Spatiotemporal analysis and seasonality of tuberculosis in Pudong New Area of Shanghai, China, 2014-2023.

BACKGROUND: Spatiotemporal analysis is a vital method that plays an indispensable role in monitoring epidemiological changes in diseases and identifying high-risk clusters. However, there is still a blank space in the spatial and temporal distribution of tuberculosis (TB) incidence rate in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. Consequently, it is crucial to comprehend the spatiotemporal distribution of TB in this district, this will guide the prevention and control of TB in the district. METHODS: Our research used Geographic Information System (GIS) visualization, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and space-time scan analysis to analyze the TB incidence reported in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai from 2014 to 2023, and described the spatiotemporal clustering and seasonal hot spot distribution of TB incidence. RESULTS: From 2014 to 2023, the incidence of TB in the Pudong New Area decreased, and the mortality was at a low level. The incidence of TB in different towns/streets has declined. The spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed that the incidence of TB was spatially clustered in 2014, 2016-2018, and 2022, with the highest clusters in 2014 and 2022. The high clustering area was mainly concentrated in the northeast. The space-time scan analysis indicated that the most likely cluster was located in 12 towns/streets, with a period of 2014-2018 and a radiation radius of 15.74 km. The heat map showed that there was a correlation between TB incidence and seasonal variations. CONCLUSIONS: From 2014 to 2023, the incidence of TB in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai declined, but there were spatiotemporal clusters and seasonal correlations in the incidence area. Local departments should formulate corresponding intervention measures, especially in high-clustering areas, to achieve accurate prevention and control of TB within the most effective time and scope.

A new tau dephosphorylation-targeting chimera for the treatment of tauopathies.

Abnormal accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein plays a pivotal role in a collection of neurodegenerative diseases named tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have recently conceptualized the design of hetero-bifunctional chimeras for selectively promoting the proximity between tau and phosphatase, thus specifically facilitating tau dephosphorylation and removal. Here, we sought to optimize the construction of tau dephosphorylating-targeting chimera (DEPTAC) and obtained a new chimera D14, which had high efficiency in reducing tau phosphorylation both in cell and tauopathy mouse models, while showing limited cytotoxicity. Moreover, D14 ameliorated neurodegeneration in primary cultured hippocampal neurons treated with toxic tau-K18 fragments, and improved cognitive functions of tauopathy mice. These results suggested D14 as a cost-effective drug candidate for the treatment of tauopathies.

Subtrochanteric fracture after core decompression for osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common clinical disease. Improper treatment can lead to femoral head collapse and hip joint dysfunction. Core decompression is particularly important for early ONFH. However, subtrochanteric fractures after core decompression cause some clinical problems. CASE PRESENTATION: This article describes a 34-year-old male patient with early ONFH. After core decompression, he suffered a subtrochanteric fracture of the femur while bearing weight on the affected limb when going up stairs. He was subsequently treated with open reduction and intramedullary nail fixation. CONCLUSION: When core decompression is used to treat ONFH, the location or size of the drill hole, whether a tantalum rod or bone is inserted, and partial weight-bearing of the affected limb may directly affect whether a fracture occurs after surgery. It is hoped that this case report can provide a reference for clinical orthopedic surgeons in the treatment of early ONFH.

Positron Emission Tomography with [18F]ROStrace Reveals Progressive Elevations in Oxidative Stress in a Mouse Model of Alpha-Synucleinopathy.

The synucleinopathies are a diverse group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the accumulation of aggregated alpha-synuclein (aSyn) in vulnerable populations of brain cells. Oxidative stress is both a cause and a consequence of aSyn aggregation in the synucleinopathies; however, noninvasive methods for detecting oxidative stress in living animals have proven elusive. In this study, we used the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-sensitive positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer [18F]ROStrace to detect increases in oxidative stress in the widely-used A53T mouse model of synucleinopathy. A53T-specific elevations in [18F]ROStrace signal emerged at a relatively early age (6-8 months) and became more widespread within the brain over time, a pattern which paralleled the progressive development of aSyn pathology and oxidative damage in A53T brain tissue. Systemic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) also caused rapid and long-lasting elevations in [18F]ROStrace signal in A53T mice, suggesting that chronic, aSyn-associated oxidative stress may render these animals more vulnerable to further inflammatory insult. Collectively, these results provide novel evidence that oxidative stress is an early and chronic process during the development of synucleinopathy and suggest that PET imaging with [18F]ROStrace holds promise as a means of detecting aSyn-associated oxidative stress noninvasively.

