Catheter-related superior vena cava obstruction: A rare cause of chylothorax in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

With the extensive use of dialysis catheters in patients undergoing hemodialysis, superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome has gradually attracted attention in recent years. Chylothorax caused by SVC syndrome is rarely reported. In this paper, we report a case of chylothorax secondary to superior vena cava obstruction (SVCO) in a maintenance hemodialysis patient after multiple dialysis catheter placements. Relieving the SVCO through intravascular intervention could effectively treat chylothorax. In the past fourteen months, no recurrence of symptoms has been observed.

The role of structural evolution in the complexation and flocculation of heavy metals by the microbial product poly-γ-glutamic acid.

The process and mechanism of heavy metal flocculation with extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secreted by microorganisms, are crucial to their fate in natural environment, wastewater treatment and soil bioremediation applications. However, the structural features of EPS and the relationship between these features and the flocculation process and mechanism remain unclear. In the present study, structural features of the microbial product poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) complexed with the heavy metal ions Pb2+ and Cu2+ were characterized and the evolution of these features was identified as having a key role in the flocculation process and mechanism. The secondary structure of the γ-PGA-Pb complex changed significantly, while that of the γ-PGA-Cu complex was only slightly altered. The significant structural change in γ-PGA-Pb was found to be responsible for the combination of residual COOH and Pb2+, promoting the bridging of inter-colloids and faster growth of hydrodynamic diameter. If the conformation changed sufficiently, such as with the γ-PGA-Pb complex in the pH range 4.6-6.2, pH had no impact on the conversion ratio. The unchanged structure of γ-PGA-Cu prevented the flocculation process, although the coordination mode of γ-PGA-Cu resulted in a higher biosorption capacity. This in-depth molecular-level study provides insight into the γ-PGA flocculation mechanism, promoting the use of γ-PGA and γ-PGA producing microorganisms for application in various remediation strategies.

[Formulation optimization of emodin nanostructured lipid carriers by Box-Behnken response surface method and in vitro quality evaluation].

Emodin nanostructured lipid carriers(ED-NLC) were prepared and their quality was evaluated in vitro. Based on the results of single-factor experiments, the ED-NLC formulation was optimized by Box-Behnken response surface method with the dosages of emodin, isopropyl myristate and poloxamer 188 as factors and the nanoparticle size, encapsulation efficiency and drug loading as evaluation indexes. Then the evaluation was performed on the morphology, size and in vitro release of the nanoparticles prepared by emulsification-ultrasonic dispersion method in line with the optimal formulation, i.e., 3.27 mg emodin, 148.68 mg isopropyl myristate and 173.48 mg poloxamer 188. Under a transmission electron microscope(TEM), ED-NLC were spherical and their particle size distribution was uniform. The particle size of ED-NLC was(97.02±1.55) nm, the polymer dispersion index 0.21±0.01, the zeta potential(-38.96±0.65) mV, the encapsulation efficiency 90.41%±0.56% and the drug loading 1.55%±0.01%. The results of differential scanning calorimeter(DSC) indicated that emodin may be encapsulated into the nanostructured lipid carriers in molecular or amorphous form. In vitro drug release had obvious characteristics of slow release, which accorded with the first-order drug release equation. The fitting model of Box-Behnken response surface methodology was proved accurate and reliable. The optimal formulation-based ED-NLC featured concentrated particle size distribution and high encapsulation efficiency, which laid a foundation for the follow-up study of ED-NLC in vivo.

Long-term exposure to high particulate matter pollution and incident hypertension: a 12-year cohort study in northern China.

Numerous cohort studies have reported the association of long-term exposure to particulate matter <10 µm in diameter (PM10) and hypertension in American and European countries. However, these results have been inconsistent and subject to various confounding factors. The study aimed to explore the effect of long-term exposure to high-level concentrations of PM10 on incident hypertension in a large-scale cohort from northern China. A retrospective cohort study of 39,054 participants aged between 23 and 98 years old from four cities in northern China was followed from 1998 to 2009. Excluding those with hypertension, 37,386 non-hypertensive participants (overall population) were followed for self-reported hypertension. The individuals' exposure to PM10 was the mean concentration during the follow-up period, according to the data of local environmental monitoring centers. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated by Cox proportional hazards models. The adjusted potential confounding factors included sociodemographic information, lifestyle, and diet. There were 2619 (7.0%) incident cases of hypertension among the overall population. In multivariable models, the HR (95% CI) of incident hypertension was 1.537 (1.515, 1.560) for each 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10. Stratified analyses showed individuals (age <65) were prone to developing hypertension. Moreover, the effects of PM10 increased and produced an HR (95% CI) of 1.555 (1.527, 1.584) for the healthy population in the sensitivity analysis. We found that the association between long-term exposure to PM10 air pollution and incident hypertension was significantly positive.

