Clinical characteristics and impacts of traditional Chinese medicine treatment on the convalescents of COVID-19.

Objectives: A significant proportion of discharged COVID-19 patients still have some symptoms. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played an important role in the treatment of COVID-19, but whether it is helpful for discharged patients is still unknown. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the impacts of TCM treatment on the convalescents of COVID-19. Methods: A total of 372 COVID-19 convalescents from February 21 to May 3 in Shenzhen, China were retrospectively analyzed, 291 of them accepted clinically examined at least once and 191 convalescents accepted TCM. Results: After retrospective analysis of the clinical data of convalescents accepted TCM treatment or not, we found that the white blood cell count, as well as serum interleukin-6 and procalcitonin decreased in TCM group. Serum γ-glutamyl transpeptidase was significantly decreased, while prealbumin and albumin increased in TCM group. Red blood cell, hemoglobin, and platelet count increased in TCM group. The mechanisms of TCM treatment might be the overall regulations, including balanced immune response, improved hematopoiesis and coagulation systems, enhanced functions of liver and heart, increased nutrient intake and lipid metabolism. Conclusions: This study suggested that TCM treatment would be beneficial for discharged COVID-19 patients. However, long-term medical observation and further study with randomized trial should be done to confirm this result. Besides, the potential molecular mechanisms of TCM treatment should be further revealed.

Liver function recovery of COVID-19 patients after discharge, a follow-up study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to observe the liver function recovery of COVID-19 patients after discharge. Patients and Methods: A total of 253 discharged COVID-19 patients in Shenzhen city, China were selected. The clinical characteristics of these patients were assessed. A 2-month follow-up and laboratory hematology test were performed to examine the status of patients' liver function. Results: Patients combined with liver diseases, especially fatty liver, are more likely to progress to severe condition (P<0.05). Patients in severe condition and those with liver diseases have higher rates of liver injuries during hospitalization, characterized by a significant increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST, P<0.01). The ALT, AST/ALT, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), and A/G levels showed significant differences in comparison with the control group (P<0.05, and P<0.001); and the outlier ratio of A/G, ALT, GGT and ALP of patients remained abnormal higher within 14 days after discharge (P<0.001). Liver injuries of COVID-19 patients may be related to the epidemiological characteristics, clinical indexes, basic diseases, symptoms, drug treatment during hospitalization and the complications. Indicators of liver function were correlated with cardiac function, renal function, thyroid function, lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism, immune index, leukocyte, erythrocyte, hemoglobin and platelet related indexes. The outlier ratio of TP, ALB and GLB remained extremely low throughout the follow-up period; the outlier ratio of ALT, AST and GGT decreased below 10% from a high level at 40 days after discharged. However, the outlier ratio of A/G, AST/ALT and ALP remained high during the follow-up period. Conclusions: Abnormal liver function might indicate worse recovery of COVID-19 patients. Changes in liver function should be emphasized during long-term follow-up of COVID-19 patients after hospital discharge; the necessity of employing appropriate interventions for liver function repair should be emphasized.

Clinical characteristics and follow-up analysis of 324 discharged COVID-19 patients in Shenzhen during the recovery period.

Objectives: Research on recovering COVID-19 patients could be helpful for containing the pandemic and developing vaccines, but we still do not know much about the clinical features, recovery process, and antibody reactions during the recovery period. Methods: We retrospectively analysed the epidemiological information, discharge summaries, and laboratory results of 324 patients. Results: In all, 15 (8.62%) patients experienced chest distress/breath shortness, where 8 of the 15 were severely ill. This means severely ill patients need an extended amount of time to recover after discharge; next, 20 (11.49%) patients experienced anxiety and 21 (12.07%) had headache/insomnia and a small fraction of them complained of anosmia/ageusia, indicating that these patients need treatment for mental and psychological health issues. Regarding the re-positive patients, their CT and laboratory test results showed no obvious evidence of illness progress or infectivity but a high anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody expression. Conclusion: Recovered COVID-19 patients need psychological and physiological care and treatment, re-positivity can occur in any person, but juveniles, females, and patients with mild/moderate existing symptoms have higher rates of re-positivity, While there is no evidence that turning re-positive has an impact on their infectivity, but it still alerted us that we need differentiate them in the following managements.

