenolics in Six Varieties of Mulberry Seeds Using UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS.

Mulberry seeds are a byproduct of juice processing and may be an important resource for its abundant compounds. In this study, we analyzed the qualitative composition of free and bound phenolics from six varieties of mulberry seeds using UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS. Free phenolics (FPs) and bound phenolics (BPs) were measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu method; antioxidant capacity was determined by measuring 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity, using the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. A total of 28 free and 11 bound phenolics were extracted and identified, wherein five free phenolics were found in mulberry matrices for the first time. The six varieties of mulberry seeds exhibited higher content of FPs than BPs, and there was a correlation between the phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Consequently, three varieties were selected for their high phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. This study might offer a theoretical basis for the utilization of mulberry seed.

A Noradrenergic Lesion Attenuates Surgery-Induced Cognitive Impairment in Rats by Suppressing Neuroinflammation.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common postoperative neurocognitive complication in elderly patients. However, the specific pathogenesis is unknown, and it has been demonstrated that neuroinflammation plays a key role in POCD. Recently, increasing evidence has proven that the locus coeruleus noradrenergic (LCNE) system participates in regulating neuroinflammation in some neurodegenerative disorders. We hypothesize that LCNE plays an important role in the neuroinflammation of POCD. In this study, 400 µg of N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP-4) was injected intracerebroventricularly into each rat 7 days before anesthesia/surgery to deplete the locus coeruleus (LC) noradrenaline (NE). We applied a simple laparotomy and brief upper mesenteric artery clamping surgery as the rat POCD model. The open field test, novel objection and novel location (NL) recognition, and Morris water maze (MWM) were performed to assess postoperative cognition. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to measure the level of NE in plasma and brain tissues, and immunofluorescence staining was applied to evaluate the activation of microglia and astrocytes. We also used enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA) to assess the levels of inflammatory cytokines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Pretreatment with DSP-4 decreased the levels of systemic and central NE, increased the level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the plasma at 6 h after the surgery, decreased the concentration of IL-6 in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, and decreased the level of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) in the plasma, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus at 1 week postoperatively. In addition, DSP-4 treatment attenuated hippocampal-dependent learning and memory impairment in rats with POCD, with a downregulation of the activation of microglia and astrocytes in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. In conclusion, these findings provide evidence of the effects of LCNE in modulating neuroinflammation in rats with POCD and provide a new perspective in the prevention and treatment of POCD.

Investigation of metabolic kinetics in different brain regions of awake rats using the [1H-13C]-NMR technique.

Energy metabolism and neurotransmission are necessary for sustaining normal life activities. Hence, neurological or psychiatric disorders are always associated with changes in neurotransmitters and energy metabolic states in the brain. Most studies have only focused on the most important neurotransmitters, particularly GABA and Glu, however, other metabolites such as NAA and aspartate which are also very important for cerebral function are rarely investigated. In this study, most of the metabolic kinetics information of different brain regions was investigated in awake rats using the [1H-13C]-NMR technique. Briefly, rats (n = 8) were infused [1-13C] glucose through the tail vein for two minutes. After 20 min of glucose metabolism, the animals were sacrificed and the brain tissue was extracted and treated. Utilizing the 1H observed/13C-edited nuclear magnetic resonance (POCE-NMR), the enrichment of neurochemicals was detected which reflected the metabolic changes in different brain regions and the metabolic connections between neurons and glial cells in the brain. The results suggest that the distribution of every metabolite differed from every brain region and the metabolic rate of NAA was relatively low at 8.64 ± 2.37 µmol/g/h. In addition, there were some correlations between several 13C enriched metabolites, such as Glu4-Gln4 (p = 0.062), Glu4-GABA2 (p < 0.01), Glx2-Glx3 (p < 0.001), Asp3-NAA3 (p < 0.001). This correlativity reflects the signal transmission between astrocytes and neurons, as well as the potential interaction between energy metabolism and neurotransmission. In conclusion, the current study systematically demonstrated the metabolic kinetics in the brain which shed light on brain functions and the mechanisms of various pathophysiological states.

