Neodymium affects the generation of reactive oxygen species via GSK-3ß/Nrf2 signaling in the gill of zebrafish.

Rare earth element neodymium (Nd) is widely used in industry and agriculture, which may result in the pollution of aquatic environment. In this study, we exposed zebrafish with 10, 50, and 100 µg/L Nd for four weeks. The results showed that Nd could be accumulated in fish gill and Nd accumulation affected the equilibrium of nutrient elements. Nd decreased the antioxidant enzymes' activity and gene expression level, but enhanced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, various concentration of Nd treatments inhibited Nrf2 signaling in gill. To examine the critical role of GSK-3ß/Nrf2 signaling on ROS generation under Nd stress, we further interfered gsk-3ß gene in zebrafish under 100 µg/L Nd exposure. The result showed that gsk-3ß gene interference induced Nrf2 signaling as well as the expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes in fish gill. In all, Nd could be accumulated in fish gill, and the signaling of GSK-3ß/Nrf2 was involved in regulating ROS generation under Nd treatments.

Antibacterial activity of novel synthesized chitosan-graft-poly(N-tertiary butylacrylamide)/neodymium composites for biomedical application.

In this present study, composites of chitosan-graft-poly(N-tertiary butylacrylamide) (CH-graft-poly(N-tert-BAAm)) copolymer, with Neodymium (Nd), an important rare earth element, were prepared by precipitation technique. Nd was successfully incorporated into the polymer of different weight percentages (0.5%, 1%, and 2%) without any degradation. The effect of neodymium additives on the structural, morphological, and antibacterial activities against gram-positive bacteria and gram-negative bacteria of the polymer was analyzed using various instrument techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results together with Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) studies confirmed the morphology of Nd-doped CH-graft-poly(N-tert-BAAm) composites without any other impurities. The antibacterial effect of Nd was studied by adding it to the copolymer in a weight ratio of 0.5%-2%. The antibacterial effect of neodymium concentration on four different strains of bacteria was investigated: Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (DSM 50071) (P. aeruginosa), Bacillus subtilis (DSM 1971) (B. subtilis), and Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus (ATCC 25923) (S. aureus). The antibacterial activities of the obtained composites were determined using the Agar Well Diffusion Assay Method. Experimental results show that Nd binds well to CH-graft-poly(N-tert-BAAm). Activity against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, and S. aureus subsp. aureus creates a potential for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

Effects of neodymium magneto-priming on seed germination and salinity tolerance in tomato.

Earth's biosphere is surrounded by magnetic fields that affect all living organisms. A plant's response to magnetic fields is displayed in terms of its seed's vigor, growth, and yield. Examining seed germination in such magnetic fields is the first step in the investigation of how magnetic fields might be used to enhance plant growth and maximize crop performance. In this study, salinity-sensitive Super Strain-B tomato seeds were primed with the northern and southern poles of neodymium magnets of 150, 200, and 250 mT. The magneto-primed seeds showed a significant increase in germination rate and speed, where the orientation of the magnet was identified as being crucial for germination rate and the orientation of seeds towards the magnet was shown to affect the germination speed. The primed plants exhibited enhanced growth characteristics, including longer shoots and roots, larger leaf area, more root hairs, higher water content, and more tolerance to salinity levels, up to 200 mM NaCl. All magneto-primed plants showed a significant decrease in chlorophyll content, continuous chlorophyll fluorescence yield (Ft), and quantum yield (QY). The salinity treatments decreased all chlorophyll parameters in control plants, significantly, but did not lower such parameters in magneto-primed tomatoes. The results of this study illustrate the positive effects of neodymium magnet on the growth and development of tomato plants in terms of their germination, growth, and salinity tolerance, and negatively affected the chlorophyll content in tomato leaves. © 2023 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

Acute toxicity of single and combined rare earth element exposures towards Daphnia similis.

