Sensitive photoelectric sensing for 5-HMF detection.

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is a heterocyclic compound with six carbons commonly found in heat-treated carbohydrate-rich foods. 5-HMF exceeding the specified limit is cytotoxic to the human body, and will be converted into carcinogenic substances (5-sulfoxide methyl furfural) after long-term accumulation in the body. Therefore, it is highly necessary to develop a sensitive and accurate detection method for 5-HMF in the field of food safety. In this study, a photoelectric sensing method was developed for the highly sensitive detection of 5-HMF using hollow TiO2 nanospheres successfully synthesized by template, sol-gel and lye etching methods. The structure and composition of the materials were studied by XRD, XPS, SEM and TEM. The electrochemical and photoelectrochemical properties of an h-TiO2 electrode probe based on indium tin oxide (ITO) slides were investigated. The results indicated that the linear relationship of 5-HMF is good in the concentration range of 10-11-10-7 M, and the detection limit of 5-HMF is 0.001 nM. Moreover, the PEC sensor shows high accuracy in the detection of actual samples.

Development of Cu(II) 4-hydroxybenzoylhydrazone complexes that induce mitochondrial DNA damage and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in liver cancer.

Cisplatin remains the most widely used chemotherapeutic agent in cancer treatment; however, its inherent drawbacks have fueled the development of novel metalloanticancer drugs. In this study, two novel Cu(II) complexes (Cu1 and Cu2) were designed and synthesized. Notably, these Cu(II) complexes showed higher cytotoxicity against HL-7402 cells than cisplatin. Moreover, Cu(II) complexes significantly inhibited liver cancer growth in a xenograft model. A mechanism study revealed that the Cu(II) complexes reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential of cancer cells, produced excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), induced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage, and ultimately facilitated cancer cell apoptosis.

Sensitive SERS aptasensor for histamine detection based on Au/Ag nanorods and IRMOF-3@Au based flexible PDMS membrane.

BACKGROUND: Histamine is a kind of biogenic amine with strong toxicity and potential carcinogenicity. Many traditional methods of detecting histamine have the disadvantages of cumbersome detection steps, expensive equipment, and high professional requirements for staff. In contrast, SERS has become the preferred method for quantitative analysis of histamine because of rich fingerprint information, rapidity and economy. However, most of SERS substrates still have technical problems, such as poor stability, low sample collection rate, and detection efficiency. Therefore, there is a great need for new strategies to develop high-performance SERS substrates based sensors. RESULTS: In our study, a sensitive SERS aptasensor for the detection of histamine was synthesized. The assembly was formed between IRMOF-3@Au/PDMS (flexible SERS substrate) and AuNR-DTNB@Ag-HA apt (Raman signal probe with both the target capture ability) via π-π stacking interaction from HA aptamer and IRMOF-3. Consequently, the SERS signal of the assembly derived from DTNB reached highest due to the synergistic enhancement effect by AuNR@Ag and IRMOF-3@Au. Meanwhile, HA aptamer can specifically capture histamine, therefore histamine addition competitively bound to the probe, leading to a corresponding decrease in the DTNB signal value on the SERS substrate. The SERS intensity at 1331 cm-1 presented a good linear relationship towards the logarithmic value of histamine concentrations ranging from 0.0001 mg/L to 400 mg/L (R2 = 0.990) with the LOD of 3.6 × 10-5 mg/L. Furthermore, the application in wine samples demonstrated the accuracy and applicability of the developed sensor. SIGNIFICANCE: This method effectively improves substrate stability, detection sensitivity and signal response immediacy to amplify the SERS sensor, thus satisfying the histamine detection requirements of various systems. According to this aptasensor design, our strategy can be extended to create other MOF-based SERS substrates for accurately detecting relative targets to ensure food safety.

Errate: Silencing Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) and Use of Anti-Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Antibody Induces Immune Response and Anti-Tumor Activity.