The regeneration of Acer rubrum L. "October Glory" through embryonic callus.

BACKGROUND: Tissue culture and rapid propagation technology is an important way to solve the difficulties of plant propagation. This experiment aims to explore the appropriate conditions at each stage of the red maple's tissue culture process and to obtain plantlets, thus providing a theoretical basis for the establishment of the red maple's tissue culture system. RESULTS: The results showed that the stem segment is the most suitable explant for inducing embryogenic callus. The MS (Murashige&Skoog) + 0.8 mg/L TDZ (Thidiazuron) + 1.0 mg/L 6-BA (6-Benzylaminopurine) + 0.5 mg/L IAA(Indole-3-acetic acid) + 35 g/L sucrose+ 7.5 g/L semi-fixed medium was the best for callus formation. When selecting type VI callus as embryonic callus induction material, MS + 0.6 mg/L TDZ + 0.5 mg/L 6-BA + 2.0 mg/L IAA + 35 g/L sucrose+ 7.5 g/L semi-fixed medium can get embryonic callus. The optimal medium for adventitious bud induction is MS + 1.0 mg/L TDZ + 3.0 mg/L 6-BA+ 0.2 mg/L NAA (1-Naphthaleneacetic acid) + 1.2 mg/L IAA + 35 g/L sucrose+ 7.5 g/L semi-fixed medium. The induction rate of adventitious roots in MS + 0.6 mg/L TDZ + 1.0 mg/L 6-BA+ 3 mg/L NAA + 35 g/L sucrose+ 7.5 g/L semi-fixed medium was the highest, reaching 76%. CONCLUSIONS: In the course of our research, we found that PGRs play an important role in the callus induction stage, and the effect of TDZ is particularly obvious; The callus cells grow and proliferate according to the "S" growth curve, and can be sub-cultured when the highest growth point is reached to maintain the rapid proliferation of the callus cells and to avoid inactivation of callus caused by tight niche.

Associations between the incidence and mortality rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus and long-term exposure to ambient air pollution: A 12-year cohort study in northern China.

BACKGROUND: Ambient air pollution has recently been related to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a disease that has caused an economic and health burden worldwide. Evidence of an association between air pollution and T2DM was reported in the United States and Europe. However, few studies have focused on the association with high levels of air pollutants in a developing country. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a 12-year cohort study to assess the incidence and mortality of T2DM associated with long-term exposure to PM10, SO2, and NO2. METHODS: A retrospective cohort with participants from four cities in northern China was conducted to assess mortality and incidence of T2DM from 1998 to 2009. Incidence of T2DM was self-reported, and incident intake of an antidiabetic drug or injection of insulin simultaneously and mortality of T2DM was obtained from a family member and double checked against death certificates provided from the local center for disease control and prevention. Individual pollution exposures were the mean concentrations of pollutants estimated from the local environmental monitoring centers over the survival years. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using Cox regression models after adjusting for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: A total of 39 054 participants were recruited into the mortality cohort, among which 59 subjects died from T2DM; 38 529 participants were analyzed in the incidence cohort, and 1213 developed new cases of T2DM. For each 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10, SO2, and NO2, the adjusted HRs and 95% confidence interval (CI) for diabetic incidence were 1.831 (1.778, 1.886), 1.287 (1.256, 1.318), and 1.472 (1.419, 1.528), respectively. Similar results can be observed in the analysis of diabetic mortality with HRs (95% CI) up to 2.260 (1.732, 2.950), 1.130 (1.042, 1.225), and 1.525 (1.280, 1.816), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that long-term exposure to high levels of PM10, SO2, and NO2 increase risk of incident and mortality of T2DM in China.

Nickel complexes of aroylhydrazone ligand: synthesis, crystal structure and DNA binding properties.

In this work, three aroylhydrazone ligands ((E)-2-hydroxy-N'-(1-(pyrazin-2-yl)ethylidene)benzohydrazide, HL1; (E)-3-hydroxy-N'-(1-(pyrazin-2-yl)ethylidene)benzohydrazide, HL2; and (E)-4-hydroxy-N'-(1-(pyrazin-2-yl)ethylidene)benzohydrazide, HL3) and their complexes with nickel (Ni(L1)2, NiL1; Ni(L2)2∙2DMF, NiL2; Ni(L3)2∙2DMF, NiL3) were prepared. The single crystal X-ray structures analysis of three compounds showed that they were neutral. The ligand adopts tridentate chelating mode. The nickel ion is six-coordinate with two O atoms and four N atoms from two ligands, and forms an octahedral arrangement. The investigation of DNA binding ability by ultraviolet and fluorescence titrations showed that NiL2 and NiL3 exhibit moderate binding affinity toward calf Thymus DNA. Spectroscopy, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation indicated that NiL2 and NiL3 bind at the minor groove of DNA through intercalation.