The increasing use of Rare Earth Elements (REE) in emerging technologies, medicine and agriculture has led to chronic aquatic compartment contamination. In this context, this aimed to evaluate the acute toxic effects of lanthanum (La), neodymium (Nd) and samarium (Sm), as both single and binary and ternary mixtures on the survival of the microcrustacean Daphnia similis. A metal solution medium with (MS) and without EDTA and cyanocobalamin (MSq) as chelators was employed as the assay dilution water to assess REE bioavailability effects. In the single exposure experiments, toxicity in the MS medium decreased following the order La > Sm > Nd, while the opposite was noted for the MSq medium, which was also more toxic than the MS medium. The highest MS toxicity was observed for the binary Nd + La (1:1) mixture (EC50 48 h of 11.57 ± 1.22 mg.L-1) and the lowest, in the ternary Sm + La + Nd (2:2:1) mixture (EC50 48 h 41.48 ± 1.40 mg.L-1). The highest toxicity in the MSq medium was observed in the single assays and in the binary Sm + Nd (1:1) mixture (EC50 48 h 10.60 ± 1.57 mg.L-1), and the lowest, in the ternary Sm + La + Nd (1:2:2) mixture (EC50 48 h 36.76 ± 1.54 mg.L-1). Concerning the MS medium, 75 % of interactions were additive, 19 % antagonistic, and 6 % synergistic. In the MSq medium, 56 % of interactions were synergistic and 44 % additive. The higher toxicity observed in the MSq medium indicates that the absence of chelators can increase the concentrations of more toxic free ions, suggesting that the MS medium should be avoided in REE assays. Additive interactions were observed in greater or equivalent amounts in both media and were independent of elemental mixture ratios. These findings improve the understanding of environmental REE effects, contributing to the establishment of future guidelines and ecological risk calculations.

Varying Doses of Rare-Earth-Metal-Based Neodymium Zirconate Zinc Sulfide Nanocomposite Disrupt Blood and Serum Parameters, as well as Markers of Oxidative Stress in the Selected Organs of Albino Mice.

Despite extensive industrial use, the biocompatibility of nanocomposites has not been extensively explored. The present study was designed to report the effect of variable doses of a newly synthesized nanocomposite, Neodymium Zirconate Zinc Sulfide, on selective serum and complete blood count parameters and on the oxidative stress markers from the vital organs of albino mice. Albino mice (C57BL/6 strain, 5 weeks old) of both sexes were orally treated for 11 days, either with 10 mg (low dose) or 20 mg/mL saline/kg body weight (high dose) of Neodymium Zirconate Zinc Sulfide nanocomposite. A control group that was not treated with the nanocomposite but with saline solution was also maintained. Data analysis revealed that high-dose nanocomposite-treated male mice had significantly reduced hemoglobin concentration as compared to the control males. Female mice treated with both doses of nanocomposite had higher serum triglyceride levels than controls. High-dose-treated female mice had elevated serum cholesterol concentration compared to their saline-treated controls. Oxidative stress marker analysis from selected organs indicated that concentrations of malonaldehyde (MDA) in the kidney and liver, Superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in the brain and catalase in the kidney of male mice treated with the nanocomposite were significantly higher than in the control group, whereas SOD in the heart, MDA in the heart and kidney and catalase levels in the kidney were significantly disrupted in female mice compared to their respective controls.

Neodymium oxide nanostructures and their cytotoxic evaluation in human cancer cells.