An initial study on the predictive value using multiple MRI characteristics for Ki-67 labeling index in glioma.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Ki-67 labeling index (LI) is an important indicator of tumor cell proliferation in glioma, which can only be obtained by postoperative biopsy at present. This study aimed to explore the correlation between Ki-67 LI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) parameters and to predict the level of Ki-67 LI noninvasively before surgery by multiple MRI characteristics. METHODS: Preoperative MRI data of 166 patients with pathologically confirmed glioma in our hospital from 2016 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The cut-off point of Ki-67 LI for glioma grading was defined. The differences in MRI characteristics were compared between the low and high Ki-67 LI groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to estimate the accuracy of each ADC parameter in predicting the Ki-67 level, and finally a multivariate logistic regression model was constructed based on the results of ROC analysis. RESULTS: ADCmin, ADCmean, rADCmin, rADCmean and Ki-67 LI showed a negative correlation (r = - 0.478, r = - 0.369, r = - 0.488, r = - 0.388, all P < 0.001). The Ki-67 LI of low-grade gliomas (LGGs) was different from that of high-grade gliomas (HGGs), and the cut-off point of Ki-67 LI for distinguishing LGGs from HGGs was 9.5%, with an area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of 0.962 (95%CI 0.933-0.990). The ADC parameters in the high Ki-67 group were significantly lower than those in the low Ki-67 group (all P < 0.05). The peritumoral edema (PTE) of gliomas in the high Ki-67 LI group was higher than that in the low Ki-67 LI group (P < 0.05). The AUROC of Ki-67 LI level assessed by the multivariate logistic regression model was 0.800 (95%CI 0.721-0.879). CONCLUSIONS: There was a negative correlation between ADC parameters and Ki-67 LI, and the multivariate logistic regression model combined with peritumoral edema and ADC parameters could improve the prediction ability of Ki-67 LI.

Causal effect of PM1 on morbidity of cause-specific respiratory diseases based on a negative control exposure.

BACKGROUND: Extensive studies have linked PM2.5 and PM10 with respiratory diseases (RD). However, few is known about causal association between PM1 and morbidity of RD. We aimed to assess the causal effects of PM1 on cause-specific RD. METHODS: Hospital admission data were obtained for RD during 2014 and 2019 in Beijing, China. Negative control exposure and extreme gradient boosting with SHapley Additive exPlanation was used to explore the causality and contribution between PM1 and RD. Stratified analysis by gender, age, and season was conducted. RESULTS: A total of 1,183,591 admissions for RD were recorded. Per interquartile range (28 µg/m3) uptick in concentration of PM1 corresponded to a 3.08% [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.66%-4.52%] increment in morbidity of total RD. And that was 4.47% (95% CI: 2.46%-6.52%) and 0.15% (95% CI: 1.44%-1.78%), for COPD and asthma, respectively. Significantly positive causal associations were observed for PM1 with total RD and COPD. Females and the elderly had higher effects on total RD, COPD, and asthma only in the warm months (Z = 3.03, P = 0.002; Z = 4.01, P < 0.001; Z = 3.92, P < 0.001; Z = 2.11, P = 0.035; Z = 2.44, P = 0.015). Contribution of PM1 ranked first, second and second for total RD, COPD, and asthma among air pollutants. CONCLUSION: PM1 was causally associated with increased morbidity of total RD and COPD, but not causally associated with asthma. Females and the elderly were more vulnerable to PM1-associated effects on RD.

Research Advances in the Treatment of Bone Marrow Edema Syndrome.