Effect of the nitrification inhibitor (3, 4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate) on the activities and abundances of ammonia-oxidizers and denitrifiers in a phenanthrene polluted and waterlogged soil.

Through a 60-day microcosm incubation, the effect of 3, 4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) on the activities and abundances of ammonia-oxidizers and denitrifiers in phenanthrene-polluted soil was investigated. Five treatments were conducted for clean soil (CK), phenanthrene added (P), phenanthrene and DMPP added (PD), phenanthrene and urea added (PU), and phenanthrene, urea, and DMPP added (PUD) soils. The results indicate that the potential nitrification rate (PNR) in the P treatment was significantly higher than that in the PD treatment only on day 7, whereas the PNR in the PU treatment was significantly higher than that in the PUD treatment on each sampling day. The abundance of soil ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in the PU treatment was significantly higher than that in the PUD treatment on each sampling day. Moreover, the abundance of AOB but rather than the ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) had significantly positive correlation with soil PNR (P < 0.05). DMPP showed no obvious effect on the soil denitrification enzyme activity (DEA), which could have inhibited the abundances of denitrification-related narG, nirS, and nirK genes. The results of this study should provide a deeper understanding of the interaction between soil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) contamination, ammonia oxidization, and denitrification, and offer valuable information for assessing the potential contribution of denitrification for soil PAH elimination.

Manganese(II), lead(II) and cadmium(II) coordination complexes containing a tetrazole-based acylamide ligand: synthesis and the influence of the metal ions on the structures.

Three new manganese(II), lead(II) and cadmium(II) coordination complexes have been prepared by reaction of N-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)cinnamamide (HNTCA) with divalent metal salts (MnCl2, PbCl2 and CdCl2) in a mixed-solvent system, affording mononuclear to trinuclear structures namely, bis(methanol-κO)bis[5-(3-phenylprop-2-enamido)-1H-1,2,3,4-tetrazol-1-ido-κ2N1,O]manganese(II), [Mn(C10H8N5O)2(CH3OH)2], (1), bis[µ-5-(3-phenylprop-2-enamido)-1H-1,2,3,4-tetrazol-1-ido]-κ3N1,O:N2;κ3N2:N1,O-bis{aqua[5-(3-phenylprop-2-enamido)-1H-1,2,3,4-tetrazol-1-ido-κ2N1,O]lead(II)}, [Pb2(C10H8N5O)4(H2O)2], (2), and hexakis[µ2-5-(3-phenylprop-2-enamido)-1H-1,2,3,4-tetrazol-1-ido-κ3N1,O:N2]tricadmium(II), [Cd3(C10H8N5O)6], (3). The structures of these three compounds reveal that the nature of the metal ions and the side groups of the organic building blocks have a significant effect on the structures of the coordination compounds formed. Intermolecular hydrogen bonds link the molecules into two-dimensional [complex (1)] and three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded networks. Complexes (2) and (3) show significant fluorescence, while complex (1) displays no fluorescence.

Berberine attenuates depressive-like behaviors by suppressing neuro-inflammation in stressed mice.

Berberine, the major constituent alkaloid originally from the famous Chinese herb Huanglian (Coptis chinensis), has been shown to exert antidepressant-like effects in rodents. However, it is still not clear the involvement of neuro-inflammation suppression in the effects of berberine. The purpose of this study was to determine whether berberine affects the neuro-inflammation system in mice induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Berberine was orally administrated in normal or CUMS mice for successive four weeks. Behavioral evaluation showed that berberine prevented the depressive deficits both in sucrose preference test and novelty-suppressed feeding test. The elevation of hippocampal pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), as well as the activation of microglia were decreased by berberine. In addition, chronic berberine treatment inhibited nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway as the phosphorylated proteins of NF-κB, IκB kinase (IKK)α and IKKß in the hippocampus were suppressed after berberine administration. Furthermore, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), one downstream target of NF-κB signaling pathway was also inhibited by berberine. In conclusion, these findings suggest that administration of berberine could prevent depressive-like behaviors in CUMS mice by suppressing neuro-inflammation in the hippocampus.

A novel antisense long non-coding RNA SATB2-AS1 overexpresses in osteosarcoma and increases cell proliferation and growth.

