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ABSTRACT: The incidence of pancreatic cancer is increasing worldwide. Approximately, 60% of patients with pancreatic cancer have distant metastases at the time of diagnosis, of which only 10% can be removed using standard resection. Further, patients derive limited benefits from chemotherapy or radiotherapy. As such, alternative methods to achieve local control have emerged, including permanent iodine-125 seed interstitial brachytherapy. In 2023, the Chinese College of Interventionalists, affiliated with the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, organized a group of multi-disciplinary experts to compose guidelines for this treatment modality. The aim of this conference was to standardize the procedure for permanent iodine-125 seed interstitial brachytherapy, including indications, contraindications, pre-procedural preparation, procedural operations, complications, efficacy evaluation, and follow-up.
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Braquiterapia , Radioisótopos do Iodo , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Humanos , Braquiterapia/métodos , Radioisótopos do Iodo/uso terapêutico , Radioisótopos do Iodo/administração & dosagem , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/radioterapia , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patologia , China , Consenso , Guias de Prática Clínica como AssuntoRESUMO
Autonomous search is an ongoing cycle of sensing, statistical estimation, and motion control with the objective to find and localise targets in a designated search area. Traditionally, the theoretical framework for autonomous search combines sequential Bayesian estimation with information theoretic motion control. This paper formulates autonomous search in the framework of possibility theory. Although the possibilistic formulation is slightly more involved than the traditional method, it provides a means for quantitative modelling and reasoning in the presence of epistemic uncertainty. This feature is demonstrated in the paper in the context of partially known probability of detection, expressed as an interval value. The paper presents an elegant Bayes-like solution to sequential estimation, with the reward function for motion control defined to take into account the epistemic uncertainty. The advantages of the proposed search algorithm are demonstrated by numerical simulations.
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Thymosin ß4 (Tß4) is the ß-thymosin (Tßs) with the highest expression level in human cells; it makes up roughly 70-80% of all Tßs in the human body. Combining the mechanism and activity studies of Tß4 in recent years, we provide an overview of the subtle molecular mechanism, pharmacological action, and clinical applications of Tß4. As a G-actin isolator, Tß4 inhibits the polymerization of G-actin by binding to the matching site of G-actin in a 1:1 ratio through conformational and spatial effects. Tß4 can control the threshold concentration of G-actin in the cytoplasm, influence the balance of depolymerization and polymerization of F-actin (also called Tread Milling of F-actin), and subsequently affect cell's various physiological activities, especially motility, development and differentiation. Based on this, Tß4 is known to have a wide range of effects, including regulation of inflammation and tumor metastasis, promotion of angiogenesis, wound healing, regeneration of hair follicles, promotion of the development of the nervous system, and improving bone formation and tooth growth. Tß4 therefore has extensive medicinal applications in many fields, and serves to preserve the kidney, liver, heart, brain, intestine, and other organs, as well as hair loss, skin trauma, cornea repairing, and other conditions. In this review, we focus on the mechanism of action and clinical application of Tß4 for its main biological functions.
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Actinas , Timosina , Humanos , Actinas/genética , Actinas/metabolismo , Citoesqueleto de Actina/metabolismo , Timosina/farmacologia , Timosina/química , Timosina/metabolismo , CicatrizaçãoRESUMO
Chronic pain patients often have anxiety disorders, and some of them suffer from anxiety even after analgesic administration. In this study, we investigated the role of AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in chronic pain-induced persistent anxiety in mice and explored potential drug targets. Chronic inflammatory pain was induced in mice by bilateral injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the planta of the hind paws; anxiety-like behaviours were assessed with behavioural tests; S-nitrosylation and AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission were examined using biochemical assays and electrophysiological recordings, respectively. We found that CFA induced persistent upregulation of AMPAR membrane expression and function in the vmPFC of anxious mice but not in the vmPFC of non-anxious mice. The anxious mice exhibited higher S-nitrosylation of stargazin (an AMPAR-interacting protein) in the vmPFC. Inhibition of S-nitrosylation by bilaterally infusing an exogenous stargazin (C302S) mutant into the vmPFC rescued the surface expression of GluA1 and AMPAR-mediated synaptic transmission as well as the anxiety-like behaviours in CFA-injected mice, even after ibuprofen treatment. Moreover, administration of ZL006, a small molecular inhibitor disrupting the interaction of nNOS and PSD-95 (20 mg·kg-1·d-1, for 5 days, i.p.), significantly reduced nitric oxide production and S-nitrosylation of AMPAR-interacting proteins in the vmPFC, resulting in anxiolytic-like effects in anxious mice after ibuprofen treatment. We conclude that S-nitrosylation is necessary for AMPAR trafficking and function in the vmPFC under chronic inflammatory pain-induced persistent anxiety conditions, and nNOS-PSD-95 inhibitors could be potential anxiolytics specific for chronic inflammatory pain-induced persistent anxiety after analgesic treatment.