Bone marrow edema syndrome (BMES) is a relatively uncommon clinical condition. It has been poorly reported in the literature. Hence, doctors are not sufficiently aware of the disease and are prone to misdiagnosis and mistreatment, which can undoubtedly prolong the course of the disease, reduce the quality of life of patients and even affect their function. This paper reviews the literature and summarizes the treatment options for bone marrow edema syndrome, such as symptomatic treatment, extracorporeal shock waves therapy (ESWT), pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEFs), hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), vitamin D, iloprost, bisphosphonates, denosumab, and surgery, etc. This informs clinicians in treating bone marrow edema syndrome, hopefully improving patients' quality of life and shortening the duration of their disease.

Patients' attitudes towards switching to national volume-based procurement (NVBP) Drugs-a qualitative investigation in Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: The implementation of the NVBP policy has generated considerable reductions in drug procurement prices and an increase in the market share of the NVBP drugs.This study aimed to investigate patients' attitudes towards switching to drugs of national volume-based procurement (NVBP) and identify their underlying influencing factors in Wuhan, China. METHODS: A total of 21 eligible patients from the Wuhan Union Hospital who were switched to NVBP drugs between January 2022 and May 2022 were included in our study. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect interview information and the interview data was analyzed by the Colaizzi seven-step method. RESULTS: Twenty-one semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted. The duration of each interview was 25-35 min and three themes related to patients' attitudes and their influencing factors were extracted, including (1) Patients' perception of the NVBP drugs; (2) Family and social influence to patients; (3) Medication habits of patients. This study found: 1) 71.4% patients (15/21) showed a positive attitude towards switching to NVBP medicines; 2)80.9% patients (17/21) have felt a significant reduction in their medication cost after the implementation of the NVBP policy; 3)Advices from healthcare professionals and health insurance reimbursement policies showed great impacts on patients' attitude towards switching to NVBP drugs; 4)Attitudes towards switching to NVBP drugs varied considerably among patients with different severities of disease. CONCLUSION: The implementation of the NVBP policy has significantly reduced the cost of healthcare for patients and has been supported by71.4% (15 of 21) patients. However, some issues have been identified in the implementation of the policy in this study. Health professionals in general need to contribute more efforts to improve patients' preconceptions about the NVBP drugs and boost their confidence in the NVBP drugs.

The Transport and Uptake of Resveratrol Mediated via Glucose Transporter 1 and Its Antioxidant Effect in Caco-2 Cells.

Resveratrol has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-aging pharmacological activities. There is currently a gap in academic research regarding the uptake, transport, and reduction of H2O2-induced oxidative damage of resveratrol in the Caco-2 cell model. This study investigated the role of resveratrol in the uptake, transport, and alleviation of H2O2-induced oxidative damage in Caco-2 cells. In the Caco-2 cell transport model, it was observed that the uptake and transport of resveratrol (10, 20, 40, and 80 µM) were time dependent and concentration dependent. Different temperatures (37 °C vs. 4 °C) could significantly affect the uptake and transportation of resveratrol. The apical to basolateral transport of resveratrol was markedly reduced by STF-31, a GLUT1 inhibitor, and siRNA intervention. Furthermore, resveratrol pretreatment (80 µM) improves the viability of Caco-2 cells induced by H2O2. In a cellular metabolite analysis combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, 21 metabolites were identified as differentials. These differential metabolites belong to the urea cycle, arginine and proline metabolism, glycine and serine metabolism, ammonia recycling, aspartate metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and other metabolic pathways. The transport, uptake, and metabolism of resveratrol suggest that oral resveratrol could prevent intestinal diseases caused by oxidative stress.

Design, synthesis, and preclinical evaluation of a novel bifunctional macrocyclic chelator for theranostics of cancers.