Building a stable and accurate model for heavy metal detection in mulberry leaves based on a proposed analysis framework and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used to rapidly detect heavy metals in mulberry leaves. For the purpose of increasing detection stability and accuracy, a novel analysis framework consisting of a Kohonen self-organizing map (SOM), a variable selection method using the successive projection algorithm (SPA) and uninformative variable elimination (UVE), and a consensus modeling strategy was proposed for processing LIBS data to determine copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr) content. Results showed that the best regression model for Cu and Cr content achieved the residual predictive deviation (RPD) values of 10.0494 and 8.3874, respectively, and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) values of 110.4550 and 41.4561, respectively. The proposed strategy provides a high-accuracy and rapid alternative to the traditional method for monitoring heavy metals in mulberry leaves, which could guarantee the quality of mulberry leaves and potentially be used in food-related industries.

Netrin-1 Ameliorates Postoperative Delirium-Like Behavior in Aged Mice by Suppressing Neuroinflammation and Restoring Impaired Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability.

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common and serious postoperative complication in elderly patients, and its underlying mechanism is elusive and without effective therapy at present. In recent years, the neuroinflammatory hypothesis has been developed in the pathogenesis of POD, in which the damaged blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays an important role. Netrin-1 (NTN-1), an axonal guidance molecule, has been reported to have strong inflammatory regulatory and neuroprotective effects. We applied NTN-1 (45 µg/kg) to aged mice using a POD model with a simple laparotomy to assess their systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation by detecting interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and high mobility group box chromosomal protein-1 (HMGB-1) levels. We also assessed the reactive states of microglia and the permeability of the BBB by detecting cell junction proteins and the leakage of dextran. We found that a single dose of NTN-1 prophylaxis decreased the expression of IL-6 and HMGB-1 and upregulated the expression of IL-10 in the peripheral blood, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. Nerin-1 reduced the activation of microglial cells in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex and improved POD-like behavior. NTN-1 also attenuated the anesthesia/surgery-induced increase in BBB permeability by upregulating the expression of tight junction-associated proteins such as ZO-1, claudin-5, and occludin. These findings confirm the anti-inflammatory and BBB protective effects of NTN-1 in an inflammatory environment in vivo and provide better insights into the pathophysiology and potential treatment of POD.

Heavy metal detection in mulberry leaves: Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy data.

Five copper or chromium stress levels were carried out on mulberry leaf, and 20 samples were collected for each metal stress level. A total of 100 samples (copper or chromium) were processed into uniform pressed pellet. The mulberry leaf pellet was placed on a sample platform of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system. A laser was used to ablate the sample pellet and generate the emission lines, the intensity and delay time of laser ablation were 80 mJ and 4 µs respectively. To reduce the acquisition errors, 16 different positions of each sample were ablated for 5 accumulation. Then, 80 spectra were collected per sample and the average of them was considered as the sample spectrum for subsequent analysis. Finally, a total of 200 spectra of copper and chromium in mulberry leaves with a wavelength range of 219-877 nm were obtained for calibration analysis [1].

Identification of Cholangiocarcinoma Associated with Hepatolithiasis via the Combination of miRNA and Ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: Identification of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) associated with hepatolithiasis (HL) is difficult. There is no effective method to discriminate CCA associated with HL (HL-CCA) from HL currently. OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of clinical data, ultrasonic characteristics and miRNA expression level in the identification of HL-CCA. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with HL-CCA in Huazhong University of Science and Technology Union Shenzhen Hospital were enrolled in the observation group, while 40 patients with HL alone were included in the control group. The clinical data, ultrasonic characteristics, and miRNA expression level of the two groups were recorded and analyzed to explore the potential indicators for the identification of HL-CCA. RESULTS: The accuracy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of HL-CCA was low (54.84%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that liver abscess (P=0.021), indistinct border demarcation (P=0.015), non-homogenous echotexture (P=0.019), missed portal vein around lesion (P=0.032), miRNA-21 (P=0.018) and miRNA-221 (P=0.009) were the potential indicators for the identification of HL-CCA. The combined diagnosis based on logistic regression contained liver abscess, border demarcation, echotexture, portal vein around lesion, miRNA-21 and miRNA-221. The results showed that the accuracy of combined diagnosis identifying HL-CCA was the most accurate (AUC=0.911), which was significantly greater than the AUC of miRNA-21 or miRNA-221 individually (P<0.05), with a sensitivity and specificity of 77.42% and 97.50%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with HL-CCA show high incidence of hepatic abscess and elevated miRNA-21 and miRNA-221 expression level. The ultrasonic features are more likely to show indistinct border demarcation, non-homogenous echotexture, and missed portal vein around lesion. The combined diagnosis is more accurate in the identification of HL-CCA.