The knowledge regarding the importance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a new class of genes, is very sparse in osteosarcoma. In the present study, we describe the expression profile of lncRNAs in osteosarcomas compared with paired adjacent non-cancerous tissue (n = 7) using microarray analysis. A total of 25,733 lncRNAs were identified in osteosarcoma; 1995 lncRNAs were consistently upregulated and 2226 lncRNAs were consistently under-regulated in all samples analyzed (≥2.0-fold, p < 0.05). We have validated three over-regulated and three under-regulated lncRNAs in patient samples (n = 7). The antisense transcript of SATB2 protein (SATB2-AS1) was identified as one of the upregulated lncRNAs. The SATB2-AS1 is a 3197-bp lncRNA on chromosome 2. This is the first report, where we have documented the increased expression of SATB2-AS1 in osteosarcoma patients and in human osteosarcoma cancer cell lines (U2OS, HOS, MG63). SATB2-AS1 expression was significantly higher in the metastatic tumors compared to non-metastatic tumors. In vitro gain and loss of function approaches demonstrated that SATB2-AS1 regulates cell cycle, cell proliferation, and cell growth. In addition, SATB2-AS1 affects the translational expression of SATB2 gene. Our data demonstrate that an antisense non-coding RNA regulates the expression of its sense gene, and increases the cell growth, therefore pointing the pivotal functions of SATB2-AS1 in osteosarcoma.

Ferulic acid inhibits neuro-inflammation in mice exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress.

Ferulic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid that widely presents in plant cell wall components. It has been demonstrated that ferulic acid can attenuate depressive-like behaviors in both forced swimming test and tail suspension test. Considering that depression is an inflammatory related mental disease, our present study was aimed to investigate the role of ferulic acid in the regulation of microglia activation, pro-inflammatory cytokines, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and nucleotide binding and oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in mice exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Our results firstly showed that decreased sucrose preference and increased immobility time were completely reversed by administration with ferulic acid and fluoxetine for four weeks. Then, we found that CUMS significantly caused interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) up-regulation, microglia, NF-κB signaling and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the prefrontal cortex. On the contrary, these activated inflammatory response induced by CUMS were reversed by ferulic acid and fluoxetine as well, suggesting that anti-inflammatory related mechanism was involved in the antidepressant-like effects of ferulic acid in stressed mice.

Elevation of synaptic protein is associated with the antidepressant-like effects of ferulic acid in a chronic model of depression.

Ferulic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid that widely presents in plant cell wall components. It has been demonstrated that ferulic acid can reverse depressive-like behaviors in both forced swimming test and tail suspension test. However, it is unclear whether chronic ferulic acid treatment can ameliorate the depressive-like behaviors in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Because of the putative relationship between neurotrophic system and antidepressant-like activity, we also investigated the effects of chronic ferulic acid on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), postsynaptic protein PSD95, presynaptic protein synapsin I in both prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The results showed that ferulic acid significantly alleviated CUMS-induced depressive-like behaviors in sucrose preference test and forced swimming test. In addition, ferulic acid significantly up-regulated the levels of BDNF, PSD95 and synapsin I in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The present data indicated that ferulic acid exerted the antidepressant-like effects on behaviors by increasing neurotrophin-related synaptic protein levels in CUMS mice.

Resveratrol Ameliorates the Depressive-Like Behaviors and Metabolic Abnormalities Induced by Chronic Corticosterone Injection.

Chronic glucocorticoid exposure is known to cause depression and metabolic disorders. It is critical to improve abnormal metabolic status as well as depressive-like behaviors in patients with long-term glucocorticoid therapy. This study aimed to investigate the effects of resveratrol on the depressive-like behaviors and metabolic abnormalities induced by chronic corticosterone injection. Male ICR mice were administrated corticosterone (40 mg/kg) by subcutaneous injection for three weeks. Resveratrol (50 and 100 mg/kg), fluoxetine (20 mg/kg) and pioglitazone (10 mg/kg) were given by oral gavage 30 min prior to corticosterone administration. The behavioral tests showed that resveratrol significantly reversed the depressive-like behaviors induced by corticosterone, including the reduced sucrose preference and increased immobility time in the forced swimming test. Moreover, resveratrol also increased the secretion of insulin, reduced serum level of glucose and improved blood lipid profiles in corticosterone-treated mice without affecting normal mice. However, fluoxetine only reverse depressive-like behaviors, and pioglitazone only prevent the dyslipidemia induced by corticosterone. Furthermore, resveratrol and pioglitazone decreased serum level of glucagon and corticosterone. The present results indicated that resveratrol can ameliorate depressive-like behaviors and metabolic abnormalities induced by corticosterone, which suggested that the multiple effects of resveratrol could be beneficial for patients with depression and/or metabolic syndrome associated with long-term glucocorticoid therapy.