PURPOSE: This study was to design and synthesize a novel bifunctional chelator, named Dar, primarily validated by conjugating to tumor targeting motifs, labeled with radiometals, and performed preclinical evaluation of tumor imaging and cancer therapy in murine tumor models. METHOD: The designed Dar was synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography, 1H/13C NMR, and mass spectrometry. Dar-PSMA-617 was conjugated and radiolabeled with 68Ga, 177Lu, and 89Zr. The in vivo behavior of 68 Ga/89Zr-labeled Dar-PSMA-617 were evaluated using micro-PET imaging and biodistribution from image quantitation and tissue radioactivity counting, with 68Ga/89Zr-labeled NOTA/DOTA/DFO-PSMA-617 analogs as controls, respectively. The [177Lu]-Dar-PSMA-617, with [177Lu]-DOTA-PSMA-617 as control, was evaluated in competitive cell uptake, tumor cell internalization, and efflux studies. The treatment efficacy of [177Lu]Lu-Dar-PSMA-617, with [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-PSMA-617 as control, was evaluated in PSMA-positive LNCaP tumor-bearing mice. In addition, the ability of Dar for radiolabeling nanobody was tested by conjugating Dar to KN035 nanobody. The resultant [89Zr]Zr-Dar-KN035 nanobody, with [89Zr]Zr-DFO-KN035 as control, was evaluated by micro-PET imaging and biodistribution in a mouse model bearing MC38&MC38-hPD-L1 colon cancer. RESULTS: 68Ga, 89Zr, and 177Lu-radiolabeled Dar-PSMA-617 complexes were able to be produced under mild condition with high radiochemical yield and purity successfully. [177Lu]Lu-Dar-PSMA-617 had higher cellular uptake yet similar internalization and efflux properties in LNCaP cells, as compared to [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-PSMA-617. Micro-PET images demonstrated significantly higher tumor uptake of [68Ga]Ga-Dar-PSMA-617, than that of the analog [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-PSMA-617. The tumor uptake values of [68Ga]Ga-Dar-PSMA-617 at multiple time points are comparable to that of [68Ga]Ga-NOTA-PSMA-617, although a higher and persistently prolonged kidney retention was resulted in during the study period. The Dar chelator can also successfully mediate the radiolabeling with 89Zr, while the resultant [89Zr]Zr-Dar-PSMA-617 demonstrated a similar biodistribution with [89Zr]Zr-DFO-PSMA-617 measured at 96 h p.i. The treatment with [177Lu]Lu-Dar-PSMA-617 significantly inhibited the tumor growth, showing much better efficacy than that of [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-PSMA-617 at the same injected radioactivity and mass dose. Dar was covalently linked to KN035 nanobody and enabled radiolabeling with 89Zr in high yield and radiochemical purity at room temperature. The resultant [89Zr]Zr-Dar-KN035, with [89Zr]Zr-DFO-KN035 as control, demonstrated superior tumor uptake and detection capability in PET imaging studies. CONCLUSION: The Dar, as a novel bifunctional chelator for medicating the labeling of radiometals onto tumor targeting carriers, was successfully synthesized and chemically characterized. Test radiolabeling, on PSMA-617 and a nanobody as tool targeting molecule carriers, demonstrated the Dar has potential as a universal bifunctional chelator for radiolabeling various radiometals (at least 68Ga, 177Lu, and 89Zr tested) commonly used for clinical imaging and therapy. Using a novel Dar chelator results in altered in vivo behavior of the carriers even though labeled with the same nuclide. This capability makes Dar an alternative to the existing choices for radiolabeling new carrier molecules with various radiometals, especially the radiometals with large radius.

Tau acetylates and stabilizes ß-catenin thereby promoting cell survival.

Overexpressing Tau counteracts apoptosis and increases dephosphorylated ß-catenin levels, but the underlying mechanisms are elusive. Here, we show that Tau can directly and robustly acetylate ß-catenin at K49 in a concentration-, time-, and pH-dependent manner. ß-catenin K49 acetylation inhibits its phosphorylation and its ubiquitination-associated proteolysis, thus increasing ß-catenin protein levels. K49 acetylation further promotes nuclear translocation and the transcriptional activity of ß-catenin, and increases the expression of survival-promoting genes (bcl2 and survivin), counteracting apoptosis. Mutation of Tau's acetyltransferase domain or co-expressing non-acetylatable ß-catenin-K49R prevents increased ß-catenin signaling and abolishes the anti-apoptotic function of Tau. Our data reveal that Tau preserves ß-catenin by acetylating K49, and upregulated ß-catenin/survival signaling in turn mediates the anti-apoptotic effect of Tau.

A Magnetic Resonance Angiography-Based Study Comparing Machine Learning and Clinical Evaluation: Screening Intracranial Regions Associated with the Hemorrhagic Stroke of Adult Moyamoya Disease.