It was brought to our attention by the authors that Figures 5A and 6A contained errors. The correct version of Figures 5A and 6A are provided below. The corrected figures do not change the overall findings of the study. Reference: Jiaxing Wang, Fakun Huang, Caiyun Jiang, Pan Chi. Silencing Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) and Use of Anti-Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Antibody Induces Immune Response and Anti-Tumor Activity. Med Sci Monit, 2020; 26: e915854. DOI: 10.12659/MSM.915854.

Anticancer Activity and Mode of Action of Cu(II), Zn(II), and Mn(II) Complexes with 5-Chloro-2-N-(2-quinolylmethylene)aminophenol.

Developing a new generation of anticancer metal-based drugs that can both kill tumor cells and inhibit cell migration is a promising strategy. Herein, we synthesized three Cu(II), Zn(II), and Mn(II) complexes derived from 5-chloro-2-N-(2-quinolylmethylene)aminophenol (C1-C3). Among these complexes, the Cu(II) complex (C1) showed significantly greater cytotoxicity toward lung cancer cell lines than cisplatin. C1 inhibited A549 cell metastasis and suppressed the growth of the A549 tumor in vivo. In addition, we confirmed the anticancer mechanism of C1 by triggering multiple mechanisms, including inducing mitochondrial apoptosis, acting on DNA, blocking cell cycle arrest, inducing cell senescence, and inducing DNA damage.

Rashes following cesarean delivery: a case report.

This work reports a case of rashes on multiple parts of the body following cesarean delivery caused by routine use of cefuroxime sodium and morphine during the perioperative period. A 29-year-old woman underwent a lower segment cesarean section under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia. During surgery, cefuroxime sodium was administered intravenously following the division of the umbilical cord for the prevention of infection. Morphine hydrochloride was given for analgesia at the end of the procedure. Rashes and pruritus appeared on the patient's abdomen, back and thighs. Cephalosporins and opioids may cause rashes and pruritus. According to the patient's physical signs and the time of drug injection, we considered the rash and pruritus adverse reactions caused by cefuroxime sodium and morphine hydrochloride. After the discontinuation of the medications, antiallergic treatment and the other treatment of symptoms, the patient's symptoms gradually subsided. To this end, we speculate that cefuroxime sodium or morphine hydrochloride cause adverse reactions, including rashes in patients. Physicians, nurses, and clinical pharmacists should closely observe patients who receive these medications. The medications should be at once stopped if an adverse reaction occurs.

Rash and neutropenia after the administration of oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil plus calcium folinate injection: a case report.

A 56-year-old male patient was admitted due to a "rectal malignant tumor". He suffered from rash and neutropenia after multiple chemotherapy sessions including oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil (5- FU), and calcium folinate injection (CF) which are called FOLFOX regimen for short. The rash was treated with methylprednisolone + promethazine + calcium gluconate, and the neutropenia was treated by subcutaneous injection of the Recombinant Human Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Injection, the symptoms were relieved. Moreover, rashes and neutropenia are known common adverse reactions after intravenous administration of FOLFOX regimen. Based on the patient's symptoms and the timing of drug administration, a diagnosis of "rash and neutropenia due to the use of FOLFOX regimen" was made. Oxaliplatin and CF may also cause allergic reactions, including skin erythema and anaphylactic shock, etc. Once allergic reaction occurs, the fatality rate is higher than that of Penicillin. Therefore, sufficient attention should be paid to the patients reported in this paper who received FOLFOX regimen for multiple times and had multiple rashes and adverse reactions of neutropenia. Medical staff should closely monitored the adverse reactions and changes in vital signs of patients treated with this regimen during chemotherapy, and the chemotherapy regimen should be adjusted or terminated when necessary. The adverse reactions reported in this article deserve clinical attention.

Silencing Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 (STAT3) and Use of Anti-Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Antibody Induces Immune Response and Anti-Tumor Activity.

