The effect of ultrasonic power on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of frosted figs pectin.

Ultrasound has been widely used in industry due to its high energy and efficiency. This study optimized the ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) process of frosted figs pectin (FFP) using response surface methodology (RSM), and further investigated the effect of ultrasonic power on the structural characteristics and antioxidant activities of FFPs. The UAE method of FFP through RSM was optimized, and the optimal extraction process conditions, particle size of 100 mesh, pH value of 1.95, liquid-solid ratio of 47:1 (mL/g), extraction temperature of 50 °C and extraction time of 65 min, were obtained. The extraction rate of FFP under this condition was 37.97 ± 2.56 %. Then, the four FFPs modified by ultrasound were obtained by changing the ultrasonic power. Research had found that ultrasonic power had little effect on the monosaccharide composition, Zeta potential, as well as the thermal stability and appearance structure of the four FFPs. However, ultrasonic power had a significant impact on other properties of FFP: as the ultrasonic power increased, the DM% and particle size decreased continuously, while the total carbohydrate content increased. Meanwhile, ultrasonic power also had a significant impact on antioxidant activities of FFPs. From the research results, it could be seen that different ultrasonic power had certain changes in its spatial structure and properties, and the structural changes also affected the biological activity of FFP. The study of the effects of ultrasonic power on the physicochemical properties and biological activity of FFP lays the foundation for the development and application of FFP in food additives and natural drug carriers.

Clinical value of regional lymph node sorting in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence have shown that regional lymph node metastasis is a critical prognostic factor in gastric cancer (GC). In addition, lymph node dissection is a key factor in determining the appropriate treatment for GC. However, the association between the number of positive lymph nodes and area of lymph node metastasis in GC remains unclear. AIM: To investigate the clinical value of regional lymph node sorting after radical gastrectomy for GC. METHODS: This study included 661 patients with GC who underwent radical gastrectomy at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital between January 2012 and June 2020. The patients were divided into regional sorting and non-sorting groups. Clinicopathological data were collected and retrospectively reviewed to determine the differences in the total number of lymph nodes and number of positive lymph nodes between the groups. Independent sample t-tests were used for intergroup comparisons. Continuous variables that did not conform to a normal distribution were expressed as median (interquartile range), and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for inter-group comparisons. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of the surgical method, tumor site, immersion depth, and degree of differentiation. The total number of lymph nodes was significantly higher in the regional sorting group (n = 324) than in the non-sorting group (n = 337) (32.5 vs 21.2, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the number of positive lymph nodes between the two groups. A total of 212 patients with GC had lymph node metastasis in the lymph node regional sorting group, including 89 (41.98%) cases in the first dissection station and 123 (58.02 %) cases in the second dissection station. Binary and multivariate logistic regression results showed that the number of positive lymph nodes (P < 0.001) was an independent risk factor for lymph node metastases at the second dissection station. CONCLUSION: Regional sorting of lymph nodes after radical gastrectomy may increase the number of detected lymph nodes, thereby improving the reliability and accuracy of lymph node staging in clinical practice.

Effect of cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide on the properties of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles stabilized Pickering emulsion and its cured poly(L-lactic acid) materials.

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles stabilized Pickering emulsions were prepared by dichloromethane (CH2 Cl2 ) dissolved poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) as the oil phase and the deionized water with different concentrations of cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB) as the aqueous phase. Effect of CTAB concentration on emulsions type and stability were studied. The emulsion type underwent a two-phase inversion, and emulsion stability increased first and then decreased with increasing CTAB concentrations. Besides, effect of CTAB concentration on zeta potential, aggregate size, contact angle of HAp nanoparticles and the oil-water interfacial tension were studied. The results indicated that zeta potential value of HAp nanoparticles changed from negative to positive, and the contact angle increased to over 80° initially and then decreased to below 40° rapidly. The distribution of HAp nanoparticles on the surface of emulsion droplets with different concentrations of CTAB (5 and 20 mM) was characterized using laser-induced confocal microscope. It revealed the distribution of HAp nanoparticles changed with different CTAB concentrations. The cured PLLA materials were obtained after the solvent being volatilized using as-received emulsions as templates. Scanning electron microscope images showed both microspheres and porous materials with interconnected pore structure were obtained. In conclusion, the microstructure of microspheres or porous PLLA materials is controllable by adjusting the property of HAp nanoparticles stabilized Pickering emulsions with appropriate amount of CTAB.