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Ansiedade , Dor Crônica , Córtex Pré-Frontal , Receptores de Glutamato , Animais , Camundongos , Ansiedade/etiologia , Ansiedade/metabolismo , Transtornos de Ansiedade , Dor Crônica/complicações , Dor Crônica/metabolismo , Ibuprofeno , Córtex Pré-Frontal/metabolismo , Transmissão Sináptica , Receptores de Glutamato/química , Receptores de Glutamato/metabolismo , Inflamação/complicações , Inflamação/metabolismoRESUMO
Immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction has shown enormous success for various cancers. Despite their encouraging results in clinics, antibody-based checkpoint inhibitors have several limitations, such as poor tumor penetration. To address these limitations of monoclonal antibodies, there is a growing interest in developing low-molecular-weight checkpoint inhibitors, such as antibody fragments. Several antibody fragments targeting PD-1/PD-L1 were recently discovered using phage libraries from camel or alpaca. However, animal-derived antibody fragments may elicit unwanted immune responses, which limit their therapeutic applications. For the first time, we used a human domain antibody phage library and discovered anti-human PD-L1 human single-domain antibodies (dAbs) that block the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. Among them, the CLV3 dAb shows the highest affinity to PD-L1. The CLV3 dAb also exhibits the highest blocking efficacy of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. Moreover, the CLV3 dAb significantly inhibits tumor growth in mice implanted with CT26 colon carcinoma cells. These results suggest that CLV3 dAb can be potentially used as an anti-PD-L1 inhibitor for cancer immunotherapy.
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Antineoplásicos Imunológicos , Neoplasias do Colo , Anticorpos de Domínio Único , Animais , Anticorpos Monoclonais/uso terapêutico , Antineoplásicos Imunológicos/farmacologia , Antígeno B7-H1 , Neoplasias do Colo/terapia , Humanos , Imunoterapia/métodos , Camundongos , Receptor de Morte Celular Programada 1RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Drug resistance and metastasis involving hypoxic tumor environments and persistent stem cell populations are detrimental to the survival of patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Tie1 is upregulated in hypoxia and is believed to counteract the effectiveness of platinum agents by promoting the stemness properties in cells. We have investigated the association of Tie1 with HIF-1α and cisplatin resistance in NSCLC cell lines. METHODS: The expression of Tie1 in a pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell line (HPMEC) and NSCLC cell lines was detected using qRT-PCR and western blotting. The effect of Tie1 on cell stemness and migration was examined by sphere-forming and transwell assays in NSCLC cells with Tie1 silenced. The regulation of Tie1 by HIF-1α was evaluated by a dual-luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: We found that hypoxia could induce stemness and cisplatin resistance in vitro. Tie1 was expressed at low levels in NSCLC cells when compared with human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, however, its expression was increased by hypoxia. Additionally, Tie1 knockdown could reduce stemness properties and increase sensitivity to cisplatin in vitro and in a xenograft mouse model. The promoter of Tie1 contains two predicted hypoxia-response elements (HREs). We mutated both HRE sites and conducted chromatin immune-precipitation and promoter luciferase reporter assays and were able to conclude that the induction of Tie1 by hypoxia was HIF-1α-dependent. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that Tie1 is upregulated in a hypoxic environment by HIF-1α and contributes to tumorigenesis and cisplatin resistance through the promotion of stemness in NSCLC cells.
