Enhancing Stability and Antioxidant Activity of Resveratrol-Loaded Emulsions by Ovalbumin-Dextran Conjugates.

A reliable strategy for improving the stability and shelf life of protein-stabilized systems is by covalently attaching the protein onto a polysaccharide. In this study, ovalbumin (OVA) was modified with dextran (DEX) of different molecular weights by the Maillard reaction, and was used to enhance the stability of emulsions loaded with resveratrol. The surface hydrophobicity, thermal stability, and FT-IR spectroscopy of the OVA-DEX conjugates were evaluated. The results showed that the surface hydrophobicity of OVA decreased, while the thermal stability of OVA was significantly improved after DEX covalent modification. The OVA-DEX1k-stabilized emulsion exhibited high encapsulation efficiency of resveratrol, with the value of 89.0%. In addition, OVA-DEX was considerably more effective in droplet stabilization against different environmental stresses (heat, pH, and ionic strength). After 28 days of storage at 25 °C, the OVA-stabilized emulsion showed faster decomposition of resveratrol, whereas the OVA-DEX-conjugate-stabilized emulsion had approximately 73% retention of resveratrol. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of resveratrol-loaded emulsions stabilized by OVA-DEX was higher during storage under different temperatures. These results proved that the OVA-DEX conjugates had the potential to form stable, food-grade emulsion-based delivery systems against environmental stresses, which strongly supports their potential in the field of food and biomedical applications.

Analysis on Foodborne Pathogen Contamination of Food Samples in Longnan City from 2013 to 2022.

The objective was to determine the prevalence of foodborne pathogens in food in Longnan City, Gansu Province, China. In this research, we conducted tests on baked foods, catering foods, meat, and fruits and vegetables sold in supermarkets, farmers' markets, restaurants, retail stores, street stalls, and school canteens from 2013 to 2022. We analyzed the variety of foodborne pathogens (Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, and diarrheagenic Escherichia coli) in different sites and food types. Once foodborne pathogens were detected in the sample, it was deemed unqualified. The total detection rates of foodborne pathogens were 1.559%, 3.349%, 1.980%, 1.040%, 3.383%, and 1.303% in food from supermarkets, farmers' markets, restaurants, retail stores, street stalls, and school canteens, respectively. No pathogenic bacteria were detected in baked foods. Salmonella, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, B. cereus, and diarrheagenic E. coli were detected in catering foods, among which B. cereus had the highest detection rate. Salmonella was the most common pathogenic bacteria detected in meat, while the detection rate of pathogenic bacteria in fruits and vegetables was low, with only one positive sample for diarrheagenic E. coli. Among the six sites, street stalls (3.382%) and farmers' markets (3.349%) had higher detection rates of pathogens. In general, the detection rate of pathogens from 2013 to 2022 was not high, but there were also some hidden dangers. Catering food is vulnerable to pathogen contamination, and street stalls and farmers' markets are the main sites of pollution. According to the above findings, the regulatory authorities should continue to strengthen supervision, guarantee food safety through early warning, and reduce the risk of food contamination.

Case Report: Clinicopathological characteristics of patients with gastric cancer with features of a submucosal tumour.