OBJECTIVES: Moyamoya disease patients with hemorrhagic stroke usually have a poor prognosis. This study aimed to determine whether hemorrhagic moyamoya disease could be distinguished from MRA images using transfer deep learning and to screen potential regions that contain rich distinguishing information from MRA images in moyamoya disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 116 adult patients with bilateral moyamoya diseases suffering from hemorrhagic or ischemia complications were retrospectively screened. Based on original MRA images at the level of the basal cistern, basal ganglia, and centrum semiovale, we adopted the pretrained ResNet18 to build three models for differentiating hemorrhagic moyamoya disease. Grad-CAM was applied to visualize the regions of interest. RESULTS: For the test set, the accuracies of model differentiation in the basal cistern, basal ganglia, and centrum semiovale were 93.3%, 91.5%, and 86.4%, respectively. Visualization of the regions of interest demonstrated that the models focused on the deep and periventricular white matter and abnormal collateral vessels in hemorrhagic moyamoya disease. CONCLUSION: A transfer learning model based on MRA images of the basal cistern and basal ganglia showed a good ability to differentiate between patients with hemorrhagic moyamoya disease and those with ischemic moyamoya disease. The deep and periventricular white matter and collateral vessels at the level of the basal cistern and basal ganglia may contain rich distinguishing information.

H∞ Observer Based on Descriptor Systems Applied to Estimate the State of Charge.

This paper proposes an H∞ observer based on descriptor systems to estimate the state of charge (SOC). The battery's open-current voltage is chosen as a generalized state variable, thereby avoiding the artificial derivative calculation of the algebraic equation for the SOC. Furthermore, the observer's dynamic performance is saved. To decrease the impacts of the uncertain noise and parameter perturbations, nonlinear H∞ theory is implemented to design the observer. The sufficient conditions for the H∞ observer to guarantee the disturbance suppression performance index are given and proved by the Lyapunov stability theory. This paper systematically gives the design steps of battery SOC H∞ observers. The simulation results highlight the accuracy, transient performance, and robustness of the presented method.

The effectiveness of active surveillance measures for COVID-19 cases in Pudong New Area Shanghai, China, 2020.

The aim of this study was to thoroughly document the effects of multiple intervention and control methods to mitigate the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. After identification of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Pudong on January 21, 2020, the local Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a case investigation involving isolation, close-contact (CC) tracing and quarantine of persons with a potential exposure risk to prevent and control transmission. Epidemiological features of cases detected by three different strategies were compared to assess the impact of these active surveillance measures. As of February 16, 2020, a total of 108 confirmed COVID-19 cases had been identified in Pudong, Shanghai. Forty-five (41.67%) cases were identified through active surveillance measures, with 22 (20.37%) identified by CC tracing and 23 (21.30%) by quarantine of potential exposure populations (PEPs). The average interval from illness onset to the first medical visit was 1 day. Cases identified by CC tracing and PEPs were quarantined for 0.5 and 1 day before illness onset, respectively. The time intervals from illness onset to the first medical visit and isolation among actively screened cases were 2 days (p = .02) and 3 days (p = .00) shorter, respectively, than those among self-admission cases. Our study highlights the importance of active surveillance for potential COVID-19 cases, as demonstrated by shortened time intervals from illness onset to both the first medical visit and isolation. These measures contributed to the effective control of the COVID-19 outbreak in Pudong, Shanghai.

Aberrant Resting-State Functional Connectivity of the Dorsal Attention Network in Tinnitus.

Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses have shown that the dorsal attention network (DAN) is involved in the pathophysiological changes of tinnitus, but few relevant studies have been conducted, and the conclusions to date are not uniform. The purpose of this research was to test whether there is a change in intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) patterns between the DAN and other brain regions in tinnitus patients. Thirty-one patients with persistent tinnitus and thirty-three healthy controls were enrolled in this study. A group independent component analysis (ICA), degree centrality (DC) analysis, and seed-based FC analysis were conducted. In the group ICA, the tinnitus patients showed increased connectivity in the left superior parietal gyrus in the DAN compared to the healthy controls. Compared with the healthy controls, the tinnitus patients showed increased DC in the left inferior parietal gyrus and decreased DC in the left precuneus within the DAN. The clusters within the DAN with significant differences in the ICA or DC analysis between the tinnitus patients and the healthy controls were selected as regions of interest (ROIs) for seeds. The tinnitus patients exhibited significantly increased FC from the left superior parietal gyrus to several brain regions, including the left inferior parietal gyrus, the left superior marginal gyrus, and the right superior frontal gyrus, and decreased FC to the right anterior cingulate cortex. The tinnitus patients exhibited decreased FC from the left precuneus to the left inferior occipital gyrus, left calcarine cortex, and left superior frontal gyrus compared with the healthy controls. The findings of this study show that compared with healthy controls, tinnitus patients have altered functional connections not only within the DAN but also between the DAN and other brain regions. These results suggest that it may be possible to improve the disturbance and influence of tinnitus by regulating the DAN.

Long Non-Coding RNA CRYBG3 Promotes Lung Cancer Metastasis via Activating the eEF1A1/MDM2/MTBP Axis.

The occurrence of distant tumor metastases is a major barrier in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) therapy, and seriously affects clinical treatment and patient prognosis. Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to be crucial regulators of metastasis in lung cancer. The aim of this study was to reveal the underlying mechanisms of a novel lncRNA LNC CRYBG3 in regulating NSCLC metastasis. Experimental results showed that LNC CRYBG3 was upregulated in NSCLC cells compared with normal tissue cells, and its level was involved in these cells' metastatic ability. Exogenously overexpressed LNC CRYBG3 increased the metastatic ability and the protein expression level of the metastasis-associated proteins Snail and Vimentin in low metastatic lung cancer HCC827 cell line. In addition, LNC CRYBG3 contributed to HCC827 cell metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, LNC CRYBG3 could directly combine with eEF1A1 and promote it to move into the nucleus to enhance the transcription of MDM2. Overexpressed MDM2 combined with MDM2 binding protein (MTBP) to reduce the binding of MTBP with ACTN4 and consequently increased cell migration mediated by ACTN4. In conclusion, the LNC CRYBG3/eEF1A1/MDM2/MTBP axis is a novel signaling pathway regulating tumor metastasis and may be a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC treatment.

[Preparation of Antibiotic-Loaded Copper-Doped Hydroxyapatite Microspheres and Evaluation of Their Antibacterial and Osteogenic Effect].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the preparation method of copper (Cu)-doped hydroxyapatite (HA) microspheres loaded with vancomycin (Van), and evaluate their antibacterial and osteogenic effects in vitro. METHODS: The Cu doped HA microspheres (Cu-HA) with molar doping ratios of 1%, 5%, 10%, and 20% were prepared by hydrothermal synthesis. The microscopic morphology changes were observe with scanning electron microscope. X-ray diffractometer (XRD) was used to study the phase composition and analyze the crystallinity of the sample. Cu-HA with a molar doping ratio of 10% was selected for analysis of the elemental composition of the sample with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and was then coated with polydopamine (PDA) as the medium to prepare Cu-HA-PDA. XRD and Fourier infrared spectrometer were used to examine the coating effect of the sample. Van was load on Cu-HA-PDA to prepare Cu-HA-PDA-Van. HA, Cu-HA, HA-PDA, and Cu-HA-PDA-Van were added to α medium at 10 mg/mL to prepare different groups of extract solutions.The main components of the extract solutions were examined, and the Van concentration was checked. We examined the toxic effect of material extract solutions on osteogenic precursor cells and the proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and checked the expression of osteocalcin ( OCN), runt-related transcription factor 2 ( RUNX-2), and alkaline phosphatase ( ALP), the osteogenic related genes. Sterilized HA, Cu-HA, HA-PDA, Cu-HA-PDA, Cu-HA-DPA-Van microsphere materials were prepared, and the colony counting method was used to evaluate the antibacterial effect of the materials for Staphylococcus aureus. RESULTS: Various types of Cu-doped HA (Cu-HA) were successfully synthesized. As the proportion of Cu increased, the morphology gradually changed from being strip or belt-shaped to a uniform spherical shape. Cu-HA of 10% molar doping ratio showed a clearly microspherical shape and a petal-like porous micro-nano morphology on the surface. EDS and XRD analyses showed that the main structure of the material was still made up of hydroxyapatite crystals and Cu was successfully doped with HA. The infrared spectrometer showed that the PDA was successfully coated on the surface of the material. Examination of the main components of the extract solution once again verified that the Cu element had successfully entered and replaced part of the Ca element in the HA. The 10 mg/mL Cu-HA-PDA-Van extract solution contained 0.27 mg/mL of Van. In vitro cell experiments and bone-formation-related gene testing showed that Cu-HA-Van had good biological activity and promoted bone differentiation. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Cu-HA-PDA-Van microspheres was 16 µg/mL. Compared with Cu-HA, HA-PDA and pure HA, Cu-HA-Van microspheres had significant and long-lasting antibacterial effects. CONCLUSION: Cu element was used to control the microscopic morphology of HA, and the Cu-HA-PDA-Van microspheres prepared by successfully coating of PDA and loading of Van had good antibacterial properties and biological activity.