FBW7 protects against spinal cord injury by mitigating inflammation-associated neuronal apoptosis in mice.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to severe and long-lasting neurological disability. Presently, the lack of effective therapies for SCI is largely attributable to an incomplete understanding of its pathogenesis. F-box and WD repeat domain-containing protein 7 (FBW7, also known as FBXW7) is a type of E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, and plays essential roles in regulating different pathological and physiological processes. In this study, we attempted to explore the effects of FBW7 on SCI progression by the in vivo and in vitro experiments. SCI mice showed significantly reduced expression of FBW7 in spinal cord tissues. Promoting FBW7 expression via intrathecal injection of AAV9/FBW7 effectively improved locomotor function in SCI mice. Neuronal death in spinal cords of SCI mice was obviously ameliorated by FBW7 over-expression, along with greatly decreased expression of cleaved Caspase-3. In addition, microglial activation in spinal cord specimens was detected in SCI mice through increasing Iba-1 expression levels, which was, however, attenuated in SCI mice injected with AAV9/FBW7. Additionally, FBW7 over-expression dramatically restrained inflammatory response in spinal cord tissues of SCI mice, as evidenced by the down-regulated expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) through blocking the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling. These anti-inflammatory effects of FBW7 were confirmed in LPS-stimulated mouse microglial BV2 cells. Finally, our in vitro studies showed that conditional medium (CM) collected from LPS-incubated BV2 cells markedly induced apoptosis in the isolated primary spinal neurons; However, this effect was overtly ameliorated by CM from LPS-exposed BV2 cells over-expressing FBW7. Thus, FBW7-regulated inflammation in microglial cells was involved in the amelioration of neuronal apoptosis during SCI development. Collectively, these findings illustrated that FBW7 expression was down-regulated in spinal cords of SCI mice, and promoting its expression could effectively mitigate SCI progression by repressing microglial inflammation and neuronal death.

[Nasal resorption of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin and 5-O-methylvisammioside in rats].

In this experiment, rat nasal mucosa absorption characteristics of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin and 5-O-methylvisammioside were studied to provide a basis for drug delivery of Toutongning nasal spray. The nasal mucosa absorption test in rats was conducted with in situ nasal perfusion method after pH 6 buffer solution was used to prepare high, medium and low concentrations of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, 5-O-methylvisammioside mixed solution as liquid circulation in nasal cavity. Then the concentrations of the circulating liquid compositions to be measured were determined by HPLC, and the absorption rates of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin and 5-O-methylvisammioside under different pH conditions were also investigated. According to the results, the absorption rate constant was (0.588±0.041)×10⁻³, (0.547±0.023)×10⁻³, (0.592±0.063)×10⁻³ min⁻¹ for prim-O-glucosylcimifugin high, middle and low concentrations, and (0.438±0.041)×10⁻³, (0.407±0.023)×10⁻³, and (0.412±0.063)×10⁻³ min⁻¹ for 5-O-methylvisammioside high, middle and low concentrations. There was no significant difference among high, middle and low concentration groups, and the absorption under pH 6 was better than that under other pH conditions. Therefore, we can get the conclusion that the main active ingredient of Toutongning nasal sprays can be absorbed through the nasal mucosa, and it is feasible to make nasal spray; in addition, pH 6 of nasal spray is scientific and reasonable.

[Anti-tumor effect of brucine-loaded chitosan nanoparticles in vitro].

