Detection of Arsenic(V) by Fluorescence Sensing Based on Chlorin e6-Copper Ion.

The high toxicity of arsenic (As) can cause irreversible harm to the environment and human health. In this study, the chlorin e6 (Ce6), which emits fluorescence in the infrared region, was introduced as the luminescence center, and the addition of copper ion (Cu2+) and As(V) provoked a regular change in fluorescence at 652 nm, whereas that of As(III) was 665 nm, which was used to optionally detect Cu2+, arsenic (As(III), and As(V)). The limit of detection (LOD) values were 0.212 µM, 0.089 ppm, and 1.375 ppb for Cu2+, As(III), and As(V), respectively. The developed method can be used to determine Cu2+ and arsenic in water and soil with good sensitivity and selectivity. The 1:1 stoichiometry of Ce6 with Cu2+ was obtained from the Job plot that was developed from UV-visible spectra. The binding constants for Cu2+ and As(V) were established to be 1.248 × 105 M-1 and 2.35 × 1012 M-2, respectively, using B-H (Benesi-Hildebrand) plots. Fluorescence lifetimes, B-H plots, FT-IR, and 1H-NMR were used to postulate the mechanism of Cu2+ fluorescence quenching and As(V) fluorescence restoration and the interactions of the two ions with the Ce6 molecule.

PxRdl2 dsRNA increased the insecticidal activities of GABAR-targeting compounds against Plutella xylostella.

The utilization of RNA interference (RNAi) for pest management has garnered global interest. The bioassay results suggested the knockout of the PxRdl2 gene significantly increased the insecticidal activities of the γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAR)-targeting compounds (fipronil, two pyrazoloquinazolines, and two isoxazolines), thereby presenting a viable target gene for RNAi-mediated pest control. Consequently, we suggest enhancing the insecticidal activities of GABAR-targeting compounds by knockdown the transcript level of PxRdl2. Furthermore, PxRdl2 dsRNA was expressed in HT115 Escherichia coli to reduce costs and protect dsRNA against degradation. In comparison to in vitro synthesized dsRNA, the recombinant bacteria (ds-B) exhibited superior interference efficiency and greater stability when exposed to UV irradiation. Collectively, our results provide a strategy for insecticide spray that combines synergistically with insecticidal activities by suppressing PxRdl2 using ds-B and may be beneficial for reducing the usage of insecticide and slowing pest resistance.

Tris-Copper Nanozyme as a Novel Laccase Mimic for the Detection and Degradation of Phenolic Compounds.

Phenolic compounds are one of the main organic pollutants in the environment that can seriously affect ecosystems, even at very low concentrations. Due to the resistance of phenolic compounds to microorganisms, conventional biological treatment methods face challenges in effectively addressing this pollution problem. In this study, a novel laccase mimic (Tris-Cu nanozyme) is prepared using a simple and rapid synthesis strategy based on the coordination of copper ions and amino groups in Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris). It is found that the Tris-Cu nanozyme exhibits good catalytic activity against a variety of phenolic compounds, the Km, Vmax and Kcat are determined to be 0.18 mM, 15.62 µM·min-1 and 1.57 × 107 min-1 using 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DP) as the substrate, respectively. Then, based on the laccase-like activity of the Tris-Cu nanozyme, a novel colorimetric method for 2,4-DP (the limit of detection (LOD) = 2.4 µM, S/N = 3) detection in the range of 10-400 µM was established, and its accuracy was verified by analyzing tap and lake water samples. In addition, the Tris-Cu nanozyme shows excellent removal abilities for six phenolic compounds in experiments. The removal percentages for 2,4-DP, 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), phenol, resorcinol, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (2,6-DOP), and bisphenol A (BPA) are 100%, 100%, 100%, 100%, 87%, and 81% at 1 h, respectively. In the simulated effluent, the Tris-Cu nanozyme maintains its efficient catalytic activity towards 2,4-DP, with a degradation percentage of 76.36% at 7 min and a reaction rate constant (k0) of 0.2304 min-1. Therefore, this metal-organic complex shows promise for applications in the monitoring and degrading of environmental pollutants.