Emergency obstetric hysterectomy for life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage: A 12-year review.

The aim of the study was to review the operative experiences of emergency hysterectomy for life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) performed over a 12-year period at Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital; to examine the incidence and risk factors for emergency obstetric hysterectomy; and to evaluate the curative effectiveness and safety of subtotal hysterectomy for life-threatening PPH.The records of all cases of emergency obstetric hysterectomy performed at Fujian Maternity and Children Health Hospital between January 2004 and June 2016 were analyzed. The incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of hysterectomy, the peripartum complications, and the coagulation function indices were evaluated.A total of 152,023 of women were delivered. The incidence of emergency postpartum hysterectomy was 0.63 per 1000 deliveries: 96 patients underwent hysterectomy for uncontrolled PPH, 19 (0.207‰) underwent hysterectomy following vaginal delivery, and 77 (1.28‰) underwent the procedure following cesarean delivery (P < .001). Common risk factors included postpartum prothrombin activity ≤ 50% (61.5%), placenta accreta (43.76%), uterine atony (37.5%), uterine rupture (17.5%), and grand multiparity > 6 (32.3%). Forty-one patients underwent subtotal abdominal hysterectomy (STH) and 55 patients underwent total abdominal hysterectomy (TH). The mean operation time was significantly shorter for TH (193.59 ±â€Š83.41 minutes) than for STH (142.86 ±â€Š78.32 minutes; P = .002). The mean blood loss was significantly greater for TH (6832 ±â€Š787 mL) than for STH (6329 ±â€Š893 mL; P = .003). The mean number of red cell units transfusion was higher during TH (16.24 ±â€Š9.48 units vs 12.43 ±â€Š7.2, respectively; P = .047). Postoperative prothrombin activity was significantly higher than preoperative levels (56.84 ±â€Š14.74 vs 44.39 ±â€Š15.69, respectively; P < .001) in women who underwent TH and in those who underwent STH (57.63 ±â€Š15.68 vs 47.87 ±â€Š12.86, respectively; P < .001). There was no significant difference in the maternal complications after TH or STH for PPH.Cesarean deliveries were associated with an increased risk of emergency hysterectomy, and postpartum prothrombin activity < 50% was the greatest risk factor for hysterectomy in most women who underwent hysterectomy. STH was the preferred procedure for emergency obstetric hysterectomy.

[Biological roles of somatostatin in intestinal macaque Peyer's patch B cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of somatostatin (SST) on macaque intestinal Peyer's patches (PP) in immune B cells and explore its mechanism. METHODS: A total of 15 healthy adult macaques were randomized into control,MODS and MODS+SST groups.Surgical procedures of MODS in macaques: For MODS group, anesthesia was maintained with diazepam (0.16 ± 0.09) mg×kg(-1)×h(-1), i.v.). A catheter was inserted into a peripheral vein for infusing 0.9% saline and 20 g glucose (0.1-0.2 ml×kg(-1)×min(-1), i.v.gtt) for 24 h. Midline laparotomy was performed. Then superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was isolated and occluded with a microsurgical clip. After a 1-hour occlusion, clip was removed and intestinal perfusion reestablished.In MODS+SST group, SST was infused intravenously with a syringe pump at a dosage of 5 µg×kg(-1)×h(-1) for 5 min before an occlusion of SMA until the end of experiment.Venous blood samples were redrawn and the animals sacrificed at 24 h post-IIR for harvesting vital organs. The changes of organs and the morphological changes of PP were detected by hematoxylin and eosin. And the expressions of TLR4, TLR2, CD20, CD5, α4ß7 and MadCAM-1 were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining.Semiquantitative immunohistochemical analysis of raw data was performed with Image Pro Plus 4.0 software. RESULTS: All animals in MODS group presented with small intestines PP increased both in number and size compared with control group (4.8 ± 2.3 vs 1.2 ± 0.9, P < 0.05). After prophylactic to SST, compared with MODS group, the number of PP in small intestines in MODS+SST group decreased (2.7 ± 1.5 vs 4.8 ± 2.3, P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in morphological of PP. The expression of CD20(+) of B-cells in MODS group was significantly lower than in normal group (integrated optical density (IOD), 64.22 ± 42.45 vs 100.00 ± 86.67, P < 0.05).Interestingly, after prophylactic dosing of SST, the expression level of CD20(+) of B-cells elevated significantly in MODS+SST group compared with that in MODS group (129.02 ± 75.04 vs 64.22 ± 42.45, P < 0.05). There was no α4ß7 expression of B-cells in PP of macaques in three groups. And the expression level of MadCAM-1 was strongly up-regulated after prophylactic dosing of STT compared with MODS. After prophylactic dosing of STT, the expressions of TLR4 and TLR2 declined significantly compared with MODS (56.60 ± 6.83 vs 93.26 ± 10.40, 35.56 ± 4.71 vs 62.06 ± 9.90, P < 0.05). Plasma cells within normal intestinal mucosa were predominantly located in lamina propria. During MODS, plasma cells almost disappeared. After prophylactic dosing of STT, compared to MODS group, there was a rebound of plasma cells. CONCLUSIONS: Endogenous SST controls the switch of B-cells in PP between natural and acquired immunities. The prophylactic dosing of SST could convert excessive natural immunity into beneficial acquired humoral immunity. And SST may facilitate the prevention of multiple organ dysfunction syndromes.

Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion of macaques triggers a strong innate immune response.

AIM: To investigate inflammatory injury in the intestinal mucosa after intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (IIR) with Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated innate immunity. METHODS: Ten macaques were randomized into control and IIR groups. The distribution and expression level of TLR2, TLR4, MD2, nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 and interferon (IFN)-γ were measured by immunohistochemical stain and western blotting. The mRNA expression of TLR4, TLR2, MD2, interleukin (IL)-1ß and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The cytokine levels in blood and intestinal tissues were measured by ELISA. RESULTS: Obvious hemorrhage and erosion of mucosae were seen in the IIR group. Expression of TLR2, TLR4, MD2, NF-κB p65 and IFN-γ was significantly higher in the IIR group than in the control group (0.13 ± 0.04, 0.22 ± 0.04, 0.16 ± 0.06, 0.65 ± 0.12, 0.38 ± 0.10 vs 0.07 ± 0.04, 0.08 ± 0.03, 0.04 ± 0.02, 0.19 ± 0.06, 0.14 ± 0.05, P < 0.05). In addition, the expression of TLR2, TLR4, MD2, IL-1ß and TNF-α mRNA in the IIR group were significantly higher than those of control group(1.52 ± 0.15, 1.39 ± 0.06, 1.94 ± 0.12, 1.48 ± 0.15, 0.66 ± 0.08 vs 0.31 ± 0.05, 0.5 ± 0.04, 0.77 ± 0.05, 0.35 ± 0.08, 0.18 ± 0.04, P < 0.05). Furthermore, IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α levels in the macaques ileum and plasma were significantly higher than in the control group (plasma: 86.3 ± 15.2, 1129 ± 248.3, 77.8 ± 16.2 vs 29.5 ± 7.3, 19.8 ± 8.2, 5.6 ± 1.7; ileum: 273.4. ± 44.7, 1636 ± 168.0, 205.5 ± 30.7 vs 76.8 ± 20.5, 663.4 ± 186.9, 49.0 ± 9.4; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: After IIR, general inflammatory injury in the intestinal mucosa is correlated with a strong innate immune response, mediated by activation of the TLR-NF-κB-cytokine pathway.

[The study of interfering of endogenous VEGF-C genes and the protein expression gastric cancer cell with siRNA technique].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the interfering effects of siRNA on endogenous VEGF-C genes and the protein expression in gastric cancer cells. METHODS: Cultured gastric cancer cell line SGC7901 cells were prepared in vitro. Five siRNA primers of VEGF-C were designed depending on the sequence of Accession No. BC035212. 1 in Genbank. After homology analysis, the primers were synthesized and transfected into SGC7901 cells. The endogenous VEGF-C mRNA level and its protein expression were observed. RESULTS: VEGF-C-siRNA was inserted into the gastric cancer cell successfully. Five siRNA primers of VEGF-C could inhibit VEGF-C genes and protein expression. CONCLUSION: siRNA could block the endogenous VEGF-C genes and the protein expression in gastric cancer cell.

A prospective randomized controlled clinical trial on clopidogrel combined with warfarin versus clopidogrel alone in the prevention of restenosis after endovascular treatment of the femoropopliteal artery.