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Objective and Aims: To assess percutaneous vesselplasty's safety and efficacy in treating pathological vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). Subjects and Methods: This retrospective review covered nine patients with an equal number of symptomatic pathological VCFs treated with vesselplasty. The study assessed the patients' pain scores, subjective conditions, imaging guidance, and incidence of procedure-related complications. Results: The VCFs were at the T4 and L5 spine regions. The procedure success rate was 100%. In 88.89% (8/9) of the examined cases, there was a posterior vertebral body or pedicle involvement or both. Two patients with high thoracic VCFs underwent combined computed tomography and mobile C-arm fluoroscopy guidance. The other patients underwent digital subtraction angiography guidance. The average visual analog scale (VAS) score and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) before the treatment were 7.78 ± 0.67 standard deviation (SD) and 75.45 ± 7.55, respectively. The average VAS score and ODI 3 months after the treatment were 2.67 ± 0.50 (SD) and 32.45 ± 6.19 (P < 0.001), respectively. There were no recorded cases of symptomatic cement leakage or other operation-associated complications. Conclusions: Percutaneous vesselplasty appears to be a safe and effective minimally invasive local treatment for pathological VCFs. This approach may offer benefits in improving pain, mobility, and function and minimizing the bone cement leakage rate while providing a safe and effective alternative treatment for pathological VCFs.
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Fraturas por Compressão , Cifoplastia , Fraturas por Osteoporose , Fraturas da Coluna Vertebral , Fraturas por Compressão/etiologia , Fraturas por Compressão/cirurgia , Humanos , Cifoplastia/métodos , Fraturas por Osteoporose/cirurgia , Estudos Retrospectivos , Fraturas da Coluna Vertebral/etiologia , Fraturas da Coluna Vertebral/cirurgia , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Anxiety is common in patients suffering from chronic pain. Here, we report anxiety-like behaviors in mouse models of chronic pain and reveal that nNOS-expressing neurons in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) are essential for pain-induced anxiety but not algesia, using optogenetic and chemogenetic strategies. Additionally, we determined that excitatory projections from the posterior subregion of paraventricular thalamic nucleus (pPVT) provide a neuronal input that drives the activation of vmPFC nNOS-expressing neurons in our chronic pain models. Our results suggest that the pain signal becomes an anxiety signal after activation of vmPFC nNOS-expressing neurons, which causes subsequent release of nitric oxide (NO). Finally, we show that the downstream molecular mechanisms of NO likely involve enhanced glutamate transmission in vmPFC CaMKIIα-expressing neurons through S-nitrosylation-induced AMPAR trafficking. Overall, our data suggest that pPVT excitatory neurons drive chronic pain-induced anxiety through activation of vmPFC nNOS-expressing neurons, resulting in NO-mediated AMPAR trafficking in vmPFC pyramidal neurons.
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Dor Crônica/enzimologia , Dor Crônica/psicologia , Núcleos da Linha Média do Tálamo/enzimologia , Neurônios/enzimologia , Óxido Nítrico Sintase Tipo I/metabolismo , Córtex Pré-Frontal/enzimologia , Animais , Ansiedade , Comportamento Animal , Dor Crônica/genética , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Núcleos da Linha Média do Tálamo/citologia , Neurônios/citologia , Óxido Nítrico/metabolismo , Óxido Nítrico Sintase Tipo I/genética , Córtex Pré-Frontal/citologiaRESUMO
A high-yield silver alkynyl assembly [Ag8(C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C t Bu)5(CF3COO)3(CH3CN)] n (1) constructed from [AgC[triple bond, length as m-dash]C t Bu] n ligand, CF3COOAg and CH3CN auxiliary ligands with a one-dimensional infinite chain structure has been obtained in one pot. Compound 1 has been well-defined and characterized. The photocurrent properties and the temperature-sensitive luminescent properties of 1 have been investigated.