Ultra-High Adsorption Capacity of Core-Shell-Derived Magnetic Zeolite Imidazolate Framework-67 as Adsorbent for Selective Extraction of Theophylline.

A core-shell-derived structural magnetic zeolite imidazolate framework-67 (Fe3O4-COOH@ZIF-67) nanocomposite was fabricated through a single-step coating of zeolite imidazolate framework-67 on glutaric anhydride-functionalized Fe3O4 nanosphere for the magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of theophylline (TP). The Fe3O4-COOH@ZIF-67 nanocomposite was characterized through scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Zeta potential analysis, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and vibrating sample magnetometer. The material has a high specific surface area and good magnetism, which maintains the regular dodecahedron structure of ZIF-67 without being destroyed by the addition of Fe3O4-COOH nanospheres. The Fe3O4-COOH@ZIF-67 can rapidly adsorb TP mainly through the strong coordination interaction between undercoordinated Co2+ on ZIF-67 and -NH from imidazole of TP. The adsorption and desorption conditions, such as the amount of adsorbent, adsorption time, pH value, and elution solvent, were optimized. The kinetics of TP adsorption on Fe3O4-COOH@ZIF-67 was found to follow pseudo-second-order kinetics. The Langmuir model fits the adsorption data well and the maximum adsorption capacity is 1764 mg/g. Finally, the developed MSPE-HPLC method was applied in the enrichment and analysis of TP in four tea samples and rabbit plasma. TP was not detected in oolong tea and rabbit plasma, and its contents in jasmine tea, black tea, and green tea are 5.80, 4.31, and 1.53 µg/g, respectively. The recoveries of spiked samples are between 74.41% and 86.07% with RSD in the range of 0.81-3.83%. The adsorption performance of Fe3O4-COOH@ZIF-67 nanocomposite was nearly unchanged after being stored at room temperature for at least 80 days and two consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles. The results demonstrate that Fe3O4-COOH@ZIF-67 nanocomposite is a promising magnetic adsorbent for the preconcentration of TP in complex samples.

Punicalagin attenuates ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction via regulating the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway.

CONTEXT: Punicalagin has myocardial protection; the mechanism of punicalagin on ventricular remodeling (VR) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: These studies explore the role and mechanism of punicalagin in preventing and treating VR after AMI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Molecular docking was used to predict the targets of punicalagin. After 2 weeks of AMI model, the SD rats were randomly divided into model, and punicalagin (200, 400 mg/kg, gavage) groups for 4 weeks. Thoracotomy with perforation but no ligature was performed on rats in control group. The protein expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis speck-like protein (ASC), caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD), and GSDMD-N, the mRNA expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and IL-18 were evaluated. RESULTS: Punicalagin had binding activities with NLRP3 (Vina score, -5.8), caspase-1 (Vina score, -6.7), and GSDMD (Vina score, -6.7). Punicalagin could improve cardiac function, alleviate cardiac pathological changes, minimize the excessive accumulation of collagen in the left ventricular myocardium (p < 0.01), and inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis (p < 0.01). Furthermore, punicalagin could inhibit the overexpression of NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD via immunohistochemistry (p < 0.01). Punicalagin inhibited the protein levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, ASC, GSDMD, and GSDMD-N (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). Punicalagin reduced the mRNA expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1ß and IL-18 (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Punicalagin may provide a useful treatment for the future myocardial protection.

[Role of brown adipose tissue in phlegm-dampness metabolic syndrome based on infrared thermal imaging].