Neodymium oxide exhibits a unique property, which facilitates and largely utilized as an industrial applications. A number of cytotoxic study is available but very limited information is available to understand their biological activity with neodymium oxide at a very low conc- entration of the material. The present work was designed to understand the cytotoxicity against liver (HepG-2) and lung (A-549) cancer cells. Initially, Neodymium oxides (Nd2O3) were prepared and characterized with various instruments. The crystallinity and morphology of Nd2O3 powder were examined with instruments such as X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) respectively, revealed the size of curved nanostructure are ~140 ± 2 in diameter whereas length goes upto ~700 nm with elemental composition. The cytotoxicity study was conducted with MTT, NRU assay with genotoxicity study via ROS, cell cycle and qPCR analysis. The cells cytotoxic assessment were analysed via MTT(3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5-Diphenyl tetra zolium Bromide) and Neutral Red Uptake (NRU) assay with neodymium oxide (Nd2O3), which indicates the reduction in cell viability. Additionally, cell-cycle analysis showed an increase in the apoptotic peak after a 24-h. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) data revealed that apoptotic genes such as p53, bax, and caspase-3 were up regulated, whereas bcl-2, an anti-apoptotic gene, was down regulated; therefore, apoptosis was mediated through ROS and genotoxicity pathways. The experiments of cytotoxicity was tested and concludes that the Nd2O3 express a moderate and dose dependent effect on cancer cells. The ROS, cell cycle analysis and qPCR showed that Nd2O3 exhibit the capability to cells death via ROS generation and genotoxicity study pathways.

Near-Infrared Emissive Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks for Targeted Biological Imaging and pH-Controlled Chemotherapy.

Near-infrared window II (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) imaging displays the advantages in deep-tissue high-contrast imaging in vivo on the strength of the high temporal-spatial resolution and deeper penetration. However, the clinical utility of NIR-II imaging agents is limited by their single function. Herein, for the first time, we report the design of a multifunctional drug delivery system (DDS) assembly, CQ/Nd-MOF@HA nanohybrids, with NIR-II fluorescence (1067 nm), large Stokes shifts, and ultrahigh quantum yield, which combined targeted NIR-II luminescence bioimaging and pH-controlled drug delivery. The nanoscale metal-organic framework (MOF) as a highly promising multifunctional DDS for targeted NIR-II bioimaging and chemotherapy in vitro and in vivo lays the foundation of the MOF-based DDS for further clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Enhancing biocompatibility and corrosion resistance of biodegradable Mg-Zn-Y-Nd alloy by preparing PDA/HA coating for potential application of cardiovascular biomaterials.

In this paper the poly-dopamine (PDA)/hyaluronic acid (HA) coatings with different HA molecular weight (MW, 4 × 103, 1 × 105, 5 × 105 and 1 × 106 Da) were prepared onto the NaOH passivated Mg-Zn-Y-Nd alloy aiming at potential application of cardiovascular implants. The characterization of weight loss, polarization curves and surface morphology indicated that the coatings with HA MW of 1 × 105 (PDA/HA-2) and 1 × 106 Da (PDA/HA-4) significantly enhanced the corrosion resistance of Mg-Zn-Y-Nd. In vitro biological test also suggested better hemocompatibility, pro-endothelialization, anti-hyperplasia and anti-inflammation functions of the PDA/HA-2- and PDA/HA-4-coated Mg-Zn-Y-Nd alloy. Nevertheless, the in vivo implantation of SD rats' celiac artery demonstrated that the PDA/HA-2 had preferable corrosion resistance and biocompatibility.

circ_0000638 inhibits neodymium oxide-induced bronchial epithelial cell inflammation through the miR-498-5p/NF-κB axis.

Inhalation of neodymium oxide, a type of rare earth metal, can induce various respiratory diseases, such as lung tissue inflammation, but the associated mechanisms underlying this induction are still unclear. In this study, we explored the role and mechanisms of circular RNA in neodymium oxide-induced airway inflammation. Our study showed that treating human bronchial epithelial (16HBE) cells with neodymium oxide caused an inflammatory response by upregulating the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses revealed significant downregulation of circRNA_0000638 in neodymium oxide-treated 16HBE cells. Data from functional analyses further showed that circ_0000638 inhibited inflammation induced by neodymium oxide in 16HBE cells. circ_0000638 targeted miR-498-5p and further increased the expression of NKRF (NF-κB repressing factor), which inhibited the activation of NF-κB (nuclear factor κB). Moreover, circ_0000638 reduced the expression of IL-8 and IL-1ß by inhibiting NF-κB activation in neodymium oxide-treated 16HBE cells. These results suggest that circ_0000638 can inhibit NF-κB activation by competitively binding to miR-498-5p, further downregulating the expression of IL-8 and IL-1ß in neodymium oxide-treated 16HBE cells.

