Solvothermal synthesis of bifunctional carbon dots for tartrazine and Fe(III) detection from chamomile residue by ternary DES pretreatment.

A ternary deep eutectic solvent (DES) consisting of choline chloride, lactic acid, and urea in a molar ratio of 1:2:2 was used to pretreat chamomile residue, followed by carbon dots (CDs) preparation using a one-pot solvothermal method. The CDs prepared under the suitable conditions had a high quantum yield of 47.34% and could be used as a bifunctional fluorescent probe for the detection of tartrazine and Fe(III). The concentration of tartrazine or Fe(III) had a good linear relationship with the fluorescence intensity of CDs that the determination coefficient (R2) was 0.9957 and 0.9943, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 40 nM and 119 nM, respectively. After verifying the different fluorescence quenching mechanisms of CDs by these two substances, a quantitative analysis was performed on real samples with recoveries of 90.70%∼104.29%. Overall, this study provided a promising technology for chemical conversion from low-cost chamomile residue to attractive bifunctional fluorescent probe.

PHB promotes bladder cancer cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

As a member of PHB (prohibitin1) family, PHB plays important roles in many cancers, but its property in bladder carcinoma aggressiveness is unknown. This research was to explore the function and potential mechanism of PHB in bladder carcinoma in vivo and in vitro. The invasive abilities of cancer cell were determined by transwell and wound-healing assays. The function of PHB was confirmed by gene knockdown and overexpression methods. Further in vivo confirmation was performed in a nude mouse model with lung metastasis. The relationship of PHB and ß-catenin was confirmed by immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence staining assays. The protein expression of epithelial-mescenchymal transition (EMT) and Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway was tested by immunofluorescence staining and western blotting assay. The depletion of PHB prevented bladder cancer cell invasiveness and inhibited EMT. Contrarily，the abilities of bladder carcinoma cells migration and invasion in vitro as well as metastasis in vivo were enhanced when the PHB overexpressed unnormally. Importantly, the ß-catenin was identified to be bound by PHB and ß-catenin knockdown reduced the cancer cell migration, invasion and EMT in PHB overexpressing cells. In addition, PHB stabilized ß-catenin by inhibiting its ubiqutin-mediated degradation thus leading to increased Wnt/ß-catenin signaling. These observations indicate that PHB could promote bladder cancer aggressiveness by binding with ß-catenin to prevent the degradation of ß-catenin and the localized invasive bladder cancer patients with PHB overexpression should take more aggressive postsurgical adjuvant anticancer therapies.

Treatment and bioresources utilization of traditional Chinese medicinal herb residues: Recent technological advances and industrial prospect.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has wide application and important functions in curing many diseases, but a great number of herb residues are usually generated after its manufacture and usage. Without proper and timely treatment, these traditional Chinese medicinal herb (TCMH) residues will cause some environmental pollution. In addition to treatment, bioresources utilization of TCMH residues is also important for its great potential as a suitable feedstock for the production of energy, materials, and chemicals. In this situation, advanced and well-designed solid waste management is important to make the TCM industry environmentally friendly and economically attractive. In this review article, the recent progress focusing on various methods for TCMH residues treatment and bioresources utilization are introduced in detail. In particular, the technologies for thermochemical conversion and biochemical conversion of TCMH residues are mainly focused on in order to show how to fulfill effective and efficient bioresources utilization. Besides, some other technologies which are suitable for the treatment and bioresources utilization of TCMH residues are presented as well. Finally, some industrial prospects are given from the economic, operational, and environmental aspects for the further development of treatment and bioresources utilization of TCMH residues. Overall, this work can provide some systematical and comprehensive information for the development of technologies that help sustainably manage the herb residues generated in the TCM industry.

In-situ fermentation with gellan gum adding to produce bacterial cellulose from traditional Chinese medicinal herb residues hydrolysate.

In this study, bacterial cellulose was synthesized by Taonella mepensis from traditional Chinese medicinal herb residues hydrolysate. To overcome the inhibitory effect of fermentation environment, in-situ fermentation with gellan gum adding was carried out for the first time. After 10 days' static fermentation, both high-acyl gellan gum and low-acyl gellan gum adding showed certain beneficial effects for bacterial cellulose production that the highest bacterial cellulose yield (0.866 and 0.798 g/L, respectively) was 59% and 47% higher than that (0.543 g/L) without gellan gum adding. Besides, gellan gum based bacterial cellulose showed some better texture characteristics. Gellan gum was loaded in the nano network of bacterial cellulose, and gellan gum adding had some influence on the crystal structure and thermal degradation behaviors of bacterial cellulose but affected little on its functional groups. Overall, this in-situ fermentation technology is attractive for bacterial cellulose production from low-cost but inhibitory substrates.