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The original single-molecule rectifier proposed by Aviram and Ratner is based on a donor-σ-acceptor structure, in which σ functions as the insulator to disconnect the π electronic systems of the two parts. However, there have been no reports on experimentally demonstrated highly efficient single-molecule rectifiers based on this mechanism. In this paper, we demonstrate single-molecule rectifiers with perpendicularly connected metal porphyrin-imide dyads. Our proposed molecule rectifiers use hydroxyl groups at both ends as weak anchoring groups. Measurements of the single-molecule current-voltage characteristics of these molecules clearly show that the rectification ratio reached a high value of 14 on average. Moreover, the ratio could be tuned by changing the central metal in the porphyrin core. All of these features can be explained by the energy-level shift of the molecular orbital using a model with three electronic parts.
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BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of the current study was to investigate the synergistic efficacy of Robo1 bichimeric antigen receptor-natural killer cell (BiCAR-NK) immunotherapy and 125I seed brachytherapy in an orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The orthotopic pancreatic tumor model was established with human pancreatic cancer BxPC-3 cells expressing red fluorescent protein. The mice were treated with 125I seed implantation alone or the combination of 125I seeds with Robo1-specific CAR-NK cells. To assess tumor inhibition, in vivo fluorescence imaging was conducted. 7 Tesla magnetic resonance (7T-MR) scanning was applied to measure the changes in the metabolic profiles of tumor tissues. RESULTS: Tumor size was significantly reduced in the 125I and 125I +CAR-NK treated group compared to the untreated group (p<0.05). The 125I seed +CAR-NK treated group showed significantly higher tumor reduction than 125I seed treatment alone (p<0.05). T1 diffusion weighted imaging (T1DWI) sequence showed that the tumors of the 125I +BiCAR-NK treated group had a significantly higher grey scale value than the tumors from the untreated control and the group treated with 125I seed alone (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Robo1 specific CAR-NK immunotherapy enhances efficacy of 125I seed brachytherapy in an orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse model.
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Braquiterapia/métodos , Imunoterapia , Radioisótopos do Iodo/uso terapêutico , Células Matadoras Naturais/imunologia , Proteínas do Tecido Nervoso/imunologia , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/terapia , Receptores de Antígenos/imunologia , Receptores Imunológicos/imunologia , Animais , Apoptose , Proliferação de Células , Citotoxicidade Imunológica/imunologia , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Camundongos Nus , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/imunologia , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/metabolismo , Células Tumorais Cultivadas , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de Xenoenxerto , Proteínas RoundaboutRESUMO
Liver fibrosis is caused by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix during chronic liver injuries. Although clinical evidence suggests that liver fibrosis can be reversed, there is no standard therapy for liver fibrosis. Moreover, there is a lack of diagnostic tools to detect early-stage liver fibrosis. Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the key step during liver fibrogenesis, and its mechanism has been extensively studied by various cell culture and animal models. Targeted delivery of therapeutic agents to activated HSCs is therefore critical for the successful treatment of liver fibrosis. A number of protein markers have been found to be overexpressed in activated HSCs, and their ligands have been used to specifically deliver various antifibrotic agents. In this review, we summarize these HSC-specific protein markers and their ligands for targeted delivery of antifibrotic agents.
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Sistemas de Liberação de Medicamentos/métodos , Células Estreladas do Fígado/efeitos dos fármacos , Cirrose Hepática/tratamento farmacológico , Animais , HumanosRESUMO
Supramolecular structures of organic molecules on planar nanocarbon surfaces, such as highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), have been extensively studied and the factors that control them are generally well-established. In contrast, the properties of supramolecular structures on curved nanocarbon surfaces like carbon nanotubes remain challenging to predict and/or to understand. This paper reports an investigation into the first study of the supramolecular structures of 5,15-bisdodecylporphyrin (C12P) on chiral, concentrated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs; with right-handed helix P- and left-handed helix M-) surfaces using STM. Furthermore, the study is the first of its kind to experimentally assign the absolute-handedness chirality of SWNTs, as well as to understand their effect on the supramolecular structures of organic molecules on their surfaces. Interestingly, these SWNT enantiomers resulted in supramolecular structures of opposite chirality based on the handedness chirality. With molecular modelling, we predicted the absolute-handedness chirality of SWNTs, before demonstrating this experimentally.