BACKGROUND The treatment of cancer is still unable to meet the needs of patients and remains a huge challenge. This study investigated the immune response and anti-cancer effect of silencing STAT3 combined with the use of anti-PD-L1 antibody. MATERIAL AND METHODS Transfected CT26.WT cells were used to subcutaneously inoculate C57B/L6 mice, which were subsequently injected with anti-PD-L1 antibody. Treated mice were examined for tumor formation and inflammation using HE staining. Tumors were investigated for apoptosis using the TUNEL assay. The expression of STAT3, PD-L1, and C-met was studied immunohistochemistrially and by using PCR and Western blot analysis. RESULTS Four weeks after inoculation, tumors were observed in the inoculated mice. HE staining showed obvious inflammation in mice injected with cells that were silenced for STAT3 and injected with PD-L1 antibody. TUNEL assay showed low level of apoptosis in mice injected with cells silenced for STAT3 or injected with PD-L1 antibody, and higher level of apoptosis following combined treatment of STAT3 silencing and PD-L1 antibody injection. Immunohistochemistry, PCR, and Western blot analyses revealed that the expression of C-met, PD-L1, and STAT3 was significantly reduced in tumors following the combined treatment. Compared with treatment of STAT3 silencing or PD-L1 antibody injection, the combined treatment enhanced apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS Silencing STAT3 and PD-L1 antibody injection in combination increased apoptosis in tumor cells and thus offers better anti-cancer activity.

The role of real-time shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and evaluation of the curative effect.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of real-time shear wave elastography (SWE) in the assessment of renal elasticity and the efficacy of steroid treatment in adult idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS). METHODS: This study included 120 patients with INS. Patients were divided into steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant groups. Renal biopsy was performed. Thirty healthy subjects were recruited as controls. Young's modulus (YM) of the renal parenchyma was measured by SWE. The YM values in each group were compared using glomerular sclerosis index (GI) and renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF). RESULTS: The YM values were significantly different between the INS and control groups, as well as between the steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant groups (P < 0.05). Higher YM values were associated with steroid sensitivity. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the YM value in the INS group vs. control group was 0.871 (95% CI 0.815-0.927) and in the steroid-resistant group vs. control, and steroid-sensitive groups was 0.836 (95% CI 0.765-0.908). The corresponding cut-off values were 7.96 and 10.73 m/s, with 81.7% and 86.0% sensitivities, 93.3% and 77.9% specificities, and Youden index 0.750 and 0.639, respectively. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the YM value in the renal parenchyma was positively correlated with GI (r = 0.631, P < 0.05) and RIF (r = 0.606, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: SWE technology is a potential method for non-invasive quantitative measurement of renal parenchyma stiffness to determine the pathological changes of INS renal parenchyma and evaluate the effectiveness of steroid therapy.

LNRRIL6, a novel long noncoding RNA, protects colorectal cancer cells by activating the IL-6-STAT3 pathway.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as critical regulators of cancer. There is a comparable number of lncRNAs to protein-coding genes, but the expression patterns, functions, and molecular mechanisms of most lncRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. In this study, we report the identification of a novel lncRNA, named long noncoding RNA regulating IL-6 transcription (LNRRIL6), which is upregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines. Increased LNRRIL6 expression is associated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics and poor prognosis of CRC patients. Functional experiments showed that enhanced expression of LNRRIL6 promotes CRC cell proliferation and survival in vitro and CRC tumor growth in vivo. Conversely, depletion of LNRRIL6 inhibits CRC cell proliferation and survival in vitro and CRC tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that LNRRIL6 physically binds to the IL-6 promoter, thereby increasing IL-6 transcription, inducing IL-6 autocrine signaling, and activating the IL-6/STAT3 pathway. The expression of IL-6 is positively associated with that of LNRRIL6 in CRC tissues. Blocking the IL-6/STAT3 pathway using the FDA-approved IL-6-receptor antagonist antibody, tocilizumab, abolished the oncogenic role of LNRRIL6 in CRC. Taken together, these findings identify a novel lncRNA, LNRRIL6, that promotes CRC cell survival through activation of the IL-6/STAT3 pathway and suggest that LNRRIL6 may be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC.

Influences of information management path coordination with dynamic monitoring on the quality of hospital drug management.