This study aimed to explore the infrared manifestation and role of brown adipose tissue(BAT) in phlegm-dampness me-tabolic syndrome(MS), and to provide objective basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of phlegm-dampness MS. Subjects were selected from the department of endocrinology and ward in the South District of Guang'anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from August 2021 to April 2022, including 20 in healthy control group, 40 in non phlegm-dampness MS group and 40 in phlegm-dampness MS group. General information, height and weight of the subjects were collected and body mass index(BMI) was calculated. Waist circumference(WC), systolic blood pressure(SBP) and diastolic blood pressure(DBP) was measured. Triglyceride(TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), fasting blood glucose(FBG), fasting insulin(FINS), leptin(LP), adiponectin(ADP) and fibroblast growth factor-21(FGF-21) were detected. The infrared thermal image of the supraclavicular region(SCR) of the subjects before and after cold stimulation test was collected by infrared thermal imager and the changes of infrared thermal image in the three groups were observed. In addition, the differences in the average body surface temperature of SCR among the three groups were compared, and the changes of BAT in SCR were analyzed. The results showed compared with the conditions in healthy control group, the levels of WC, SBP, DBP, TG and FPG in MS groups were increased(P<0.01), and the HDL-C level was decreased(P<0.01). Compared with non phlegm-dampness MS group, phlegm-dampness MS group had higher conversion score of phlegm dampness physique(P<0.01). According to the infrared heat map, there was no difference in the average body surface temperature of SCR among the three groups before cold stimulation. while after cold stimulation, the average body surface temperature of SCR in MS groups was lower than that in healthy control group(P<0.05). After cold stimulation, the maximum temperature of SCR and its arrival time in the three groups were as follows: healthy control group(3 min)>non phlegm-dampness MS group(4 min)>phlegm-dampness MS group(5 min). The thermal deviation of SCR was increased and the average body surface temperature of left and right sides were higher(P<0.01) in healthy control group and non phlegm-dampness MS group, while the thermal deviation of SCR did not change significantly in the phlegm-dampness MS group. Compared with that in healthy control group, the elevated temperature between left and right sides was lower(P<0.01, P<0.05), and compared with that in non phlegm-dampness MS group, the elevated temperature of left side was lower(P<0.05). The changes of the average body surface temperature of SCR in the three groups were in the order of healthy control group>non phlegm-dampness MS group>phlegm-dampness MS group. Compared with the conditions in healthy control group and non phlegm-dampness MS group, FINS, BMI and FGF-21 levels were increased(P<0.01,P<0.05), while ADP level was decreased(P<0.01, P<0.05) in phlegm-dampness MS group. Moreover, the LP level in phlegm-dampness MS group was higher than that in non phlegm-dampness MS group(P<0.01). It was observed in clinical trials that after cold stimulation, the average body surface temperature of SCR in MS patients was lower than that of the healthy people; the thermal deviation of SCR did not change significantly in the phlegm-dampness MS patients, and the difference in their elevated temperature was lower than that in the other two groups. These characteristics provided objective basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of phlegm-dampness MS. With abnormal BAT related indicators, it was inferred that the content or activity of BAT in SCR of phlegm-dampness MS patients were reduced. There was a high correlation between BAT and phlegm-dampness MS, and thus BAT might become an important potential target for the intervention in phlegm-dampness MS.

Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks as light-responsive oxidase-like mimics for the determination of adenosine triphosphate and discrimination of phenolic pollutants.

In this study, 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) was selected as a chromogenic substrate to evaluate the light-responsive oxidase-like activity of different zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs). The synthesized ZIFs were systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Several main operational parameters, including ZIFs and TMB concentrations, pH value, radiation time, and working current, in the reaction process were optimized. The kinetic measurement results show that ZIF-90 exhibits higher affinity to the substrate than horseradish peroxidase. Furthermore, given that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) can specifically combine with Zn2+ binding site and destroy the structure of ZIF-90, a specific and sensitive colorimetric method was established for the quantitative detection of ATP within the range 10 - 240 µM. In addition, on the basis that phenolic pollutants can impact the reaction kinetics diversely on different ZIFs, a sensor array was constructed and successfully applied to differentiate five phenolic pollutants in lake water samples. This work is expected to shed light on the establishment of ZIF-based light-responsive oxidase-like nanozymes for the highly selective colorimetric detection and sensor array.