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AIM: To evaluate a 3D-printed coplanar template for iodine-125 seed implantation therapy in patients with pancreatic cancer. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of our database was performed, and a total of 25 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent iodine-125 seed implantation between January 2014 and November 2017 were analyzed. Of these, 12 implantations were assisted by a 3D-printed coplanar template (group A), and 13 implantations performed freehand were selected as a control group (group B). A 3D coplanar template was designed and printed according to a preoperative CT scan and treatment planning system. The iodine-125 seeds were then implanted using the template as a guide. Dosimetric verification was performed after implantation. Pre- and postoperative D90, V100, and V150 were calculated. The success rate of iodine-125 seed implantation, dosimetric parameters, and complications were analyzed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Iodine-125 seed implantation was successfully performed in both groups. In group A, the median pre- and postoperative D90 values were 155.32 ± 8.05 Gy and 154.82 ± 16.43 Gy, respectively; the difference between these values was minimal and not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Postoperative V100 and V150 were 91.05% ± 4.06% and 64.54% ± 13.40%, respectively, which met the treatment requirement. A better dosimetric parameter was observed in group A than in group B, and the difference was statistically significant (V100: 91.05% ± 4.06% vs 72.91% ± 13.78%, P < 0.05). No major procedure-related complications were observed in either group. For group A, mild hemorrhage was observed in 1 patient with a peritoneal local hematoma due to mesenteric vein damage from the iodine-125 seed implantation needle. The hematoma resolved spontaneously without treatment. Postoperative blood amylase levels remained within the normal range for all patients. CONCLUSION: A 3D-printed coplanar template appears to be a safe and effective iodine-125 seed implantation guidance tool to improve implantation accuracy and optimize dosimetric distribution.
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Braquiterapia/métodos , Radioisótopos do Iodo/administração & dosagem , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/radioterapia , Planejamento da Radioterapia Assistida por Computador/métodos , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Braquiterapia/efeitos adversos , Braquiterapia/instrumentação , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Veias Mesentéricas/lesões , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Agulhas/efeitos adversos , Pâncreas/diagnóstico por imagem , Pâncreas/patologia , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/diagnóstico por imagem , Impressão Tridimensional , Dosagem Radioterapêutica , Planejamento da Radioterapia Assistida por Computador/efeitos adversos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate the safety and efficacy of 125I seed interstitial implantation brachytherapy for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) as well as the life quality of patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 2009 to May 2015, 28 patients who met the eligibility criteria were retrospectively reviewed. The number of implanted 125I seeds ranged from 7 to 62, with appropriate activity of 0.5-0.8 mCi. The postplan showed that the matched peripheral dose (MPD) of tumors was 80-140 Gy. The duration of follow-up ranged from 1 to 32 months with a median of 18 months. Visual analog scale (VAS), Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS), and motor performance were evaluated before and after treatment. RESULTS: Seed implantation was well tolerated by all patients. Pain was obviously alleviated in all patients. VAS score of patients was significantly decreased from 4.89 ± 1.52 before treatment to 1.61 ± 1.20 after treatment, and KPS score was significantly increased from 73.93 ± 12.27 to 86.76 ± 10.90 (P < 0.05). The local control rates of 1, 2, and 3 years were 77%, 34%, and 14%, respectively, with a median of 19 months (7-32 months). The survival rates of 1, 2, and 3 years were 81%, 54%, and 14%, respectively, with a median of 25 months. Seven (100%) nonwalking patients regained motor ability. No myelopathy or other neurologic sequelae were encountered. CONCLUSION: Interstitial 125I seed implantation brachytherapy may be a promising local therapy, which was an alternative and palliative way for treating MESCC.