We designed two novel polymer materials N-glycyrrhetinic acid-polyethylene glycol-chitosan derivatives (NGPC) and N-quaternary ammonium-chitosan derivatives (NQC). We prepared three kinds of drug loaded chitosan nanoparticles (brucine/NGPC-NPs, brucine/NQC-NPs, brucine/MNPs) by ionic crosslinking method with brucine as a model drug and chitosan nanoparticles（brucine/NGPC-NPs, brucine/NQC-NPs） as the reference formulation. Using high content analysis, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy and other advanced technology, we tested the effect of 20 µg·mL(-1) concentration of brucine solution and brucine/ chitosan nanoparticles（brucine/CTS-NPs） in hepatocarcinoma (HEpG2) cells and evaluated the apoptosis induced by the treatment. The results suggested that brucine-CTS/NPs had a strongest activity in killing tumor cells, and increased the total cell apoptosis rate with a significant formation of "crescent-shaped" body, swelling mitochondria, mitochondria cristae missing, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and release of cytochrome C. The activity was enhanced by multifunctional nanocomposite particles that increased the cumulative amount of drug in the mitochondria for the anti-tumor effect.

High throughput and multiplex localization of proteins and cells for in situ micropatterning using pneumatic microfluidics.

Micropatterning technologies are emerging as an enabling tool for various microfluidic-based applications in life sciences. However, the high throughput and multiplex localization of multiple bio-components in a microfluidic device has not yet been well established. In this paper, we describe a simple and in situ micropatterning method using an integrated microfluidic device with pneumatic microstructures (PµSs) for highly controllable immobilization of both proteins and cells in a high throughput, geometry-dynamic, and multi-patterning way. The precise Pluronic F127 passivation of a microchamber surface except the PµS-blocked regions was performed and characterized, and the spatial dynamics and consistency of both the PµSs and protein/cell micropatterning were optically evaluated and quantitatively demonstrated too. Furthermore, a systematic investigation of PµS-assisted micropatterning in microfluidics was carried out. The feature of high throughput and spatial control of micropatterning can be simply realized by using the well-designed PµS arrays. Meanwhile, the co-micropatterning of different proteins (bovine serum albumin and chicken egg albumin) and cells (human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human hepatocellular carcinoma cells) in a microfluidic device was successfully accomplished with the orderly serial manipulation of PµS groups. We demonstrate that PµS-assisted micropatterning can be applied as a convenient microfluidic component for large-scale and diversified protein/cell patterning and manipulation, which could be useful for cell-based tissue organization, high-throughput imaging, protein-related interactions and immunoassays.

[Research on Biological Assessment for Panax notoginseng Quality on Real-time Cell Electronic Analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the quality control and evaluation methods of Panax notoginseng on promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis effects, by determining cell index to evaluate the quality of Panax notoginseng from different habitats. METHODS: Using the real-time cell electronic analysis technology (RTCA) to examine the biological activity of specific cell-dependent cell lines on Panax notoginseng extracts. Changing trends and laws of the samples within a certain time were analyzed, and the cell index at the optimum time was determined. RESULTS: In four batches of Panax notoginseng from different habitats, cell index of Panax notoginseng from Chuxiong of Yunnan Province at the optimal time of 38 h was the highest, and the biological activity was the strongest. Cell index of Panax notoginseng from Wenshan of Yunnan Province at the optimal time of 38 h cells was the lowest, and the biological activity was the weakest. CONCLUSION: The method based on the real-time cell electronic analysis technology can initially be used in the detection of biological activity of Panax notoginseng.

Investigation of hypoxia-induced myocardial injury dynamics in a tissue interface mimicking microfluidic device.

Myocardial infarction is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, the methodological development of a spatiotemporally controllable investigation of the damage events in myocardial infarction remains challengeable. In the present study, we describe a micropillar array-aided tissue interface mimicking microfluidic device for the dynamic study of hypoxia-induced myocardial injury in a microenvironment-controllable manner. The mass distribution in the device was visually characterized, calculated, and systematically evaluated using the micropillar-assisted biomimetic interface, physiologically relevant flows, and multitype transportation. The fluidic microenvironment in the specifically functional chamber for cell positioning and analysis was successfully constructed with high fluidic relevance to the myocardial tissue. We also performed a microenvironment-controlled microfluidic cultivation of myocardial cells with high viability and regular structure integration. Using the well-established culture device with a tissue-mimicking microenvironment, a further on-chip investigation of hypoxia-induced myocardial injury was carried out and the varying apoptotic responses of myocardial cells were temporally monitored and measured. The results show that the hypoxia directionally resulted in observable cell shrinkage, disintegration of the cytoskeleton, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and obvious activation of caspase-3, which indicates its significant apoptosis effect on myocardial cells. We believe this microfluidic device can be suitable for temporal investigations of cell activities and responses in myocardial infarction. It is also potentially valuable to the microcontrol development of tissue-simulated studies of multiple clinical organ/tissue disease dynamics.