Purpose: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, diagnosis and key points in the differential diagnosis of patients with gastric cancer (GC) with features of a submucosal tumour (GCSMT). Methods: The clinical presentation and imaging findings of four GCSMT cases diagnosed at our centre from 2016 to 2021 were observed and their clinicopathological outcomes were analysed. The related literature was reviewed. Based on our collected data and the related literature, a total of 31 cases of GCSMT can be summarized. Results: 22 out of 31 cases did not present obvious symptoms and were accidentally discovered during gastroscopic examination. Only 10 patients experienced symptoms such as gastric discomfort, upper abdominal swelling and pain, haematemesis, or haematochezia. The male to female ratio was 22:9 and the age of onset ranged from 40 to 81 years (median age: 63 years). Tumours were located in the upper and middle third of the stomach (24/31), and in the lower third(7/31). The tumour diameter ranged from 0.6 to 7.3 cm, with an average value of 2.5 cm. Endoscopically, the disease manifested as SMTs, with the gastric mucosal surface appearing normal. Most patients underwent radical gastrectomy for GC (80.6%, 25/31). The pathological diagnoses of the 31 cases of GCSMT included well- and moderately-differentiated adenocarcinoma (6/31), poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma or signet ring cell carcinoma 6/31), mucinous adenocarcinoma (9/31), lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (7/31), gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type (3/31). Stage T1b and T2 tumours accounted for 56.7% (17/30) and 26.7% (8/30) of all cases. Lymph node metastases were found in six cases (20.0%, 6/30), whereas distant metastasis was not observed in any of the cases. For the 16 patients whose follow-up data were available, the follow-up time was 5-66 months, during which recurrence or metastasis was not observed. Conclusion: GCSMT is a rare disease that is often difficult to accurately diagnose through endoscopic biopsy. The importance of gaining an understanding of this disease lies in differentiating it from other SMTs (mostly mesenchymal tumours) to avoid misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis and enable the early diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Primary Xp11 translocation PEComa of the testis with SFPQ⁃TFE3 rearrangement: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasms (PEComas) are a family of mesenchymal tumors with features of both smooth muscle and melanocytic differentiation. A subset of PEComas demonstrate rearrangements involving the TFE3 (Xp11) locus. Xp11 translocation PEComa is a rare neoplasm with special clinicopathological features and a more aggressive behavior. We recently encountered a case of Xp11 translocation PEComa occurring in the testis, with SFPQ⁃TFE3 rearrangement. CASE PRESENTATION: A 57-year-old male touched a mass in his testis incidentally. MRI revealed a 10 mm diameter mass in the right testis. The patient underwent radical orchiectomy. Gross examination revealed a well-demarcated mass from the surrounding testicular tissue. Microscopically, the tumor mainly displayed nested or sheet-like architecture separated by delicate fibrovascular septa. The tumor cells exhibited marked nuclear atypia and pleomorphism. Immunohistochemistry showed that the tumor cells were strongly positive for cathepsin-K, HMB45 and TFE3. Molecular analysis revealed SFPQ⁃TFE3 gene fusion. Thus, it was diagnosed as primary Xp11 translocation PEComa of the testis. CONCLUSIONS: The present case reports primary Xp11 translocation PEComa of the testis for the first time, which to our knowledge has not been described in the literature in this anatomic site, where it could potentially be problematic in diagnosis.

A meta-analysis of wenxin granule and metoprolol for the treatment of coronary heart disease and arrhythmia.

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis aimed to systematically and comprehensively assess the effectiveness and safety of wenxin granule (WXG) and metoprolol in the treatment of elderly patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and arrhythmia. METHODS: We searched the electronic databases of the Cochrane Library, PUBMED, EMBASE, CNKI, Wangfang, and CBM from initiation to May 1, 2022, and selected a set of clinical indicators for WXG and metoprolol for CHD and arrhythmia. The methodological quality of the included studies was analyzed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Data were pooled using a fixed-effects or random-effects model, and a meta-analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Eight randomized controlled trials involving 722 patients with CHD and arrhythmia were included. Our findings showed that WXG and metoprolol showed better effects than metoprolol alone on electrocardiogram change (odds ratio [OR] = 7.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.48, 35.07]), clinical symptom improvement (OR = 5.83, 95% CI [1.52, 22.35]), overall clinical effect (OR = 5.51, 95% CI [2.65, 11.44], P < .001), atrial premature beat (mean difference [MD] = -109.85, 95% CI [-171.25, -48.46], P < .001), ventricular premature beat (MD = -195.43, 95% CI [-334.09, -56.77], P < .001), borderline premature beat (MD = -42.92, 95% CI [-77.18, -8.67], P = .01), short-burst ventricular tachycardia (MD = -35.98, 95% CI [-39.66, -32.30], P < .001), ST segment reduction (MD = -0.47, 95% CI [-0.54, -0.40], P < .001), ST segment decrease duration (MD = -0.76, 95% CI [-0.95, -0.57], P < .001). However, no significant differences were observed in adverse reactions (OR = 0.54, 95% CI [0.27, 1.09], P = .09). CONCLUSION: Compared to metoprolol alone, WXG and metoprolol can more effectively manage patients with CHD and arrhythmia. However, additional large-scale, multicenter, rigorous, and high-quality randomized controlled trials are warranted to verify the present findings.