[Early risk factors for death in neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn treated with inhaled nitric oxide]. / ç»ä¸€æ°§åŒ–æ°®å¸å ¥æ²»ç–—çš„æ–°ç”Ÿå„¿æŒç»­è‚ºåŠ¨è„‰é«˜åŽ‹æ‚£å„¿æ­»äº¡çš„æ—©æœŸå½±å“å› ç´ åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the early risk factors for death in neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) treated with inhaled nitric oxide (iNO). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 105 infants with PPHN (gestational age ≥34 weeks and age <7 days on admission) who received iNO treatment in the Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, from July 2017 to March 2021. Related general information and clinical data were collected. According to the clinical outcome at discharge, the infants were divided into a survival group with 79 infants and a death group with 26 infants. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the risk factors for death in infants with PPHN treated with iNO. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to calculate the cut-off values of the factors in predicting the death risk. RESULTS: A total of 105 infants with PPHN treated with iNO were included, among whom 26 died (26/105, 24.8%). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that no early response to iNO (HR=8.500, 95%CI: 3.024-23.887, P<0.001), 1-minute Apgar score ≤3 points (HR=10.094, 95%CI: 2.577-39.534, P=0.001), a low value of minimum PaO2/FiO2 within 12 hours after admission (HR=0.067, 95%CI: 0.009-0.481, P=0.007), and a low value of minimum pH within 12 hours after admission (HR=0.049, 95%CI: 0.004-0.545, P=0.014) were independent risk factors for death. The ROC curve analysis showed that the lowest PaO2/FiO2 value within 12 hours after admission had an area under the ROC curve of 0.783 in predicting death risk, with a sensitivity of 84.6% and a specificity of 73.4% at the cut-off value of 50, and the lowest pH value within 12 hours after admission had an area under the ROC curve of 0.746, with a sensitivity of 76.9% and a specificity of 65.8% at the cut-off value of 7.2. CONCLUSIONS: Infants with PPHN requiring iNO treatment tend to have a high mortality rate. No early response to iNO, 1-minute Apgar score ≤3 points, the lowest PaO2/FiO2 value <50 within 12 hours after admission, and the lowest pH value <7.2 within 12 hours after admission are the early risk factors for death in such infants. Monitoring and evaluation of the above indicators will help to identify high-risk infants in the early stage.

Improvement of long-term clinical outcomes by successful PCI in the very elderly women with ACS.

BACKGROUND: Whether very elderly women with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) should receive aggressive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still controversial. We assessed the effectiveness and long-term clinical outcomes of successful PCI in this population and identified prognostic factors which might contribute to the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in the very elderly female PCI cohort. METHODS: Female ACS patients aged ≥ 80 years were consecutively enrolled (n = 729) into the study. All the patients were divided into female PCI group (n = 232) and medical group (n = 497). MACCE was followed up, including non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, heart failure requiring hospitalization (HFRH), cardiovascular (CV) death, and the composite of them. After propensity score matching (1:1), the incidences of MACCE were compared between the two groups. Clinical and coronary artery lesion characteristics were compared between the female PCI patients with (n = 56) and without MACCE (n = 176). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors which independently associated with MACCE in the female PCI patients. MACCE of male PCI patients, who aged ≥ 80 years and hospitalized in the same period (n = 264), was also compared with that of the female PCI patients. RESULTS: A total of 32% very elderly female ACS patients received PCI in the present study. (1) Compared to female medical group, PCI procedure significantly alleviated the risks of MACCE: non-fatal MI (6.2% vs. 20.2%, P < 0.001), HFRH (10.9% vs. 22.5%, P = 0.012), CV death (12.4% vs. 28.7%, P < 0.001) and the composite MACCE (24.0% vs. 44.2%, P < 0.001) during the median follow-up period of 36 months. (2) Between very elderly female and male PCI patients, there were no significant differences in occurrence of MACCE (P = 0.232) and CV death (P = 0.951). (3) Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (HR 1.944, 95% CI 1.11-3.403, P = 0.02) and elevated log- N-Terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) (HR 1.689, 95% CI 1.029-2.773, P = 0.038) were independently associated with the incidence of MACCE in the female PCI patients. CONCLUSIONS: PCI procedure significantly attenuated the risk of MACCE and improved the long-term clinical outcomes in very elderly female ACS patients. Aggressive PCI strategy may be reasonable in this population.