Long-term exposure to urban air pollution and lung cancer mortality: A 12-year cohort study in Northern China.

Cohort evidence that links long-term exposures to air pollution and mortality comes largely from the United States and European countries. We investigated the relationship between long-term exposures to particulate matter <10µm in diameter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) and mortality of lung cancer in Northern China. A cohort of 39,054 participants were followed during 1998-2009. Annual average concentrations for PM10, NO2, and SO2 were determined based on data collected from central monitoring stations. Lung cancer deaths (n=140) were obtained from death certificates, and hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age, gender, BMI, education, marital status, smoking status, passive smoking, occupation, alcohol consumption, etc. Each 10mg/m(3) increase in PM10 concentrations was associated with a 3.4%-6.0% increase in lung cancer mortality in the time-varying exposure model and a 4.0%-13.6% increase in the baseline exposure model. In multi-pollutant models, the magnitude of associations was attenuated, most strongly for PM10. The association was different in men and women, also varying across age categories and different smoking status. Substantial differences exist in the risk estimates for participants based on assignment method for air pollution exposure.

Protein-binding, cytotoxicity in vitro and cell cycle arrest of ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes.

The cytotoxic activity of two Ru(II) complexes against A549, BEL-7402, HeLa, PC-12, SGC-7901 and SiHa cell lines was investigated by MTT method. Complexes 1 and 2 show moderate cytotoxicity toward BEL-7402 cells with an IC50 value of 53.9 ± 3.4 and 39.3 ± 2.1 µM. The effects of the complexes inducing apoptosis, cellular uptake, reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential in BEL-7402 cells have been studied by fluorescence microscopy. The percentages of apoptotic and necrotic cells and cell cycle arrest were studied by flow cytometry. The BSA-binding behaviors were investigated by UV/visible and fluorescent spectra.

Anticancer Activity Studies of Ruthenium(II) Complex Toward Human Osteosarcoma HOS Cells.

A new Ru(II) complex [Ru(dmp)2(NMIP)](ClO4)2 (dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, NMIP = 2'-(2″-nitro-3″,4″-methylenedioxyphenyl)imidazo[4',5'-f][1,10]-phenanthroline) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ESI-MS and (1)H NMR. The cytotoxic activity of the complex against MG-63, U2OS, HOS, and MC3T3-e1 cell lines was investigated by MTT method. The complex shows moderate cytotoxicity toward HOS (IC50 = 35.6 ± 2.6 µM) and MC3T3-e1 (IC50 = 41.6 ± 2.8 µM) cell lines. The morphological studies show that the complex can induce apoptosis in HOS cells and cause an increase of reactive oxygen species levels and a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential. The cell cycle distribution demonstrates that the complex inhibits the cell growth at S phase. Additionally, the antitumor activity in vivo reveals that the complex can induce a decrease in tumor weight.

Efficacy of different types of self-expandable stents in carotid artery stenting for carotid bifurcation stenosis.

Both open and closed loop self-expandable stents were used in carotid artery stenting (CAS) for carotid bifurcation stenosis. We sought to compare the efficacy of two types of stents in CAS. The data of 212 patients treated with CAS (42 and 170 cases implanted with closed and open loop stents, respectively) for carotid bifurcation stenosis and distal filtration protection devices were retrospectively analyzed. Between closed and open loop stents, there were no significant differences in hospitalization duration, NIHSS score before and after the treatment, stenosis at 12th month, and cumulative incidence of primary endpoint events within 30 days or from the 31st day to the 12th month; while there were significant differences in hemodynamic changes and rate of difficulty in recycling distal filtration protection devices. Use of open vs. closed loop stents for carotid bifurcation stenosis seems to be associated with similar incidence of complications, except for greater rate of hemodynamic changes and lower rate of difficulty in recycling the distal filtration protection devices.

[A new cyclic diarylheptanoid from the bark of Myrica rubra].

To study the chemical constituents from the bark of Myrica rubra, fourteen compounds were isolated from the methanolic extract using various chromatographic techniques, including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified on the basis of chemical properties and spectroscopic data, as 3, 5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxymyricanol (1), myricanol (2), myricanone (3), myricanol 11-sulfate (4), myricitrin (5), quercetin (6), quercetin-3-rhamnoside (7), tamarixol (8), uvaol (9), ursolic acid (10), taraxerol (11), myricadiol (12), ß-sitosterol (13) and ß-daucosterol (14). Among them, compound 1 is a new compound, named as 3, 5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxymyricanol, compounds 8, 9 were isolated from the genus Myrica for the first time.