Correlation Between Detection Results of Pepsin in Vocal Fold Polyp Tissues and the Postoperative Efficacy.

PURPOSE: To explore the correlation between detection results of pepsin in vocal fold polyp tissues and the postoperative efficacy. METHODS: The clinical data of 112 patients with vocal fold polyp who received surgical procedures in our hospital from June 2019 to March 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The vocal fold morphology and vocal acoustic function were assessed at postoperative week 12. Using binary logistic regression, we explored whether the factors, ie, detection result of pepsin in vocal fold polyp tissue, microscopic suturing, the use of CO2 laser, and the history of smoking, affected the postoperative morphological repair of vocal fold polyps. Then, to observe and compare the influence of the detection results of pepsin on the recovery of vocal acoustic function, we divided the enrolled patients into the pepsin group and the pepsin-free group based on the postoperative detection results of pepsin in the polyp tissues by immunohistochemistry, RESULTS: In the 112 patients with vocal fold polyps, positive staining of pepsin in the postoperative samples was found in 76 patients (67.86%) and negative in 36 (32.14%). Totally 80 patients returned to normal in vocal fold morphology, among whom 32 (88.89%) were in pepsin-free group and 48 (63.16%) in pepsin group. Binary logistic regression showed that pepsin was a clinically significant indicator that affected the postoperative morphological recovery of the vocal fold (P = 0.003). Although hoarse voice was improved in all patients at postoperative week 12, the differences were statistically significant in the proportion of patients with grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain class G, voice handicap index, maximum phonation time, Jitter, Shimmer and noise-to-harmonic ratio between the pepsin group and the pepsin-free group (P < 0.05), with the pepsin-free group being superior to the pepsin group in the improvement of vocal acoustic function. CONCLUSION: Pepsin in vocal fold polyps is a clinically significant indicator affecting the postoperative morphological recovery and acoustic efficacy, and patients with negative pepsin are superior to those with positive pepsin in the postoperative recovery of vocal fold morphology and function.

Circular RNA UBAP2 contributes to tumor growth and metastasis of cervical cancer via modulating miR-361-3p/SOX4 axis.

BACKGROUND: Increasing researches have reported that circular RNA UBAP2 (circUBAP2) may be a potential prognosis biomarker and participate in the development of several cancers; however, the role of circUBAP2 in cervical cancer (CC) remains largely unclear. METHODS: We applied qRT-PCR and Western blot to examine expression levels of circUBAP2, miR-361-3p, SOX4, Bax, Bcl-2, Cleaved caspase 3, N-cadherin, Vimentin and E-cadherin. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and migration were analyzed by MTT assay, Flow cytometry, and Transwell assay, respectively. The interaction between miR-361-3p and circUBAP2 or SOX4 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay and pull-down assay. Murine xenograft model was established by injecting SiHa cells which stably transfected sh-circUBAP2. RESULTS: CircUBAP2 was up-regulated in CC tissues and cell lines and high circUBAP2 expression predicated poor outcome. Knockdown of circUBAP2 suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT, while induced apoptosis in CC in vitro, and inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. MiR-361-3p directly bound to circUBAP2 or SOX4, and circUBAP2 could regulate SOX4 expression by sponging miR-361-3p in CC cells. Furthermore, rescue assay results demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of circUBAP2 knockdown on cell growth and metastasis were partially reversed by miR-361-3p down-regulation or SOX4 up-regulation in CC. CONCLUSION: CircUBAP2 represents a prognostic marker and contributes to tumor growth and metastasis via modulating miR-361-3p/SOX4 axis in CC, which indicates a potential therapeutic target for CC treatment.