Bacterial infection imaging with [18F]fluoropropyl-trimethoprim.

There is often overlap in the diagnostic features of common pathologic processes such as infection, sterile inflammation, and cancer both clinically and using conventional imaging techniques. Here, we report the development of a positron emission tomography probe for live bacterial infection based on the small-molecule antibiotic trimethoprim (TMP). [18F]fluoropropyl-trimethoprim, or [18F]FPTMP, shows a greater than 100-fold increased uptake in vitro in live bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) relative to controls. In a rodent myositis model, [18F]FPTMP identified live bacterial infection without demonstrating confounding increased signal in the same animal from other etiologies including chemical inflammation (turpentine) and cancer (breast carcinoma). Additionally, the biodistribution of [18F]FPTMP in a nonhuman primate shows low background in many important tissues that may be sites of infection such as the lungs and soft tissues. These results suggest that [18F]FPTMP could be a broadly useful agent for the sensitive and specific imaging of bacterial infection with strong translational potential.

2,3,5,4'-Tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-ß-d-glucoside eliminates ischemia/reperfusion injury-induced H9c2 cardiomyocytes apoptosis involving in Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, and Akt activation.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to explore the protective effect of 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-ß-d-glucoside (TSG) against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury-induced cardiomyocytes apoptosis. METHODS: The H9c2 cell I/R injury model was induced by simultaneous shortage of nutrients and oxygen. TSG administration (0.10, 0.25, and 0.50 mM) was performed before and during I/R stimulation. Cell apoptosis was evaluated using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Expression of cell-related proteins was detected to assess the effect of TSG on cell apoptosis. RESULTS: I/R injury induced significant cell apoptosis. Significantly decreased Bcl-2 and increased Bax, caspase-3, and p-Akt expression ( P < 0.01) was detected in the cell model of I/R injury. In contrast, TSG administration eliminated all the changes induced by I/R injury in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the H9c2 cell model of I/R injury, the H9c2 cells treated with 0.50 mM TSG showed the lowest cell apoptosis percentage, the highest expression of Bcl-2, and the lowest expression of Bax, caspase-3, and p-Akt ( P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: We confirmed that the protective effect of TSG against I/R injury-induced cell apoptosis in H9c2 in vitro was associated with the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, caspase-3, and Akt activation.

Correlation analysis of [18F]ROStrace using ex vivo autoradiography and dihydroethidium fluorescent imaging in lipopolysaccharide-treated animals.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are believed to play an important role in the proinflammatory form of neuroinflammation. Therefore, the availability of a radiotracer labeled with a positron-emitting radionuclide that can measure levels of ROS in tissue could provide a valuable method for imaging neuroinflammation in vivo with the functional imaging technique positron emission tomography (PET). We previously reported the synthesis and in vivo evaluation of [18F]ROStrace, a radiotracer for imaging ROS in vivo with PET, in an LPS model of neuroinflammation. In the current study, we conducted additional validation studies aimed at determining the cellular localization of this radiotracer in the same model. Our results indicate that [18F]ROStrace is primarily localized in microglia/macrophages and neurons in LPS-treated animals, and provide further support in the use of this radiotracer as a PET-based probe for imaging the proinflammatory form of neuroinflammation.