Caffeine versus aminophylline in combination with oxygen therapy for apnea of prematurity: A retrospective cohort study.

The present study was conducted to investigate the clinical significance of caffeine and aminophylline in the treatment of premature infants with apnea under varying conditions of oxygen (O2) delivery. The clinical data of 120 premature infants with apnea treated with oxygen therapy and either caffeine citrate (20 mg/kg/day; n=77) or aminophylline (10 mg/kg/day; n=43) were retrospectively examined. The therapeutic performance of the drugs after the completion of the treatment was evaluated primarily according to the risk of recurrent episodes of apnea, the changes in the duration and concentration of inhaled O2 and the incidence of complications. In contrast to aminophylline, caffeine treatment significantly reduced the duration of O2 inhalation and the inhaled O2 concentration in the infants treated with mechanical ventilation or O2 delivery devices (P<0.05). Treatment with caffeine also decreased the incidence of recurrent apnea events and complications in the investigated population (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Caffeine performs better than aminophylline in the treatment of premature infants with apnea under different conditions of O2 delivery. The therapeutic performance of caffeine is achieved primarily via improving the efficacy of supplemental O2 and reducing the incidence of complications.

Laser trapping/confocal Raman spectroscopic characterization of PLGA-PEG nanoparticles.

We have immobilized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on the surfaces of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles by two different chemical methods, i.e., SOCl2 halogenate-alcoholysis and DCC dehydration. The immobilized PLGA nanoparticles were characterized by DLS, 1H NMR, FT-IR and laser trapping/confocal Raman spectroscopic techniques. As a result, especially the Raman spectra which were measured after optically trapping ca. 10 individual nanoparticles in solution indicated that the PLGA nanoparticles were successfully immobilized with the PEG by the chemical methods.

Incomplete radiofrequency ablation promotes the development of CD133+ cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 via inducing SOX9 expression.

BACKGROUND: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) accelerate the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) residual after incomplete radiofrequency ablation (In-RFA). The present study aimed to detect the effects of In-RFA on stemness transcription factors (STFs) expression which are important for the production and function of CSCs, and to find which STFs promote HCC stemness after In-RFA. METHODS: HepG2 cells were used for in vitro and in vivo studies. Flow cytometry and sphere-formation assays were used to detect the level and function of CD133+CSCs in the models. PCR array and ELISA were applied to analyze the altered expression of 84 STFs in CD133+CSCs in two models. Specific lentiviral shRNA was used to knockdown STFs expression, followed by detecting In-RFA's effects on the levels and function of CD133+CSCs. RESULTS: In-RFA was identified to induce CD133+CSCs and increase their tumorigenesis ability in vitro and in vivo. The mRNA levels of 84 STFs in CD133+CSCs were detected by PCR array, showing that 15 and 22 STFs were up-regulated in two models, respectively. Meanwhile, the mRNA levels of seven common STFs were up-regulated in both models. ELISA assay demonstrated that only the protein of sex determining region Y-box 9 (SOX9) was up-regulated in both models, the protein levels of the other 6 common STFs did not increase in both models. Finally, SOX9 was identified to play an important role in inducing, maintaining stemness and promoting tumorigenesis ability of CD133+CSCs in both models. CONCLUSION: In-RFA-induced SOX9 stimulates CD133+CSCs proliferation and increases their tumorigenesis ability, suggesting that SOX9 may be a good target for HCC treatment.

[Clinical features of childhood hemophagocytic syndrome and its association with human parvovirus B19 infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of childhood hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) with human parvovirus B19 (HPVB19) infection, and to analyze the clinical features of this disease. METHODS: ELISA and quantitative real-time PCR were used to detect HPVB19-IgM, HPVB19-IgG and HPVB19-DNA in 65 children with HPS (HPS group) and 65 healthy children (control group). The HPS group was divided into HPVB19-infected (n=14) and non-infected (n=51) groups according to the detection results of HPVB19-DNA. The clinical data of two groups were compared. RESULTS: The positive rate of HPVB19-IgM in the HPS group (26%, 17/65) was significantly higher than that in the control group (9%, 6/65) (P=0.011), and there was no significant difference in the positive rate of HPVB19-IgG between the HPS (38%, 25/65) and control groups (29%, 19/65) (P=0.266). The infection rate of HPVB19 in the HPS group (22%, 14/65) was significantly higher than that in the control group (3%, 2/65) (P=0.001). Compared with the non-infected group, the HPVB19-infected group had significantly lower platelet count and hemoglobin level on admission, significantly more severe liver function damage, a significantly earlier onset time, and a significantly longer course of disease (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The pathogenesis of HPS may be associated with HPVBl9 infection. HPVBl9-infected children with HPS have more acute onset, more severe clinical manifestations, and a longer disease duration.