Aberrant Expression of miR-142-3p and its Target Gene HMGA1 and FZD7 in Breast Cancer and its Clinical Significance.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of miR-142-3p in breast cancer cells and the related mechanism. METHODS: Sixty paired breast cancer tissues were collected and 60 breast tissues from patients with mammary hyperplasia served as the control group. The expression of miR-142-3p was examined using RT-qPCR methods; moreover, we also performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine whether miR142-3p can distinguish breast cancer patients from the controls. Next, HMGA1 and FZD7 have been predicted as target genes of miR-142-3p, and the expressions of HMGA1 and FZD7 in breast cancer tissue and the control group were examined using RT-qPCR and western blot methods. RESULTS: miR-142-3p was significantly down-regulated in breast cancer tissue compared with the controls, and the levels of miR-142-3p was negatively correlated with the tumor size, degree of differentiation, and metastasis (p < 0.01). Moreover, results of ROC curve analysis indicated that the expression of miR-142-3p can distinguish between patients with breast cancer and the control group (AUC = 0.819, 95% CI, 0.756 - 0.881). Furthermore, the expressions of HMGA1 and FZD7 were significantly up-regulated in patients with breast cancer compared with the controls. The level of miR-142-3p was negatively correlated with expressions of HMGA1 (r = -0.3507, p = 0.006) and FZD7 (r = -0.3410, p = 0.0077) in patients with breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our results proved that miR-142-3p may serve as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer by suppressing the expression of oncogene HMGA1 and FZD7, suggesting that miR-142-3p has the potential to become a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for the early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Preventive and therapeutic effect of simvastatin on secondary inflammatory damage of rats with cerebral hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the preventive and therapeutic effect and mechanism of simvastatin on secondary inflammatory damage of rats with cerebral hemorrhage. METHODS: Sixty SD rat aged 9-12 weeks were chosen and divided into the control group, model group and simvastatin-treated group randomly with 20 rats in each group. Rats in the model group and simvastatin-treated group were infused with autologous fresh uncoagulated blood to the right brain tissue of the basal ganglia to build the cerebral hemorrhage model, while rats in the control group were treated with the same amount of normal saline. Then, rats in the simvastatin-treated group were given a gavage of 3 mg/kg of simvastatin once a day after modeling. Rats in the three groups were given nerve dysfunction score (NDS) and wet-dry weighting method was used to detect the brain water content (BWC) of brain tissues around the lesion of the rats. Then Nissl staining was conducted and the undamaged neurons were counted. Immunohistochemical SP method was applied to count the number of NF-κB, TLR4 and IL-1ß positive cells in brain tissues around the lesions, and the immuno fluorescence method was employed to determine the expression levels of NF-κB, TLR4 and IL-1ß proteins. RESULTS: The NDS results of the simvastatin-treated group at all time points were all significantly higher than those of the model group (P < 0.05); the BWC values of the simvastatin-treated group at all time points were all significantly lower than those of the model group at the same periods (P < 0.05); the number of the undamaged neurons around the lesions of the simvastatin-treated group at all time points were all significantly higher than those of the model group (P < 0.05); seven days after treatment, the number of the NF-κB, TLR4 and IL-1ß positive cells in brain tissues around the lesions of the simvastatin-treated group were all significantly lower than those of the model group (P < 0.05), and its expression levels of NF-κB, TLR4 and IL-1ß protein were also significantly lower than those of the model group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Simvastatin can inhibit the expressions of NF-κB, TLR4 and IL-1ß proteins in rats with cerebral hemorrhage, and protect neurons and reduce secondary inflammatory damages by down-regulating the above protein-mediated inflammatory responses.