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Braquiterapia , Neoplasias Epidurais/patologia , Radioisótopos do Iodo/administração & dosagem , Compressão da Medula Espinal/etiologia , Compressão da Medula Espinal/radioterapia , Neoplasias da Coluna Vertebral/complicações , Neoplasias da Coluna Vertebral/secundário , Idoso , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/efeitos adversos , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Braquiterapia/efeitos adversos , Braquiterapia/métodos , Neoplasias Epidurais/diagnóstico , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Radioterapia Guiada por Imagem , Compressão da Medula Espinal/diagnóstico , Neoplasias da Coluna Vertebral/diagnóstico , Análise de Sobrevida , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R) is overexpressed in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and therefore can be utilized for HSC-specific drug delivery. We recently discovered an IGF2R-specific peptide using a novel biopanning. Here, we adopted biotin-conjugated IGF2R-specific peptide, cholesterol, and vitamin A as the targeting ligands for the neutravidin-based siRNA nanocomplex to deliver PCBP2 siRNA, a potentially antifibrotic agent, to HSCs. Compared to vitamin A and cholesterol, the IGF2R-specific peptide exhibited the highest targeting effect to human LX-2 HSC, rat HSC-T6 cell line, and activated primary rat HSCs. Accordingly, the IGF2R-specific peptide coupled nanocomplex demonstrated higher silencing activity of PCBP2 and better inhibition on the migration of activated HSCs. Compared to free siRNA and the nanocomplexes coupled with vitamin A and cholesterol, the IGF2R-specific peptide coupled nanocomplex showed the highest uptake in the liver and lowest uptake in the lung and kidney of the rats with CCl4-induced liver fibrosis.
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Sistemas de Liberação de Medicamentos , Células Estreladas do Fígado/efeitos dos fármacos , Cirrose Hepática/tratamento farmacológico , Nanocompostos/química , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/farmacologia , RNA Interferente Pequeno/genética , Animais , Avidina/metabolismo , Biotina/metabolismo , Tetracloreto de Carbono/toxicidade , Células Cultivadas , Colesterol/química , Colesterol/metabolismo , Células Estreladas do Fígado/citologia , Células Estreladas do Fígado/metabolismo , Humanos , Cirrose Hepática/induzido quimicamente , Cirrose Hepática/metabolismo , Masculino , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/química , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/metabolismo , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Receptor IGF Tipo 2/química , Receptor IGF Tipo 2/metabolismo , Vitamina A/química , Vitamina A/metabolismoRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND AIM: α-complex protein-2 (αCP2) encoded by the poly (rC) binding protein 2(PCBP2) gene is responsible for the accumulation of type I collagen in fibrotic livers. In this study, we silenced the PCBP2 gene using a small interfering RNA (siRNA) to reverse alcohol-and cytokine-induced profibrogenic effects on hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). METHODS: Primary rat HSCs and the HSC-T6 cell line were used as fibrogenic models to mimic the initiation and perpetuation stages of fibrogenesis, respectively. We previously found that a PCBP2 siRNA, which efficiently silences expression of αCP2, reduces the stability of type I collagen mRNA. We investigated the effects of the PCBP2 siRNA on cell proliferation and migration. Expression of type I collagen in HSCs was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. In addition, we evaluated the effects of the PCBP2 siRNA on apoptosis and the cell cycle. RESULTS: PCBP2 siRNA reversed multiple alcohol- and cytokine-induced profibrogenic effects on primary rat HSCs and HSC-T6 cells. The PCBP2 siRNA also reversed alcohol- and cytokine-induced accumulation of type I collagen as well as cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, the combination of LY2109761, a transforming growth factor-ß1 inhibitor, and the PCBP2 siRNA exerted a synergistic inhibitive effect on the accumulation of type I collagen in HSCs. CONCLUSIONS: Silencing of PCBP2 using siRNA could be a potential therapeutic strategy for alcoholic liver fibrosis.