Nd3+ -Sensitized Upconversion Metal-Organic Frameworks for Mitochondria-Targeted Amplified Photodynamic Therapy.

Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a mitochondria-specific, 808 nm NIR light-activated photodynamic therapy (PDT) system based on the combination of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and upconversion photochemistry with an organelle-targeting strategy. The system was synthesized through the growth of a porphyrinic MOF on Nd3+ -sensitized upconversion nanoparticles to achieve Janus nanostructures with further asymmetric functionalization of the surface of the MOF domain. The PDT nanoplatform allows for photosensitizing with 808 nm NIR light, which could effectively avoid the laser-irradiation-induced overheating effect. Furthermore, mitochondria-targeting could amplify PDT efficacy through the depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane and the initiation of intrinsic apoptotic pathway. This work sheds light on the hybrid engineering of MOFs to combat their current limitations for PDT.

Prussian blue-coated lanthanide-doped core/shell/shell nanocrystals for NIR-II image-guided photothermal therapy.

Lanthanide-doped nanoparticles have long been stereotyped for optical luminescence bioimaging. However, they are known to be unable to produce therapeutic abilities. Here, we describe a lanthanide-based theranostic agent, namely, prussian blue (PB)-coated NaErF4@NaYF4@NaNdF4 core/shell/shell nanocrystals encapsulated in a phospholipid PEG micelle (PEG-CSS@PB), which showed switched imaging and hyperthermia abilities under distinct near infrared (NIR) light activation. The erbium (Er3+)-enriched inner core nanocrystals (NaErF4) enabled the emission of tissue-penetrating luminescence (1525 nm) in the second biological window (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm), which endowed high-resolution optical imaging of the blood vessels and tumors under ∼980 nm excitation. High neodymium (Nd3+) concentrations in the epitaxial outer NaNdF4 shell introduced maximum cross relaxation processes that converted the absorbed NIR light (∼808 nm) into heat at high efficiencies, thus providing abilities for photothermal therapy (PTT). Importantly, the coated Prussian blue (PB) increased light absorption by about 10-fold compared to the composite free of PB, thus entailing a high light-to-heat conversion efficiency of ∼50.5%. This commensurated with that of well-established gold nanorods. As a result, the PEG-CSS@PB nanoparticles with MTT-determined low toxicities resulted in ∼80% death of HeLa cells at a dose of 600 µg mL-1 under 808 nm laser irradiance (1 W cm-2) for 10 min. Moreover, utilizing the same light dose, a single PTT treatment in tumor-bearing BALB/c mice shrunk the tumor size by ∼12-fold compared to the tumors without treatment. Our results, here, constituted a solid step forward to entitle lanthanide-based nanoparticles as theranostic agents in nanomedicine studies.

Tumor Microenvironment Responsive Shape-Reversal Self-Targeting Virus-Inspired Nanodrug for Imaging-Guided Near-Infrared-II Photothermal Chemotherapy.