Effects of mild induced hypothermia on hippocampal connexin 43 and glutamate transporter 1 expression following traumatic brain injury in rats.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common cause of worldwide disability and mortality. Currently, the incidence and prevalence of TBI is markedly increasing and an effective therapy is lacking. Therapeutic hypothermia (32­35˚C) has been reported to reduce intracranial pressure and induce putative neuroprotective effects. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of mild induced hypothermia (MIH) on the expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) and glutamate transporter 1 (GLT­1) in the hippocampus following TBI in rats. A rat model of TBI was created using a modified weight­drop device, followed by 4 h of hypothermia (33˚C) or normothermia (37˚C). A wet­dry weight method was used to assess brain edema and spatial learning ability was evaluated using a Morris water maze. The levels of Cx43 and GLT­1 were detected by immunohistochemical and western blot analysis, respectively. The results demonstrated that MIH treatment improved TBI­induced brain edema and neurological function deficits. In addition, therapeutic MIH significantly downregulated Cx43 expression and upregulated the levels of GLT­1 in the hippocampus post­TBI. These findings suggested that treatment with MIH may provide a novel neuroprotective therapeutic strategy for TBI through reversing the increase in Cx43 protein and the decrease in GLT­1.

Apoptosis of THP-1 macrophages induced by protoporphyrin IX-mediated sonodynamic therapy.

BACKGROUND: Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) was developed as a localized ultrasound-activated cytotoxic therapy for cancer. The ability of SDT to destroy target tissues selectively is especially appealing for atherosclerotic plaque, in which selective accumulation of the sonosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), had been demonstrated. Here we investigate the effects of PpIX-mediated SDT on macrophages, which are the main culprit in progression of atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cultured THP-1 derived macrophages were incubated with PpIX. Fluorescence microscopy showed that the intracellular PpIX concentration increased with the concentration of PpIX in the incubation medium. MTT assay demonstrated that SDT with PpIX significantly decreased cell viability, and this effect increased with duration of ultrasound exposure and PpIX concentration. PpIX-mediated SDT induced both apoptosis and necrosis, and the maximum apoptosis to necrosis ratio was obtained after SDT with 20 µg/mL PpIX and five minutes of sonication. Production of intracellular singlet oxygen and secondary disruption of the cytoskeleton were also observed after SDT with PpIX. CONCLUSION: PpIX-mediated SDT had apoptotic effects on THP-1 macrophages via generation of intracellular singlet oxygen and disruption of the cytoskeleton. PpIX-mediated SDT may be a potential treatment to attenuate progression of atherosclerotic plaque.

Involvement of tissue transglutaminase in endothelin 1-induced hypertrophy in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.

A potential link between tissue-type transglutaminase (tTG) and cardiac hypertrophy was suggested recently. However, whether tTG is implicated in hypertrophic agonist-induced cardiac hypertrophy is not yet known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of tTG on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by endothelin (ET) 1. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis demonstrated that ET-1 increased the expression of tTG mRNA and protein in cardiomyocytes by activating ET(A) receptors. ET-1 failed to cause increases in cell size and [(3)H]leucine uptake, sarcomere reorganization, and gene induction of the atrial natriuretic factor when cardiomyocytes were treated with monodansylcadaverine, a competitive inhibitor of tTG. Furthermore, the effects of ET-1 on multifunctional activities of tTG were determined by evaluating the incorporation of [(3)H]putrescine into N,N'-dimethylated casein and charcoal absorption, respectively. The results showed that ET-1 did not influence the basal transglutaminase activity of cardiomyocytes but significantly inhibited the 0.1-mmol/L Ca(2+)-stimulated transglutaminase activity. Otherwise, ET-1 elevated the activity of GTPase in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. In vivo, right ventricular hypertrophy induced by 2 weeks of chronic hypoxia was depressed by the tTG inhibitor cystamine (10 to 30 mg/kg, 2 times per day, IP) in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, our data strongly supported the notion that tTG may act as a positive regulator of the hypertrophic program in response to ET-1. This is probably attributable to the signaling activity of tTG rather than transglutaminase activity.