CYP1B1 C4326G polymorphism and susceptibility to cervical cancer in Chinese Han women.

Cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) is a key P450 enzyme, which could catalyze the formation of 4-hydroxy estrogen metabolites and play a role in estrogen-dependent cancers. We hypothesized that genetic variant in CYP1B1 may modify individual susceptibility to cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between CYP1B1 C4326G polymorphism and cervical cancer risk in Chinese women. We extracted the peripheral blood samples in 250 patients with cervical cancer and 250 female controls. The matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry method and direct DNA sequencing were performed to detect the polymorphism. The frequencies of CC, CG, and GG genotypes of CYP1B1 C4326G in cases and controls were 66.0, 26.8, 7.2% and 75.2, 21.6, and 3.2%, respectively, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.034). Compared with the wild-type CC genotype, the variant GG genotype was associated with a significantly increased risk of cervical cancer (adjusted OR = 2.30; 95% CI = 1.02, 5.50). Moreover, stratification analysis by age, smoking, drinking, human papillomaviruses (HPV) 16 or 18 carrier status, and family history of cervical cancer, we found that the variant genotypes containing the G allele were associated with a significantly increased risk of cervical cancer among HPV 16 or 18-positive individuals (adjusted OR = 2.85; 95% CI = 1.45, 5.62) and among women younger than 45 years old (adjusted OR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.03, 3.37). These results suggest that CYP1B1 C4326G polymorphism may increase risk of cervical cancer in Chinese women, especially among young individuals with high-risk HPV infection.

Polymorphisms in genes HSD17B1 and HSD17B2 and uterine leiomyoma risk in Chinese women.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association of HSD17B1 and HSD17B2 gene polymorphisms with uterine leiomyoma in Chinese women. METHODS: 121 Chinese women with clinically diagnosed uterine leiomyoma and 217 healthy normal Chinese women were investigated to compare three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs605059 and rs676387 of HSD17B1 gene and rs8191246 of HSD17B2 gene) by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequencing method. RESULTS: All the SNPs were polymorphisms in Chinese women. Frequencies of rs605059 AA genotype and A allele were significantly increased in patients with uterine leiomyoma compared to healthy controls (GG vs. AA, OR 0.40, 95 % CI 0.20-0.82; G vs. A, OR 0.68, 95 % CI 0.50-0.94). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the genotype of HSD17B1 rs605059 may play a role in the tumourgenesis of uterine leiomyoma.

Combined blood purification for treating acute fatty liver of pregnancy complicated by acute kidney injury: a case series.

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI) is serious and life-threatening for the mother. The present study aimed to determine the clinical efficacy of combined blood purification treatment (CBPT) in patients with AFLP complicated by AKI. The CBPT involves plasma exchange (PE) combined with continuous venovenous hemofiltration (CVVH). The subjects were 17 patients with AFLP complicated by AKI. The CBPT was implemented based on the timely termination of pregnancy and general treatment. Changes in clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, liver ultrasounds, as well as Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Glasgow scores were evaluated. The efficacy and adverse reactions of the CBPT were also assessed. The CBPT was smoothly performed without any obvious adverse reaction. After treatment, the clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, and liver ultrasonography significantly improved. Therefore, the SOFA scores correspondingly decreased 1 week after treatment [9 (range 5-11) vs. 3 (range 0-10), P = 0.002], and the median was close to normal by the second week. The clearance rate of the total bilirubin in PE was significantly higher than that in CVVH (37.2 vs. 7.9%, P = 0.000). The incidence of acute pulmonary edema in CVVH was less than that in PE (0 vs. 41.2%, P = 0.007). Finally, the maternal mortality was 5.88% (95% CI: 0-29%). Overall, we think that CBPT aids in the recovery of liver and kidney function. Different blood purification methods may be combined to integrate and maximize their advantages to improve the prognoses of patients with serious AFLP.

[Impact of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation delayed, which occurs after functionally pituitary downregulation by depot GnRH agonist, on the outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer].