Tumor microenvironment responsive multimodal synergistic theranostic strategies can significantly improve the therapeutic efficacy while avoiding severe side effects. Inspired by the fact that special morphology could enhance photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) and cellular delivery, we developed an acidic tumor microenvironment responsive shape-reversal metal-organic virus-inspired nanodrug for enhancing near-infrared (NIR)-II PCE, increasing cell adhesion, and activating tumor targeting. First, a NIR-I fluorescence probe (IR825), a chemo-drug (pemetrexed, PEM), and a rare-earth metal ion (Nd(III)) were chosen to synthesize a virus-like nanodrug via coordination-driven assembly. Then, the spike-like surface of the nanodrug was further camouflaged by an acidity-sensitive poly(ethylene glycol) "shell" to create virus-core and sphere-shell hierarchical nanoassemblies, which could efficiently prevent immune clearance and prolong systemic circulation. Interestingly, the acidic tumor microenvironment could trigger the shell detachment of nanoassemblies for shape reversal to produce a virus-like surface followed by re-exposure of PEM to synergistically amplify the cellular internalization while enhancing NIR-II PCE. By utilizing the shell-detached virus-like nanodrug core, the tumor microenvironment specific enhanced NIR-II photothermal chemotherapy can be realized under the precise guidance of fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging, thereby achieving complete tumor elimination without recurrence in a single treatment cycle. We envision that integrating the tumor microenvironment responsive ability with  "sphere-to-virus" shape reversal will provide a promising strategy for biomimetic targeted cancer therapy.

Effects of structural distinction in neodymium nanoparticle for therapeutic application in aberrant angiogenesis.

In the present study we analyzed the effect of structural distinction in neodymium nanostructures for modulating angiogenic process as the strategy for identifying biocompatible Nano therapeutics for biomedical applications. We observed structural dependence of Nd nanoparticles on biocompatibility, the spherical polymorphs showed better biocompatibility when compared with cuboidal and nanorod shaped polymorphs of neodymium. The Nd nanopolymorphs in spherical morphology exhibited least redox modulating effect compared to cuboidal shaped that was higher when compared to Nd nanorods. The efficacy of the Nd Nanopolymorphs to induce biological effect in particular on angiogenic process was observed to be directly related to the polymorphs ability to modulate redox signaling. The redox signaling was observed to be via PKM2-NOX4 signaling pathways. Further the results demonstrated that ROS generated by cuboid and rod shaped nanopolymorphs activated the pro-angiogenic factors namely VE-cadherin, HIF 1α, VEGF and VEGFR-2 to facilitate the angiogenic process. The manuscript highlights the importance of rare earth metal nanoparticles in modulating biological process for therapeutic interventions. The present study opens up a new domain in developing novel biocompatible therapeutics based on rare earth metal nanoparticles for regulating disease pathophysiology.

The degradation and transport mechanism of a Mg-Nd-Zn-Zr stent in rabbit common carotid artery: A 20-month study.

Mg-based stent is a promising candidate of the next generation fully degradable vascular stents. The latest progress includes the CE approval of the Magmaris ® WE43 based drug eluting stent. However, so far, the long term (more than 1 year implantation) in vivo degradation and the physiological effects caused by the degradation products were still unclear. In this study, a 20 month observation was carried out after the bare Mg-Nd-Zn-Zr (abbr. JDBM) stent prototype was implanted into the common carotid artery of New Zealand white rabbit in order to evaluate its safety, efficacy and especially degradation behavior. The degradation of the main second phase Mg12Nd was also studied. Results showed that the bare JDBM stent had good safety and efficacy with a complete re-endothelialization within 28 days. The JDBM stent struts were mostly replaced in situ by degradation products in 4 month. The important finding was that the volume and Ca concentration of the degradation products decreased in the long term, eliminating the clinicians' concern of possible vessel calcification. In addition, the alloying elements Mg and Zn in the stent could be safely metabolized as continuous enrichment in any of the main organs were not detected although Nd and Zr showed an abrupt increase in spleen and liver after 1 month implantation. Collectively, the long term in vivo results showed the rapid re-endothelialization of JDBM stent and the long term safety of the degradation products, indicating its great potential as the backbone of the fully degradable vascular stent. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Mg-based stent is a promising candidate of the next generation fully degradable stents, especially after the recent market launch of one of its kind (Magmaris). However the fundamental question about the long term degradation and metabolic mechanism of Mg-based stent and its degradation products remain unanswered. We implanted our patented Mg-Nd-Zn-Zr bare stent into the common carotid artery of rabbits and conducted a 20 months observation. We found that the Ca containing degradation products could be further degraded in vivo. All the alloying elements showed no continuous enrichment in the main organs of rabbits. These findings eliminate the clinicians' concern of possible vessel calcification and element enrichment after the implantation of Mg alloy based stents to some extent.