BACKGROUND: To explore the impact of information management path coordination with dynamic monitoring on the quality of hospital drug management. METHODS: Based on the management mode of the information management path coupled with dynamic monitoring for hospital drug management, the overall structure of drug management was designed according to the drug management needs, and the management process was dynamically monitored by computer. The incidence of drug management errors was analyzed before and after implementation, including errors in drug placement, unreasonable actions, and vague labeling of high-risk drugs. The near-term and overdue statuses of various drugs were analyzed before and after implementation. Based on the "Hospital Pharmaceutical Management Regulations", a questionnaire about drug management quality was designed to address issues such as the pharmacy area, pharmacy management, drug management, pharmacy equipment management, and management efficiency; a drug management quality score was given before and after implementation. RESULTS: The incidence rates of drug placement errors, unreasonable actions, and vague labeling of high-risk drugs were 1.67%, 2.50%, and 1.67%, respectively, which were significantly lower than the pre-implementation rates of 8.33%, 10.00%, and 8.33% (P<0.05), respectively. The expiration rates of emergency medicines and general medicines after the implementation of information management path coordination with dynamic monitoring were 0.00% and 3.41%, respectively, which were significantly lower than the rates of 30.00% and 11.36% before implementation (P<0.05). The total score and the scores for the pharmacy area, pharmacy management, drug management, pharmacy equipment management, and management efficiency after the implementation of the information management path combined with dynamic monitoring were significantly higher than those before implementation (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Using information management path coordination with dynamic monitoring can reduce the incidence of errors in the drug management process, improve the drug utilization rate in the near-term, and improve the management quality.

Demethylation and Overexpression of CSF2 are Involved in Immune Response, Chemotherapy Resistance, and Poor Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the role of colony-stimulating factor 2 (CSF2) in chemotherapy resistance, prognosis, and immune response and to identify its possible mechanisms underlying drug resistance. METHODS: Drug-resistant cell lines were obtained by successively increasing drug concentration. RNA-Seq was performed to screen hub genes. CSF2 expression was analyzed via immunohistochemistry. Moreover, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) dataset, and R2 platform were used to explore the correlations among CSF2 expression, prognosis, and immune response. RESULTS: RNA-Seq indicated that microRNAs in cancer, P53 signaling pathway, and cell cycle were associated with FOLFOX chemotherapy resistance. Protein-protein interaction (PPI), molecular complex detection (MOCDE), and qRT-PCR analysis verified CSF2 as the hub gene in chemotherapy resistance. Moreover, CSF2 expression was lower in the normal tissue than in the cancerous tissue (P<0.05). Higher expression of CSF2 was associated with poor OS and DFS in colon cancer patients (P<0.05). We further found similar results in the Oncomine database and R2 platform (P<0.05). A higher expression of CSF2 in the CRC tissue may be caused by demethylation, which was verified using the TCGA datasets. Moreover, GSEA demonstrated that CSF2 was associated with immune response, which was consistent with results reported using TIMER datasets. CONCLUSION: CSF2 is a novel biomarker and a prognostic factor for the survival of CRC patients affecting the immune response, and an overexpression of CSF2 in CRC patients may be caused by DNA demethylation.

Apoptosis Induction and Imaging of Cadmium-Telluride Quantum Dots with Wogonin in Multidrug-Resistant Leukemia K562/A02 Cell.

Wogonin (5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone) is one of the active components of flavonoids isolated from Scutellariae radix and possesses antitumor effect against leukemia. Cadmium-telluride quantum dots (CdTe-QDs) are a kind of nanoparticles with great potential in functioning as an efficient drug delivery vector in biomedical research. In this study, we investigated the synergistic effect of CdTe-QDs with Wogonin on the induction of apoptosis using drug-resistant human leukemia KA cells. Flow cytometry analysis, assay of morphology under electron microscope, quantitative analysis of tumor volume and micro-CT imaging demonstrated that compared with that by pure CdTe-QDs or wogonin, the apoptosis rate increased sharply when treated wirh CdTe-QDs together with wogonin on KA cells. These results proved that the nanocomposites readily overcame the barrier of drug-resistance and provoked cell apoptosis in vitro and in vivo by facilitating the interaction between wogonin and KA cells. As known to all, it is an inevitable tendency that new effective therapies will take the place of conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy presenting significant disadvantages. According to this article, CdTe-QD combined with wogonin is a possible alternative for some cancer treatments.