Completed absorption of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia lesions: a preliminary study.

Background: Complete absorption of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia in a short term was not detailedly reported. We aimed to investigate the clinical and imaging characteristics of COVID-19 patients with complete absorption of pulmonary lesions. Methods: Retrospectively collected the clinical and chest CT data of 224 patients with COVID-19 in one regional medical center. Currently, pulmonary lesions in 37 patients were completely absorbed. The clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, and CT findings of lesions for these patients were summarized. Results: Among the 37 patients (age, 39.0 ± 12.4 [14-63] years, 20 males), disease in 36 (97.3%) was mild and in 1 (2.7%) was from severe to mild. The most common symptoms were cough (24/37, 64.9%) and fever (23/37, 62.2%). Their laboratory indicators at admission were usually normal, while the white blood cell and neutrophil count significantly increased at discharge (p = 0.004, p = 0.006). On initial CT images, all patients had various pulmonary lesions (mean involved lobes: 2.8 ± 1.5, range: 1-5; mean involved segments: 6.6 ± 4.3, range: 1-16), which mainly manifested as multiple patchy and or spherical ground glass opacities (GGOs) (30/37, 81.1%) with fibrous strips (19/30, 63.3%) or consolidation (11/30, 36.7%). After treatment, lesions in most (33/37, 89.2%) patients were continuously absorbed. At discharge, previous lesions were mostly absorbed in 11 patients (11/37, 29.7%), the main residues were GGOs (24/37, 64.9%), followed by fibrous strips (13/37, 35.1%). On the latest CT, all the pulmonary lesions were completely absorbed, the duration of lesions was 31.6 ± 11.4 days (range: 5-50 days). Conclusion: The pulmonary lesions in some mild COVID-19 patients (generally with normal laboratory indicators at admission, GGOs as the main manifestation on initial CT, and representation of continuous absorption after treatment) could be completely absorbed with a mean duration of 31.6 days.

[Scr eening of key genes and pathways of brain aging and prediction of potential effective Chinese medicinals: based on bioinformatics].

Microarray data of hippocampal tissue(HC) of the cognitively intact elderly(60-99 years old) were compared with those of the middle-aged and the young(20-59 years old) by bioinformatics techniques to initially screen out differentially expressed genes(DEGs) and then predict potential effective Chinese medicinals for the treatment of brain aging. The gene expression profile(accession: GSE11882) was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO) and DEGs were screened based on R package. The key DEGs were identified by STRING, Cytoscape and the plug-in, followed by Gene Ontology(GO) term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway analysis. Then the key genes and the medical ontology information retrieval platform(Coremine Medical) were mapped against each other to single out the Chinese medicinals for the treatment of brain aging and construct the " Chinese medicinal-active constituent-target" network. Among the resultant 268 DEGs(246 down-regulated and 22 up-regulated), the 15 key genes were mainly involved in biological processes such as leukocyte migration, neutrophil activation, cell chemotaxis, microglia activation and response to external stimulus, and pathways such as inflammatory process, immune response, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, PI3 K-Akt signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, chemokine signaling pathway and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. The potential effective Chinese medicinals were Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Astragali Radix. The analysis of DEGs and key genes enhances the understanding of the mechanisms of brain aging. This study provides potential gene targets and ideas for the development of Chinese medicine for brain aging.