OBJECTIVE: This study observed the influence on hormone, embryos and clinical outcomes when the starting time of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) was delayed after applying a half-dose depot gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa). METHODS: A total 207 cycles were divided into 3 groups: control group (98 cycles, which performed daily low dose GnRHa during the mid-luteal phase in patients' menstrual cycles and reduced the dosage to a half at the next day 3, and added gonadotropin (Gn), conventional group (63 cycles, in which pituitary desensitization was obtained with a half-dose depot GnRHa in the mid-luteal phase, and then Gn was added at day 3) and delayed group (46 cycles, having the same usage of GnRHa to conventional group, but not adding Gn until day 7). RESULTS: The cancellation rate of cycle in conventional group was the highest (P < 0.01). At the beginning of COH, serum E2 and LH levels in delayed and control group were significantly higher than those in conventional group (P < 0.01). On the day of HCG given, serum E2 level in control group was the highest (P < 0.05). LH level in delayed and control group was higher than that in conventional group (P < 0.01). Concerning the clinical efficacy and outcome, the numbers of Gn ampoules and periods for stimulation were less in delayed group than in conventional group; the numbers of retrieved and fertilized oocytes, numbers of good quality embryos, clinical pregnancy rate and embryo implantation rate in delayed and control groups were significantly more than those in conventional group (P < 0.01). In ICSI cycles, the numbers of retrieved oocytes and metaphase II oocytes in delayed and control group were more than those in conventional group. CONCLUSIONS: A half-dose depot GnRHa may produce over suppression to pituitary gland in fertilization in vitro, appropriate delay of COH starting time can decrease ovarian stimulation period and ampoules of Gn, and increase retrieved good quality oocytes, so we could achieve a larger number of good quality embryos with a good chance of implantation.

[The relationship between the implantation of ovarian stimulated embryos and the expression of leukemia inhibitory factor mRNA in mice metrium].

OBJECTIVE: To check the expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (Lif) mRNA, and to study the impact of ovarian stimulation on the ability of embryo implantation in mice. METHODS: Pregnancy models of mice were established. The relationship between the implantation of ovarian stimulated embryos and the expression of Lif mRNA in mice metrium was analyzed. RESULTS: The group of recipients which the transfered embryos were from stimulated cycles had lower pregnancy and implantation rate compared with the group of recipients which the transfered embryos were from non-stimulated cycles (20.00%, 8.33% vs 55.00%, 35.00%). The Lif mRNA expression was similar in the groups of recipients which the transfered embryos were from stimulated and non-stimulated cycles, so was in the groups of recipients which had single or more than one baby, but higher in the group of pregnancy recipients than in the group of unpregnancy recipients. CONCLUSION: Ovarian stimulation may reduce the ability of embryo implantation in mice. Lif mRNA expression is related to the implantation, but not parallel to the number of implantation.

[The effect of basic fibroblast growth factor in ovarian cancer growth and angiogenesis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) can induce the proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis of ovarian cancer or not. METHODS: Human ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV(3) 1 x 10(4)/ml were plated in 24-well dishes, bFGF at 5, 10,15 and 20 ng/ml was added and crystal violet staining was given daily for 8 days, cell numbers were counted by determining OD490. SKOV(3) cells were plated in the center of 50% extra cellular matrix gel, bFGF at 5 and 10 ng/ml was added and the migration distance of cells was measured daily. SKOV(3) 5 x 10(7)/ml were transplanted to BALB/c nude mice subcutaneous. One week later, bFGF, bFGF-MAb or 0.9% nature sodium was injected subcutaneously surrounding the tumor twice a week. Eight weeks later, the experiment ended and the volume of the tumors were measured. Intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) was measured by immunohistochemistry staining for factor VIII. RESULTS: bFGF at 0-10 ng/ml could stimulate the proliferation of SKOV(3) concentration dependently (P<0.05). On the fifth day, the cell proliferation in 10 ng/ml group was 121% above control. bFGF could stimulate the invasion of SKOV(3) concentration dependently (P<0.05). On the seventh day, the migration distance in 5 ng/ml group was 1.16 cm and 153% above control, and that in 10 ng/ml group was 1.86 cm and 245% above control. The average volume of transplanted tumors and MVD in bFGF group were 180% and 146% above control respectively those in bFGF-MAb group were 63.7% and 62.8% above control respectively. CONCLUSION: bFGF can stimulate proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis of ovarian cancer markedly; bFGF-MAb can inhibit the angiogenesis and growth of ovarian cancer.