Clostridium perfringens gas gangrene caused by closed abdominal injury: A case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) gas gangrene is a rare infection that has been described in the literature as most frequently occurring in postoperative patients with open trauma. Intra-abdominal gas gangrene caused by C. perfringens infection after closed abdominal injury is extremely rare, difficult to diagnose, and progresses rapidly with high mortality risk. Here, we report a case of C. perfringens infection caused by closed abdominal injury. CASE SUMMARY: A 54-year-old male suffered multiple intestinal tears and necrosis after sustaining an injury caused by falling from a high height. These injuries and the subsequent necrosis resulted in intra-abdominal C. perfringens infection. In the first operation, we removed the necrotic intestinal segment, kept the abdomen open and covered the intestine with a Bogota bag. A vacuum sealing drainage system was used to cover the outer layer of the Bogota bag, and the drainage was flushed under negative pressure. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit for supportive care and empirical antibiotic treatment. The antibiotics were not changed until the results of bacterial culture and drug susceptibility testing were obtained. Two consecutive operations were then performed due to secondary intestinal necrosis. After three definitive operations, the patient successfully survived the perioperative period. Unfortunately, he died of complications related to Guillain-Barre syndrome 75 d after the first surgery. This paper presents this case of intra-abdominal gas gangrene infection and analyzes the diagnosis and treatment based on a review of current literature. CONCLUSION: When the intestines rupture leading to contamination of the abdominal cavity by intestinal contents, C. perfringens bacteria normally present in the intestinal tract may proliferate in large numbers and lead to intra-abdominal infection. Prompt surgical intervention, adequate drainage, appropriate antibiotic therapy, and intensive supportive care comprise the most effective treatment strategy. If the abdominal cavity is heavily contaminated, an open abdominal approach may be a beneficial treatment.

Spatiotemporally controlled and multifactor involved assay of neuronal compartment regeneration after chemical injury in an integrated microfluidics.

Studies on the degeneration and regeneration of neurons as individual compartments of axons or somata can provide critical information for the clinical therapy of nervous system diseases. A controllable in vitro platform for multiple purposes is key to such studies. In the present study, we describe an integrated microfluidic device designed for achieving localized stimulation to neuronal axons or somata. We observed neuronal compartment degeneration after localized chemical stimulation and regeneration under the accessorial function of an interesting compound treatment or coculture with desired cells in controllable chambers. In a spatiotemporally controlled manner, this device was used to investigate hippocampal neuronal soma and axon degeneration after acrylamide stimulation, as well as subsequent regeneration after treatment with the monosialoganglioside GM1 or with cocultured glial cells (astrocytes or Schwann cells). To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms that mediate neuronal injury and regeneration, as well as to investigate whether acrylamide stimulation to neurons induces changes in Ca(2+) concentrations, the related neuronal genes and real-time Ca(2+) signal in neurons were also analyzed. The results showed that neuronal axons were more resistant to acrylamide injury than neuronal somata. Under localized stimulation, axons had self-destruct programs different from somata, and somatic injury caused the secondary response of axon collapse. This study provides a foundation for future in-depth analyses of spatiotemporally controlled and multifactor neuronal compartment regeneration after various injuries. The microfluidic device is also useful in evaluating potential therapeutic strategies to treat chemical injuries involving the central nervous system.

Proteolysis by endogenous calpain I leads to the activation of calcineurin in human heart.