Evaluation of DNA, BSA binding, and antimicrobial activity of new synthesized neodymium complex containing 29-dimethyl 110-phenanthroline.

In order to evaluate biological potential of a novel synthesized complex [Nd(dmp)2Cl3.OH2] where dmp is 29-dimethyl 110-phenanthroline, the DNA-binding, cleavage, BSA binding, and antimicrobial activity properties of the complex are investigated by multispectroscopic techniques study in physiological buffer (pH 7.2).The intrinsic binding constant (Kb) for interaction of Nd(III) complex and FS-DNA is calculated by UV-Vis (Kb = 2.7 ± 0.07 × 105) and fluorescence spectroscopy (Kb = 1.13 ± 0.03 × 105). The Stern-Volmer constant (KSV), thermodynamic parameters including free energy change (ΔG°), enthalpy change (∆H°), and entropy change (∆S°), are calculated by fluorescent data and Vant' Hoff equation. The experimental results show that the complex can bind to FS-DNA and the major binding mode is groove binding. Meanwhile, the interaction of Nd(III) complex with protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), has also been studied by using absorption and emission spectroscopic tools. The experimental results show that the complex exhibits good binding propensity to BSA. The positive ΔH° and ∆S° values indicate that the hydrophobic interaction is main force in the binding of the Nd(III) complex to BSA, and the complex can quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA remarkably through a static quenching process. Also, DNA cleavage was investigated by agarose gel electrophoresis that according to the results cleavage of DNA increased with increasing of concentration of the complex. Antimicrobial screening test gives good results in the presence of Nd(III) complex system.

Biodegradable nasal stents (MgF2 -coated Mg-2 wt %Nd alloy)-A long-term in vivo study.

Despite innovative surgical techniques and use of current frontal sinus stents from different materials, the problem of treatment failure with consecutive reoperation remains present. The aim of our study is to investigate biocompatibility, degradation kinetics, and functionality of a newly developed fluoride-coated magnesium-based nasal stent. A minipig anatomy of frontal sinus adapted design and an external surgical approach were developed and established. The functionality of the stents was evaluated endoscopically. The stent-tissue blocks were analysed after 90 and 180 days using microcomputed tomography (µ-CT), histology, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Functional evaluation revealed an unobstructed stent lumen in all cases. Histological analysis showed moderate mucosal hyperplasia with a mild, nonspecific inflammatory response, and nonosteoconductive effect. Rejection reactions or necrosis did not occur. The volumetric analysis of the stents showed 51% volume loss after 180 days. The EDS analysis did not detect any neodymium (Nd) in the mucosa or bone. The Mg-2 wt % Nd stents are a promising option when treating the narrow passages following paranasal sinus surgery. In particular, its good biocompatibility and good functionality facilitate the re-epithelization of these constricted passages. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 350-365, 2017.

808 nm Light-triggered and hyaluronic acid-targeted dual-photosensitizers nanoplatform by fully utilizing Nd(3+)-sensitized upconversion emission with enhanced anti-tumor efficacy.