Increasing phosphorus concentration in the extraradical hyphae of Rhizophagus irregularis DAOM 197198 leads to a concomitant increase in metal minerals.

Plants associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) acquire phosphorus via roots and extraradical hyphae. How soil P level affects P accumulation within hyphae and how P in hyphae influences the accumulation of metal minerals remains little explored. A bi-compartmented in vitro cultivation system separating a root compartment (RC), containing a Ri T-DNA transformed carrot root associated to the AMF Rhizophagus irregularis DAOM 197198, from a hyphal compartment (HC), containing only the extraradical hyphae, was used. The HC contained a liquid growth medium (i.e., the modified Strullu-Romand medium containing P in the form of KH2PO4) without (0 µM) or adjusted to 35, 100, and 700 µM of KH2PO4. The accumulation of P and metal minerals (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Fe, Cu, Mn) within extraradical hyphae and AMF-colonized roots, and the expression of the phosphate transporter gene GintPT were assessed. The expression of GintPT in the extraradical hyphae did not differ in absence of KH2PO4 or in presence of 35 and 100 µM KH2PO4 in the HC but was markedly reduced in presence of 700 µM KH2PO4. Hyphal P concentration was significantly lowest in absence of KH2PO4, intermediate at 35 and 100 µM KH2PO4 and significantly highest in presence of 700 µM KH2PO4 in the HC. The concentrations of K, Mg, and Na were positively associated with the concentration of P in the extraradical hyphae developing in the HC. Similarly, P concentration in extraradical hyphae in the HC was related to P concentration in the growth medium and influenced the concentration of K, Mg, and Na. The accumulation of the metal mineral K, Mg, and Na in the extraradical hyphae developing in the HC was possibly related to their function in neutralizing the negative charges of PolyP accumulated in the hyphae.

[Predictive factors associated with pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore predictive factors associated with pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer. METHODS: Clinicopathological data of 163 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who were treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by radical surgical resection from January 2007 to May 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to analyze associated factors of pCR, including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), diabetes, anemia, tumor diameter, distance of the tumor from the anal verge, circumferential extent of the tumor, tumor pathological types, tumor differentiation, pre-chemoradiotherapy T stage, pre-chemoradiotherapy N stage, pre-chemoradiotherapy CEA level, pre-chemoradiotherapy CA199 level, per-operation CEA level, pre-operation CA199 level, radiation dose, chemotherapy modality, time interval from completion of chemoradiotherapy to surgery, etc. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients(17.8%) achieved pCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer. Univariate analysis showed circumferential extent of tumor(≥1/2 cycle)(P=0.018), tumor pathological types(adenocarcinoma)(P=0.036), tumor differentiation (moderate or high)(P=0.021) and pre-chemoradiotherapy CEA level(≤2.5 µg/L)(P=0.007) were significantly correlated with pCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer. Logistic regression revealed that circumferential extent of tumor (≥1/2 cycle)(OR=2.901, P=0.020) and pre-chemoradiotherapy CEA level (≤2.5 µg/L)(OR=2.775, P=0.022) were independent predictive factors of pCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer. CONCLUSION: Patients with circumferential extent of tumor ≤1/2 and pre-chemoradiotherapy CEA level ≤2.5 µg/L are more likely to achieve pCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer, and these two indices can be used to predict pCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer.

Anti-tumor activity of verbascoside loaded gold nanoparticles.

Verbascoside (VB), a major bioactive constituent of the Tsoong herb, has attracted a great deal of attention due to its pharmacological properties. In this study, we demonstrated the inhibitory effect of VB-loaded gold nanoparticles (VB-Au) on the growth of K562 cells both in vitro and in vivo. We found that, in contrast with the same concentration of gold nanoparticles (Au) or VB, VB-Au significantly decreased the viability of K562 cells and promoted the apoptosis of tumor cells. A tumor implantation mouse model further showed that the intravenous injection of VB-Au effectively inhibited the growth and induced the apoptosis of tumor cells. In conclusion, our results collectively demonstrate that VB-Au nanoparticles provide an effective strategy to control tumor cell growth.