BACKGROUND: The calmodulin-independent pathway is thought to involve the activation of calcineurin by calpain. However, the effect of endogenous calpain on calcineurin in human heart is not well known. METHODS: Proteolysis and activation of recombinant calcineurin by purified calpain isozymes I and II as well as endogenous calcineurin by calpains in the human heart were investigated by Western blot. Activation of calpain and calcineurin in the human heart was examined using zymography and a calcineurin activity assay. RESULTS: Calpains I and II caused limited proteolysis of full-length calcineurin in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner, and the degradation fragment(s) were constitutively active in the absence of calmodulin. Calpain I and calcineurin were expressed in ventricular myocardium from patients with heart failure, with no difference in expression levels in the left and right heart chambers. Human heart calpains I and II degraded the specific substrate casein in gels which were incubated in medium containing Ca2+, but not in Ca(2+)-free medium. Calpain inhibitor-sensitive calcineurin activity was stimulated in the human ventricular myocardium in the presence of concentrations of Ca2+ that were found to activate calpain I. CONCLUSIONS: Proteolysis of calcineurin A by endogenous calpain I leads to the formation of constitutively active calcineurin in the human heart, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of myocardial disease.

Integrated analysis of the genomic and transcriptional profile of gliomas with isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 and tumor protein 53 mutations.

Background: The gene mutation of isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) is commonly found in LGG and some GBM patients and usually carries tumor protein 53 (TP53) mutations. However, the underlying mechanisms on both mutations of glioma patients in IDH1 and TP53 are still unclear. Aim: To find the potential target markers in GBM and LGG patients with IDH1 and TP53 mutation.Method: A total of 1122 glioma patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas were enrolled and divided as wild-type (without IDH1 and TP53 mutations) or both mutant (both IDH1 and TP53 mutations). The data of clinicopathological characteristics, mRNA, mutations, and copy number alteration were analyzed. Results: IDH1 and TP53 mutations, not gene expression, affect the survival probability of GBM and LGG patients, which might be related to neuron function, immune function, tumor invasion, and metastasis. The effects of the selected gene (EMILIN3, SAA1, VSTM2A, HAMP, IFT80, and CHIC2) on glioma patients could be regulated by IDH1 and TP53 mutations and had a higher survival possibility in these patients. Conclusions: The selected genes in GBM and LGG patients with IDH1 and TP53 mutations could be a potential prognosis marker in the future.

Fabrication of reversible poly(dimethylsiloxane) surfaces via host-guest chemistry and their repeated utilization in cardiac biomarker analysis.

On the basis of the host-guest interactions between azobenzenes and cyclodextrins, a new strategy for the preparation of a dually functionalized poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surface was investigated using surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) and click chemistry. The PDMS substrates were first oxidized in a H(2)SO(4)/H(2)O(2) solution to transform the surface Si-CH(3) groups into Si-OH groups. Then, the SI-ATRP initiator 3-(2-bromoisobutyramido)propyl(trime-thoxy)silane was grafted onto the substrates through a silanization reaction. Sequentially, the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) units were introduced onto the PDMS-Br surfaces via SI-ATRP reaction using oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate. Afterward, the bromide groups on the surface were converted to azido groups via nucleophilic substitution reaction with NaN(3). Finally, the azido-grafted PDMS surfaces were subjected to a click reaction with alkynyl and PEG-modified ß-cyclodextrins, resulting in the grafting of cyclodextrins onto the PDMS surfaces. The composition and chemical state of the modified surfaces were characterized via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the stability and dynamic characteristics of the cyclodextrin-modified PDMS substrates were investigated via attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and temporal contact angle experiments. The surface morphology of the modified PDMS surfaces was characterized through imaging using a multimode atomic force microscope. A protein adsorption assay using Alexa Fluor594-labeled bovine serum albumin, Alexa Fluor594-labeled chicken egg albumin, and FITC-labeled lysozyme shows that the prepared PDMS surfaces possess good protein-repelling properties. On-surface studies on the interactions between azobenzenes and the cyclodextrin-modified surfaces reveal that the reversible binding of azobenzene to the cyclodextrin-modified PDMS surfaces and its subsequent release can be reversibly controlled using UV irradiation. Sandwich fluoroimmunoassay of the cardiac markers myoglobin and fatty acid-binding protein demonstrates that the cyclodextrin-modified PDMS surfaces can be repeatedly utilized in disease biomarker analysis.