The current near-infrared (NIR) light-induced photodynamic therapy (PDT) can enhance the tissue penetration depth to trigger photosensitizers (PSs) far from the surface. NIR-mediated PDT is still challenged by overheating effect on normal tissues, limited tumor selectivity and low reactive oxygen species (ROS) yields. Here we construct a dual-agent photosensitizing nanoplatform by combining UV-blue upconversion emitting NaYF4:Yb/Tm@NaYF4:Yb@NaNdF4:Yb@NaYF4 (labeled as UCNPs) multi-shell nanocrystals with titanium dioxide (TiO2, UV-light-excited PS) and hypocrellin A (HA, blue-light-excited PS), which can induce cancer cell apoptosis by 808 nm light-triggered and hyaluronic acid (Hyal)-targeted PDT. In this construction strategy, the crystallized TiO2 shells on the surface of UCNPs can play dual roles as UV-light excited PS and conjugation site for Hyal, and then Hyal is served as targeting-ligand as well as the carrier of HA simultaneously. The step-by-step reactive mode of loading PSs and modifying targeting-ligands is a controllable and ordered design based on the use of one intermediate product as the reaction site for the next component. The Nd(3+)-sensitized UCNPs with quenching reduction layer can efficiently convert 808 nm NIR light to UV-blue emission for simultaneous activation of two PSs with enhanced intracellular ROS generation. Through the in vitro and in vivo experiment results, the dual-photosensitizers nanoplatform presents enhanced anti-tumor efficacy by effective targeting cellular uptake and taking full advantage of upconversion emission, which may make a major step toward next generation of NIR-mediated PDT.

Efficient non-enzymatic cleavage of Staphylococcus aureus plasmid DNAs mediated by neodymium ions.

Staphylococcus aureus plasmids are the main factor in the spreading of antibacterial resistance among bacterial strains that has emerged on a worldwide scale. Plasmids recovered from 12 clinical and food isolates of S. aureus were treated with 10 mM free lanthanide Nd(3+) ions (non-enzymatic cleavage agent) in Hepes buffer (pH 7.5) at 70 °C. Topological forms of plasmids-closed circular (ccc), open circular (oc), and linear (lin)-produced by cleavage at different times were separated using pulsed-field agarose gel electrophoresis. The method is proposed to detect and differentiate several plasmids in the same bacterial strain according to their size.

Uptake and effect of rare earth elements on gene expression in Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b.

It is well known that Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b has two forms of methane monooxygenase (MMO) responsible for the initial conversion of methane to methanol, a cytoplasmic (soluble) methane monooxygenase and a membrane-associated (particulate) methane monooxygenase, and that copper strongly regulates expression of these alternative forms of MMO. More recently, it has been discovered that M. trichosporium OB3b has multiple types of the methanol dehydrogenase (MeDH), i.e. the Mxa-type MeDH (Mxa-MeDH) and Xox-type MeDH (Xox-MeDH), and the expression of these two forms is regulated by the availability of the rare earth element (REE), cerium. Here, we extend these studies and show that lanthanum, praseodymium, neodymium and samarium also regulate expression of alternative forms of MeDH. The effect of these REEs on MeDH expression, however, was only observed in the absence of copper. Further, a mutant of M. trichosporium OB3b, where the Mxa-MeDH was knocked out, was able to grow in the presence of lanthanum, praseodymium and neodymium, but was not able to grow in the presence of samarium. Collectively, these data suggest that multiple levels of gene regulation by metals exist in M. trichosporium OB3b, but that copper overrides the effect of other metals by an as yet unknown mechanism.

Nd(III)-induced rice mitochondrial dysfunction investigated by spectroscopic and microscopic methods.

The production capacity and yield of neodymium (Nd) in China have ranked the first in the world. Because of its unique biophysical and biochemical properties, Nd compounds have entered into the agricultural environment greatly to promote plant growth. Mitochondria play a crucial role in respiration and metabolism during the growth of plants. However, little is known about the mechanism by which Nd act at the mitochondrial level in plant cells. In this study, rice mitochondrial swelling, collapsed transmembrane potential and decreased membrane fluidity were examined to be important factors for mitochondria permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening induced by Nd(III). The protection of cyclosporin A (CsA) and dithiothreitol (DTT) could confirm that Nd(III) could trigger mPTP opening. Additionally, mitochondrial membrane breakdown observed by TEM and the release of cytochrome c (Cyt c) could also elucidate the mPTP opening from another point of view. At last, the study showed that Nd(III) could restrain the mitochondrial membrane lipid peroxide, so it might interact with anionic lipid too. This detection will be conductive to the safe application of Nd compounds in agriculture and food industry.