TM4SF19 aggravates LPS-induced attenuation of vascular endothelial cell adherens junctions by suppressing VE-cadherin expression.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic vascular inflammatory disease that initially starts from an arterial intima lesion and endothelial barrier dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of TM4SF19, a recently identified member of the transmembrane 4L six superfamily, in vascular endothelial cell adherens junctions. We found TM4SF19 expression was significantly increased in atherosclerotic plaques and sera of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) compared with healthy people by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. In vitro, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were stimulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS). TM4SF19 and VE-cadherin expression as well as cell adherens junctions were assessed. Additionally, LPS could upregulate TM4SF19 expression and downregulate VE-cadherin expression in HUVECs in a concentration dependent manner. Overexpression of TM4SF19 substantially aggravated LPS-induced reduction of VE-cadherin expression and attenuation of vascular endothelial cell adherens junctions. However, both the decreased VE-cadherin expression and weakened cell adherens junctions induced by LPS could be dramatically reversed when the expression of TM4SF19 was depressed. This study is the first to reveal the effect of TM4SF19 on endothelial cell adherens junctions. Meanwhile, our results also provide novel therapeutic strategies for atherosclerotic diseases.

Design, synthesis and antitumor activity of a novel PEG-A6-conjugated irinotecan derivative.

A novel PEG-A6-conjugated irinotecan derivative 8 was designed and synthesized as antitumor agent by the PEGylation and A6-peptide modification of irinotecan. In vivo antitumor activity screening assay revealed that 8 exhibited better in vivo antiproliferation activity than irinotecan and its previous PEG-cRGD-conjugated derivative BGC0222 in MIA PaCa-2, NCI-H446, MDA-MB-231, HT-29 and NCI-N87 xenograft models, while the tumor of one in six mice in NCI-H446 assay and the tumors of two in six mice in MIA PaCa-2 assay completely subsided and disappeared within the 21-day period of 8-treatment, indicating that 8 should be a potential antitumor agent.

Mixed Lineage Kinase Domain-Like Protein Promotes Human Monocyte Cell Adhesion to Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells Via Upregulation of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Expression.

BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis is a progressive inflammatory disease that involves a variety of inflammatory and proinflammatory factors, including intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. ICAM-1 plays an important role in atherosclerosis by promoting cell adhesion. Mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL), a critical regulator of necroptotic cell death, is indicated to play an important role in atherosclerosis. This study investigated the effects of MLKL on ICAM-1 expression and cell adhesion, thus providing a new direction for the research of atherosclerosis pathogenesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS siRNA-MLKL and pcDNA-MLKL were designed, and the expression of MLKL and ICAM-1 were estimated by real-time polymerase chain reaction at the mRNA level and Western blotting at the protein level. The adhesion of human monocyte cells (THP-1) to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was examined under immunofluorescence microscopy, and the ability of cell adhesion was evaluated by ImageJ software. RESULTS Overexpression of MLKL greatly enhanced ICAM-1 expression in HUVECs and the adherence of THP-1 cells to HUVECs. Knockdown of MLKL by siRNA dramatically inhibited the expression of ICAM-1 and the adherence of THP-1 cells to HUVECs. MLKL could promote THP-1 adhesion to HUVECs by activating ICAM-1 expression in HUVECs. CONCLUSIONS MLKL can promote THP-1 cell adhesion to HUVECs through up-regulation of ICAM-1 expression in HUVECs. Thus, MLKL might be a useful target for reducing adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells and atherosclerosis.

[Effect of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Chuanxiong Rhizoma extracts on intestinal flora of vascular aging mice induced by high glucose and high lipid].