Serum positive for the autoantibody against the ß(1)-adrenoceptor from Chinese patients with congestive heart failure decreases I(ss) in mouse cardiac myocytes.

Autoantibodies targeting the ß(1)-adrenergic receptor (AAB-ß(1)) display agonist-like effects, which may have a pathogenic role in the progression of heart failure. Here, we used the electrophysiological recordings to explore the effects of AAB-ß(1)-positive serum from Chinese patients with heart failure on the activity of the peak transient outward potassium current (I(to)) and the end 50 ms steady-state potassium current (I(ss)) in mouse cardiac myocytes. We found that the AAB-ß(1)-positive serum had no effect on the activity of I(to), but it produced a decrease in the currents of I(ss). A low concentration of positive serum (1/100) had a small inhibitory effect on I(ss). However, positive serum at 1 : 10, 1 : 20, and 1 : 50 significantly decreased I(ss). The concentration-dependence analysis showed that the EC(50) of AAB-ß(1)-positive serum was 1/60.24 and its nH was 2.86. It indicated that the AAB-ß(1) could inhibit I(ss) in mouse cardiomyocyte in a concentration-dependent manner.

[Correlation of adiponectin gene SNP +45T/G polymorphism and premature coronary heart disease of Han ethnic males].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of adiponectin (APN) locus +45T/G and Han male patients with premature coronary artery heart disease (pCAD). METHODS: A total of 423 male patients of Han ethnic group (< 55 yr old) undergoing coronary arteriography were recruited. Among them, 358 patients were diagnosed as pCAD while another 65 normal control (NC). All subjects were genotyped for adiponectin gene SNP +45 by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. RESULTS: Statistical differences of TG/GG genotype ratio were observed between two groups. The TG/GG genotype ratio in the pCAD group was 51.1% versus 35.4% in the NC group (χ(2) = 5.45, P = 0.022). After an adjustment of conventional risk factors, such as age, body mass index (BMI) and hypertension, the adiponectin gene SNP +45TG/GG genotype was strongly associated with Han ethnic group male pCAD by binary logistic regression analysis (OR = 1.843, P = 0.035, 95%CI: 1.045 ∼ 3.250). And there were statistical differences between TT genotype and TG/GG genotype among pCAD subjects in the following factors: BMI, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-C (LDL-C) and APN level (P < 0.05). By Pearson correlation analysis, APN was negatively correlated with TC, LDL-C and SNP +45T/G polymorphism. CONCLUSION: The SNP of adiponectin locus +45T/G is associated with male pCAD. And TG/GG genotype is a possible predisposing gene for Han ethnic group male pCAD.

[Effects of methyl ß cyclodextrin on the proliferation and transdifferentiation of type II alveolar epithelial cells].

OBJECTIVE: To study the destructive effects of the membrane lipid microdomain with methyl ß cyclodextrin (MßCD) on the proliferation, transdifferentiation and cell cycle of type II alveolar epithelial cell (AEC II). METHODS: The membrane lipid microdomain of AEC II was destroyed by MßCD (MßCD interference group) in vitro, and then cultured with DMEM as control. Cell number was counted with hemacytometer; the proliferation rate was measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT); flow cytometry was used to assay the cell cycle. The expressions of AEC II specific surfactant protein-C (SP-C) and AECI specific aquaporin 5 (AQP5) were detected by immunofluorescence and Western blotting analyses. RESULTS: Compared with control group, cell number and the cell proliferation was decreased in MßCD interference group at 24, 48 and 72 hours after interaction [cell numbers (×10(6)/ml): 2.74±0.56 vs. 8.05±0.92, 4.45±0.68 vs. 10.52±0.81, 7.82±0.59 vs. 11.39±0.81; MTT results (A value): 0.25±0.20 vs. 0.45±0.02, 0.35±0.03 vs. 0.54±0.28, 0.48±0.04 vs. 0.59±0.05, all P<0.01]. MßCD could increase the percentage of cells in G0/G1 phases and decreased the percentage in S phases at 24 hours [G0/G1 phases: (60.06±1.65)% vs. (43.43±3.59)%; S phases: (16.20±2.17)% vs. (34.07±2.63)%, both P<0.05 ]. Incubation of AEC II with MßCD resulted in up regulation of the expression of SP-C (0.54±0.04 vs. 0.47±0.03, 0.19±0.03 vs. 0.06±0.02) and down regulation of AQP5 (0.30±0.04 vs. 0.43±0.06, 0.39±0.04 vs. 0.59±0.04) at 48 hours and 72 hours after interaction (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The destruction of membrane lipid microdomain by the MßCD can inhibit proliferation and transdifferentiation of AEC II, and induce cell cycle arrest in G1 phase.