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Insulin like growth factor II receptor (IGFIIR) is a transmembrane protein overexpressed in activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), which are the major target for the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this study, we aim to discover an IGFIIR-specific aptamer that can be potentially used as a targeting ligand for the treatment and diagnosis of liver fibrosis. Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) was conducted on recombinant human IGFIIR to identify IGFIIR-specific aptamers. The binding affinity and specificity of the discovered aptamers to IGFIIR and hepatic stellate cells were studied using flow cytometry and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). Aptamer-20 showed the highest affinity to recombinant human IGFIIR protein with a Kd of 35.5 nM, as determined by SPR. Aptamer-20 also has a high affinity (apparent Kd 45.12 nM) to LX-2 human hepatic stellate cells. Binding of aptamer-20 to hepatic stellate cells could be inhibited by knockdown of IGFIIR using siRNA, indicating a high specificity of the aptamer. The aptamer formed a chimera with an anti-fibrotic PCBP2 siRNA and delivered the siRNA to HSC-T6 cells to trigger silencing activity. In Vivo biodistribution study of the siRNA-aptamer chimera also demonstrated a high and specific uptake in the liver of the rats with CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. These data suggest that aptamer-20 is a high-affinity ligand for antifibrotic and diagnostic agents for liver fibrosis.
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Aptâmeros de Nucleotídeos/isolamento & purificação , Aptâmeros de Nucleotídeos/metabolismo , Células Estreladas do Fígado/metabolismo , Receptor IGF Tipo 2/metabolismo , Técnica de Seleção de Aptâmeros , Animais , Linhagem Celular , Citometria de Fluxo , Humanos , Ligação Proteica , Ratos , Ressonância de Plasmônio de SuperfícieRESUMO
Although dyslipidemia is associated with cardiovascular disease, there are conflicting data about the role of serum lipids and their ratios in promoting arterial stiffness. The authors aimed to compare serum lipid profiles to predict arterial stiffness, which was assessed by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity in young Chinese men. A total of 1015 participants aged 18 to 44 years without serious comorbidities were recruited for conventional detection. Anthropometrics, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, serum lipids, and other laboratory data were measured. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed to examine the relationship between serum lipid profiles and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity. Participants with high brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity exhibited higher levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/HDL-C, and non-HDL-C/HDL-C. The subsequent multivariable logistic regression showed that TG/HDL-C, total cholesterol/HDL-C, non-HDL-C/HDL-C, and TG significantly increased the risk for arterial stiffness after adjustment for confounding factors. Results indicate that lipid ratios are superior to conventional lipid parameters for predicting arterial stiffness in young men and that the TG/HDL-C ratio has the strongest association with arterial stiffness.
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Índice Tornozelo-Braço/métodos , Lipoproteínas/sangue , Rigidez Vascular , Adulto , Antropometria , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
Orally administered vaccine bacteria usually persist for a period of time in the intestinal tracts of immunized individuals, and are excreted in feces to the environment resulting in a potential biosafety issue. The releasing risk can be minimized by immediate elimination of the persistent vaccine bacteria once adequate protective immune responses have been elicited by the vaccine bacteria. In a previous study, inducible expression of truncated yncE gene (yncE*) was found lethal to host bacteria. This feature has an application potential in biosafety control. Here, we assessed the efficacy of YncE* in eliminating an attenuated strain of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in a mouse model. To this end, a pBAD-derived plasmid containing yncE* under the control of the Ara promoter was transformed into a ΔphoPQ mutant of S. Typhimurium. Our data show that the induced expression of yncE* in the presence of arabinose eliminated the vaccine bacteria both in vitro and in vivo. BALB/c mice with or without streptomycin-pretreatment were used to assess the efficacy of YncE* in vivo. Oral administration of 500 µl of 20% arabinose at 24 h postvaccination removed the vaccine bacteria from the guts of the tested mice without streptomycin-pretreatment. For streptomycin-pretreated mice, which were colonized with higher levels of Salmonella, an additional gavage of arabinose was required to completely eliminate the vaccine bacteria in the guts of the tested mice. The orally administered arabinose did not affect the persistence of bacteria that had penetrated the intestinal mucosa of the immunized mice. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the protection rate between the routine immunization and the immunization with the arabinose treatment. The results indicate that the yncE* element improves the biosafety of the bacterial vaccine, and can be taken in consideration in future design of live bacterial vaccines.