The aim of this paper was to observe the changes of intestinal flora in vascular aging mice, in order to explore the relationship between vascular aging and intestinal flora and the effects of extracts of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Chuanxiong Rhizoma on intestinal flora of vascular aging mice. A model of vascular aging in mice was induced through intrape-ritoneal injection with streptozotocin(STZ) combined with high-fat diet. Biochemical detection was performed on serum cholesterol(CHO), triglyceride(TG), high-density liptein cholesterol(HDL-C), low-density liptein cholesterol(LDL-C) and blood glucose(GLU). HE staining was used to detect mice thoracic aorta morphology, and the expressions of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2 A(p16) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 A(p21) protein in mice thoracic aorta were detected by Western blot. The 16 S rDNA gene of mice intestinal flora was detected by Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology to explore the changes of intestinal flora in each group. The results demonstrated that the GLU level in low-dose and high-dose TCM groups decreased, but with unobvious changes in blood lipid indexes. Metformin could significantly decrease the levels of GLU(P<0.01), CHO and LDL-C in mice(P<0.05). Intravascular injury was not obvious in each drug group, and the expressions of p16 and p21 protein were significantly decreased(P<0.05). The intestinal flora of each group was mainly composed of Firmicutes(F) and Bacteroidetes(B) at the level of the phylum, but the B/F ratio was different from that of the youth group and the blank control group. The B/F ratio of the model group was significantly lower(P<0.01), and compared with the model group, the B/F ratio of the high-dose group and the metformin group was signi-ficantly higher(P<0.05). There were dominant and differential floras in the intestine of each group of mice. The results showed that extracts of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Chuanxiong Rhizoma could improve the intestinal flora structure and create a good intestinal environment by increasing the B/F ratio, which provides a new possible pathway for lowering blood glucose and blood lipids and delaying vascular aging.

[Chemical constituents from fermented Noni juice].

The present work was launched to study the chemical constituents from fermented Noni juice. Ten compounds were isolated by using silicagel,Sephadex LH-20 and pre-HPLC. The structures of these compounds were identified by 1D and 2D NMR. Their structures were established as norimester( 1),cyclo( R-Pro-S-Phe)( 2),cyclo-( L-Pro-L-Leu)( 3),trans-cyclo-( D-tryptophanyl-Ltyrosyl)( 4),cyclo( L-Trp-N-methyl-L-Ala-)( 5),4-allyl-2-hydroxyphenyl 1-O-ß-D-apiosyl-( 1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside( 6),2-methoxy-4-vinylphenyl ß-D-apiofuranosyl-( 1→6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside( 7),( +)-lirioresinol A( 8),( ±)-syringaresinol( 9),and2-formyl-1 H-pyrrole-1-butanoic acid( 10). All compounds were tested for their antibacterial activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Compound 1 was a new compound. All compounds were isolated from fermented Noni juice for the first time. Compound 1 showed significant inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase [IC50 value of( 4. 22±0. 03) µmol·L-1].

[Clinical effect of exogenous pulmonary surfactant in the treatment of severe neonatal infectious pneumonia: a multicenter prospective clinical trial].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical effect of calsurf, a domestic exogenous pulmonary surfactant, in the treatment of severe neonatal infectious pneumonia. METHODS: A total of 208 neonates with severe infectious pneumonia who hospitalized in 5 hospitals of China were enrolled. According to their parents' wishes on admission, these neonates were administered with conventional treatment (control group; n=81) and calsurf treatment + conventional treatment (calsurf treatment group, n=127). The two groups were compared in terms of the degree of oxygen dependence on admission, blood gas parameters before and after treatment, lung ultrasound results, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay, hospital costs, complications and prognosis. RESULTS: Compared with the control group on admission, the calsurf treatment group had significantly higher inhaled oxygen concentration and partial pressure of carbon dioxide and significantly lower arterial partial pressure of oxygen and oxygenation index (P<0.01). After 1 hour of treatment, both groups had significant improvements in the above indices (P<0.05), and the improvements were more significant in the calsurf treatment group (P<0.05). After 4-6 hours of calsurf administration, there was a significant reduction in the degree of pulmonary consolidation. The calsurf treatment group had significantly shorter duration of mechanical ventilation and length of hospital stay than the control group, while there was no significant difference in the incidence rate of complications between the two groups. The neonates of both groups had a good prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: In neonates with severe infectious pneumonia, calsurf treatment can significantly improve oxygenation, reduce the degree of pulmonary consolidation, and shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation and length of hospital stay. Therefore, it should be considered in neonates with severe infectious pneumonia.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 Glu504Lys variant predicts a worse prognosis of acute coronary syndrome patients.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) Glu504Lys variant was an independent risk factor for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, there are lacking researches about the relationship between the variant and prognosis of ACS. In the prospective study, 377 ACS patients were grouped into the wild-type (*1/*1) and the mutation (*2/*2 + *1/*2) groups according to genotype detection. Compared with the wild-type group, incidences of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and cardiac death were both higher in the mutation group (9.2% vs 21.0%, P = .002; 5.2% vs 12.2%, P = .026); the MACE-free and the cardiac-death-free cumulative survival rates were obviously lower in the mutation group. Moreover, the mutant genotypes were associated with significantly increased risk of MACE and cardiac death (HR 2.443, 95%CI: 1.390-4.296, P = .002; HR 2.727, 95%CI: 1.303-5.708, P = .008). These results suggested that ALDH2 Glu504Lys variant could predict a worse prognosis of ACS patients.