Bubble-Liquid Membrane Method for Preparing Spherical Calcium Carbonate Nanoparticles.

In this work, we describe the principle and operation of a bubble-liquid membrane reactor, and use of the reactor to prepare spherical calcium carbonate nanoparticles. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and laser particle size analysis. The effects of additives to control crystal morphology, coating agents, and the stirring speed of the bubble-liquid membrane reactor were investigated. Spherical calcium carbonate nanoparticles with uniform dispersion and no agglomeration were obtained when a disodium hydrogen phosphate/ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disodium salt mixture (1:1 mass ratio) was used as the additive, oleic acid was used as the coating agent (1.5 wt%), and the stirring speed was 5000-6000 r/min. The results indicate that the bubble-liquid membrane reactor may be suitable for continuous industrial production of calcium carbonate nanoparticles.

Research progress of berberine mediated photodynamic therapy.

Berberine (BBR) is a plant secondary metabolite that has been used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the last few decades. The present review aimed to discuss the research progress of BBR-mediated photodynamic actions. The following key words were searched in several databases: 'Berberine' combined with 'photodynamic therapy', 'sonodynamic therapy (SDT)', 'ultraviolet', 'reactive oxygen' and 'singlet oxygen'. The results demonstrated that both type I and type II reactions participated in the photodynamic progression of BBR derivatives. In addition, the photochemical characteristics of BBR derivatives were affected by the polarity, pH and O2 content of solvents. DNA binding increases the lifespan of the photoexcited BBR state and generation of singlet oxygen (1O2). The chemical properties of substituents in different positions of the BBR skeleton are pivotal for its photochemical properties, particularly the methylenedioxy group at the C-2 and C-3 positions. BBR is a promising agent for mediating both PDT- and SDT-treated diseases, particularly in tumors. However, further studies are required to validate their biological effects. In addition, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antitumor effects of BBR-PDT remain unclear and warrant further investigation. The structural modification and targeted delivery of BBR have made it possible to broaden its applications; however, experimental verification is required. Overall, BBR acts as a sensitizer for PDT and has promising development prospects.

[Effects of carvedilol and metoprolol on expression of autoantibodies against cardiac adrenergic receptors in aged patients with chronic heart failure and ventricular arrhythmia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of carvedilol and metoprolol on the expression of autoantibodies against cardiac ß(1), ß(2) and α(1) adrenergic receptors in aged patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and ventricular arrhythmia (VA). METHODS: Sixty-eight patients with CHF and VA were randomly divided metoprolol treatment group or carvedilol treatment group on the basis of digoxin and diuretic treatment. All patients were followed up for six months cardiac function was monitored by echocardiography, VA by Holter and the three autoantibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: (1) Systolic blood pressure and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were significantly lower in carvedilol group than that in metoprolol group (P < 0.05). (2) The positive ratio of autoantibodies against the cardiac ß(1) adrenergic receptor was significantly decreased compared with that of pre-treatment (P < 0.05) in metoprolol group. The positive ratios of autoantibodies against cardiac ß(1), ß(2) and α(1)-adrenergic receptors were all significantly decreased compared with that of pre-treatment (P < 0.01) in carvedilol group. Moreover, the incidence of VA was significantly decreased in carvedilol group (P < 0.05) but not in metoprolol group. CONCLUSION: Carvedilol is superior to metoprolol on decreasing the incidence of VA in aged patients with chronic heart failure and ventricular arrhythmia.