Expression and significance of MMP-9 and MDM2 in the oncogenesis of lung cancer in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) in the oncogenesis of lung cancer in rats and to explore their clinical value. METHODS: A total of 140 rats were selected, of which 20 were selected randomly as the control group; and the remaining 120 as the observation group. The observation group was injected with benzopyrene to establish diseases model such as tissue proliferation, abnormal proliferation and lung cancer. Detected the MMP-9 levels of lung tissue by enzyme-linked assay, detected the MDM2 levels of lung tissue by immunochemistry assay. RESULTS: The MMP-9 and MDM2 expression of the lung cancer group and the abnormal proliferation group were significantly higher than that in the tissue proliferation group and the control group, the difference was significant (P<0.05). And the MDM2 expression of the tissue proliferation group was significantly higher than that in the control group, the difference was significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the MMP-9 expression between the tissue proliferation group and the control group (P>0.05). The MDM2 and MMP-9 expression were increased in turn in the small cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The MMP-9 and MDM2 expressions of stage III and stage IV lung cancer tissue in rats were significant higher than that during stage I and stage II, the difference was significant (P<0.05). There was no significantly different in the MMP-9 and MDM2 expressions between stage III and stage IV(P>0.05), and there is no significant difference of the MMP-9 and MDM2 expressions between stage I and stage II(P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of MMP-9 and MDM2 in lung tissue was associated with lung disease and lung cancer, both of them may be involved in the development and metastasis of lung cancer. Combined detection can be used as therapy and prognostic indicators for lung cancer.

Increase in neuroexcitability of unmyelinated C-type vagal ganglion neurons during initial postnatal development of visceral afferent reflex functions.

BACKGROUND: Baroreflex gain increase up closely to adult level during initial postnatal weeks, and any interruption within this period will increase the risk of cardiovascular problems in later of life span. We hypothesize that this short period after birth might be critical for postnatal development of vagal ganglion neurons (VGNs). METHODS: To evaluate neuroexcitability evidenced by discharge profiles and coordinate changes, ion currents were collected from identified A- and C-type VGNs at different developmental stages using whole-cell patch clamping. RESULTS: C-type VGNs underwent significant age-dependent transition from single action potential (AP) to repetitive discharge. The coordinate changes between TTX-S and TTX-R Na(+) currents were also confirmed and well simulated by computer modeling. Although 4-AP or iberiotoxin age dependently increased firing frequency, AP duration was prolonged in an opposite fashion, which paralleled well with postnatal changes in 4-AP- and iberiotoxin-sensitive K(+) current activity, whereas less developmental changes were verified in A-types. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate for the first time that the neuroexcitability of C-type VGNs increases significantly compared with A-types within initial postnatal weeks evidenced by AP discharge profiles and coordinate ion channel changes, which explain, at least in part, that initial postnatal weeks may be crucial for ontogenesis in visceral afferent reflex function.

Honatisine, a novel diterpenoid alkaloid, and six known alkaloids from Delphinium honanense and their cytotoxic activity.

A novel diterpene alkaloid named honatisine (1) has been isolated from the whole plants of Delphinium honanense, along with six known alkaloids, siwanine E (2), isoatisine (3), atisine (4), delcorinine (5), uraphine (6), and nordhagenine A (7). Their structures were deduced on the basis of their spectral data. All of them were evaluated by a SRB assay for their cytotoxicity, and compound 1 showed a significant cytotoxic activity (IC(50) =3.16 µM) against the MCF-7 cell line.

[Studies on the karyotype and bands of hybrid pig].

Using usual method, we got karyotype of hybrid pig (wild soar (male symbol) x domestic pig (female symbol)), C-band and approximate 174 bands of G-band, and we also obtained approximate 258 bands of high resolution G-band by micro-Colchicin method. The result indicate that the diploid chromosome number is 2n=38; there is polymorphism in C-band,and compared with domestic pig in G-band and high resolution G-band there is no distinguish difference. They belong to the same seed.