[Study on screening antitumor active fractions and chemical components in active fractions from root of Anaycclus pyrethrum].

Components that systematic separated from the root of Anaycclus pyrethrum were identified, in order to lay a foundation for future study of the root of A. pyrethrum. The CCK-8 assay showed that dichloromethane fraction exhibited the highest degree of cytotoxicity than others. Ten monomeric components were obtained from dichloromethane fraction and ethyl acetate fraction extracted from the root of A. pyrethrum, including 7 N-alkylamides, one coumarin and two flavonoid glycosides. They were identified as tetradeca-2E,4E,8E-trienoic acid 4-hydroxyphenylethylamide(1), deca-2E,4E-dienoicacid isobutylamide(2), undeca-2E,4E-diene-8,10-diynoic acid phenylethylamide(3), tetradeca-2E,4E-dienoic acid 4-hydroxyphenylethylamide(4), tetradeca-2E,4E-diene-8,10-diynoic acid isobutylamide(5), deca-2E,4E- dienoic acid 4-hydroxyphenylethylamide(6), dodeca-2E,4E-dienoic acid 4-hydroxy -phenyl-ethylamide(7), isoscopoletin(8), quercetin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside(9), isorhamnetin-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside(10). Among them, compound 1 was identified as a new compound, Compounds 2-4, 8-10 were isolated from this herb for the first time.

Prokaryotic Community Structure Driven by Salinity and Ionic Concentrations in Plateau Lakes of the Tibetan Plateau.

The prokaryotic community composition and diversity and the distribution patterns at various taxonomic levels across gradients of salinity and physiochemical properties in the surface waters of seven plateau lakes in the Qaidam Basin, Tibetan Plateau, were evaluated using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. These lakes included Lakes Keluke (salinity, <1 g/liter), Qing (salinity, 5.5 to 6.6 g/liter), Tuosu (salinity, 24 to 35 g/liter), Dasugan (salinity, 30 to 33 g/liter), Gahai (salinity, 92 to 96 g/liter), Xiaochaidan (salinity, 94 to 99 g/liter), and Gasikule (salinity, 317 to 344 g/liter). The communities were dominated by Bacteria in lakes with salinities of <100 g/liter and by Archaea in Lake Gasikule. The clades At12OctB3 and Salinibacter, previously reported only in hypersaline environments, were found in a hyposaline lake (salinity, 5.5 to 6.6 g/liter) at an abundance of ∼1.0%, indicating their ecological plasticity. Salinity and the concentrations of the chemical ions whose concentrations covary with salinity (Mg(2+), K(+), Cl(-), Na(+), SO4 (2-), and Ca(2+)) were found to be the primary environmental factors that directly or indirectly determined the composition and diversity at the level of individual clades as well as entire prokaryotic communities. The distribution patterns of two phyla, five classes, five orders, five families, and three genera were well predicted by salinity. The variation of the prokaryotic community structure also significantly correlated with the dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, the total nitrogen concentration, and the PO4 (3-) concentration. Such correlations varied depending on the taxonomic level, demonstrating the importance of comprehensive correlation analyses at various taxonomic levels in evaluating the effects of environmental variable factors on prokaryotic community structures. Our findings clarify the distribution patterns of the prokaryotic community composition in plateau lakes at the levels of individual clades as well as whole communities along gradients of salinity and ionic concentrations.