BACKGROUND: We sought to compare the effects of clopidogrel combined with warfarin with clopidogrel alone in the prevention of restenosis after endovascular treatment (EVT) of the femoropopliteal artery. METHODS: Between June 2008 and May 2009, 88 consecutive patients referred for EVT were randomly divided into a clopidogrel group (42 cases) and a clopidogrel combined with warfarin group (46 cases) before the procedure. Examinations including staging of peripheral arterial disease by Rutherford, ankle-brachial index, and color duplex ultrasonography were performed at baseline, 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months after procedure. At the same time, bleeding complications were observed. RESULTS: Fifty patients (63 limbs) were included after 12 months of follow-up, in which 25 patients (30 limbs) were from the clopidogrel group and 25 patients (33 limbs) were from the combination group. At 3 months, the rates of restenosis on duplex ultrasonography were 17% in the clopidogrel group and 18% in the combination group (P = 1.0). At 6 months, the accumulated restenosis rates were 37% and 36% (P = 0.98), respectively. At 12 months, the accumulated restenosis rates were 53% and 42% (P = 0.523), respectively. The rate of clinical bleeding events was 21% (6/29) in the combination group compared with 7% (2/27) in the clopidogrel group, and there was no statistical difference (P = 0.3). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of clopidogrel with warfarin was not more effective than clopidogrel alone in restenosis prevention for patients who underwent EVT. Instead, the combination of antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy was inclined to increase the clinical bleeding events.

miR-22 is down-regulated in gastric cancer, and its overexpression inhibits cell migration and invasion via targeting transcription factor Sp1.

Accumulating evidence has shown that microRNAs are involved in multiple processes in cancer development and progression. Recently, miR-22 has been identified as a tumor-suppressing microRNA in many human cancers. However, the specific function of miR-22 in gastric cancer is unclear at this point. In this study, we first measured miR-22 expression level in 30 pairs of gastric cancer and matched normal tissues, two normal and six gastric cancer cell lines by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. We found that the expression of miR-22 in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines was much lower than that in normal control, respectively. Transfection of miR-22 expression plasmid could significantly inhibit the cell migration and invasion in SGC-7901 and NCL-N87 gastric cancer cell lines. Moreover, we also showed that Sp1 was negatively regulated by miR-22 at the posttranscriptional level, via a specific target site within the 3'UTR by luciferase reporter assay. The expression of Sp1 was inversely correlated with miR-22 expression in gastric cancer tissues, and knockdown of Sp1 by siRNA inhibited cell malignant behaviors. Thus, our findings suggest that miR-22 acts as tumor suppressor by targeting the Sp1 gene and inhibiting gastric cancer cell migration and invasion. The findings of this study contribute to current understanding of the functions of miR-22 in gastric cancer.

[A prospective randomized control clinical trial about clopidogrel combined with warfarin versus clopidogrel alone in the prevention of restenosis after femoral-popliteal artery angioplasty].

OBJECTIVE: Using two antithrombotic treatment (clopidogrel vs. clopidogrel combined warfarin) strategies after femoral-popliteal artery angioplasty prospectively, to evaluate which strategy is more effective for the restenosis prevention. METHODS: Totally 50 patients referred for endovascular treatment (including the percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stent implantation) of the superficial femoral artery and popliteal artery from January 2008 to May 2009 were randomly divided into clopidogrel group (group A, 25 cases, 30 limbs) and clopidogrel plus warfarin group (group B, 25 cases, 33 limbs) before operation. Clinical outcomes and restenosis rate of the target lesions were evaluated at 3, 6 and 12 months after operation. RESULTS: Totally 88 patients were screened for participation in the study, 56 patients were included after the follow-up of 12 months. At 3 months, the rates of restenosis were 16.7% in group A and 18.2% in group B (χ² = 0.025, P = 0.874). At 6 months, the accumulated restenosis rates were 36.7% in group A and 36.4% in group B (χ² = 0.001, P = 0.98). At 12 months, the accumulated restenosis rates were 53.3% in group A and 42.4% in group B (χ² = 0.75, P = 0.387). Analysis for the critical limb ischemia sub-group showed that follow-up of 12 months, the accumulated restenosis rate was 8/10 in group A and 6/12 in group B (χ² = 1.023, P = 0.312). CONCLUSION: The clopidogrel alone treatment for PTA or PTA plus stent implantation of femoral popliteal artery has no statistically significant difference in comparison with the clopidogrel combined warfarin treatment in terms of the cumulative vascular restenosis rate at 3, 6, 12 months postoperatively.