The efficacy of electroacupuncture for cervical nerve edema and movement disorder caused by the brachial plexus injury: a case report.

The brachial plexus injury (BPI) is one of the most severe types of peripheral nerve injuries, often caused by upper limb traction injury. In clinic, the surgery is widely used to treat the BPI. However, surgery may need to be performed multiple times at different stages, which carries risks and brings heavy economic burden. In non-surgical treatment, splinting, local injection of corticosteroids, and oral corticosteroids can achieve significant short-term benefits, but they are prone to recurrence and may cause complications of mechanical or chemical nerve damage. In this report, we present a case of a 46-year-old female patient with BPI. The patient had difficulty in raising, flexing and extending of the left upper limb, and accompanied with the soreness and pain of neck and shoulder. After 3 months of EA treatment, a significant reduction in the inner diameter of the left C5 to C7 root at the outlet of brachial plexus nerve was detected by musculoskeletal ultrasound, and the soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder were significantly reduced. The soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder did not recur for 2 years. Case summary: The patient is a 46-year-old female with BPI. She experienced difficult in lifting, flexing and extending of the left upper limb, which accompanied by soreness and pain in the left neck and shoulder. After 3 months of EA treatment, the patient's pain and limb's movement disorder was improved. After 2 years of follow-up, the patient's left neck and shoulder showed no further pain. Conclusion: EA has shown satisfied efficacy in BPI, improving limb restrictions and relieving pain in patients for at least 2 years.

Preservative effect of gelatin/chitosan-based films incorporated with lemon essential oil on grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) fillets during storage.

The present study investigated the effect of fish gelatin/chitosan-based (FG/CS-based) films incorporated with lemon essential oil (LEO) on grass carp fillets in terms of moisture status, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and microbial community succession during chilled (4 °C) and iced (0 °C) storage. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) revealed that the active films remarkably inhibited moisture transformation from being the immobilized to free water in grass carp fillets, accompanied with the reduced T22 relaxation time. Besides, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected a higher density of proton in the treated fish samples, indicating that the active films could improve the water-holding capacity of fish samples. Moreover, high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing suggested that the FG/CS-based films loaded with LEO efficiently decreased the relative abundance of the bacterial genera Shewanella and Aeromonas in grass carp fillets, with minimal accumulation of TVB-N during storage. Additionally, the low storage temperature (0 °C) could further enhance the preservative effect of the active films on the fish samples, which together prolonged their shelf-life to 18 days. Overall, the combination of the active films and iced storage could provide a promising strategy to preserve grass carp fillets.

Inhibition of fungal pathogenicity by targeting the H2S-synthesizing enzyme cystathionine ß-synthase.

The global emergence of antifungal resistance threatens the limited arsenal of available treatments and emphasizes the urgent need for alternative antifungal agents. Targeting fungal pathogenic functions is an appealing alternative therapeutic strategy. Here, we show that cystathionine ß-synthase (CBS), compared with cystathionine γ-lyase, is the major enzyme that synthesizes hydrogen sulfide in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans. Deletion of CBS leads to deficiencies in resistance to oxidative stress, retarded cell growth, defective hyphal growth, and increased ß-glucan exposure, which, together, reduce the pathogenicity of C. albicans. By high-throughput screening, we identified protolichesterinic acid, a natural molecule obtained from a lichen, as an inhibitor of CBS that neutralizes the virulence of C. albicans and exhibits therapeutic efficacy in a murine candidiasis model. These findings support the application of CBS as a potential therapeutic target to fight fungal infections.

Long noncoding RNA PP7080 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma development by sponging mir-601 and targeting SIRT1.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy in adults, ranking the second leading cause of cancer-related death. To date, the underlying mechanisms of HCC pathogenesis are still unclear. Recently, more and more studies have reported that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the occurrence and development of HCC. This study aims to investigate the expressions, clinical significance and roles of lncRNA PP7080 in HCC. We analyzed the transcriptome data of HCC cancer tissue (n = 369) and normal tissue (n = 50) in the TCGA database. We used the qRT-PCR method to detect the expression levels of lncRNA PP7080 in 40 pairs of HCC and adjacent tissues. The survival curve was drawn by KM-plotter. The changes of migration, invasion and proliferation of HCC cells were detected by transwall, CCK8 and colony forming assays, respectively. For the interaction between genes, we performed the luciferase activity assay to analyze. The expression of lncRNA PP7080 and miR-601 in cancer tissues of 40 cancer patients was analyzed by Pearson correlation. LncRNA PP7080 was highly expressed in HCC and predicted a poor prognosis. Luciferase activity assay identified lncRNA PP7080 as a molecular sponge for miR-601 in HCC cells. LncRNA PP7080 promoted HCC cells proliferation, migration and invasion by miR-601/SIRT1 signal axis. These results revealed lncRNA PP7080 effect in regulating miR-601/SIRT1 signal axis in the progression of HCC, indicating the important role of miR-601 in HCC pathogenesis.

Discriminative Detection of Glutathione in Cell Lysates Based on Oxidase-Like Activity of Magnetic Nanoporous Graphene.

As the most abundant intracellular biothiol, glutathione (GSH) plays a central role in many cellular functions and has been proved to be associated with numerous clinical diseases. Nevertheless, it is still a challenge to detect GSH over other mercaptoamino acids owing to their similar structures and activities. In this paper, magnetic nanoporous graphene (MNPG) nanocomposites were prepared for the first time through partial combustion of graphene oxide (GO) and ferric chloride. Due to the combination of porous graphene and magnetic nanoparticles, the MNPG nanocomposites exhibited large specific surface area, fast mass, and electron transport kinetics, resulting in remarkable oxidase mimic activity and easy separation. On the basis of the inhibition effect of GSH on the MNPG-catalyzed oxidation of thiamine, a novel and simple method for fluorescence determination of GSH was established. The sensor displayed a good linear response in the range of 0.2-20 µM toward GSH with a limit of detection of 0.05 µM. High sensitivity and selectivity facilitated its practical application for discriminative detection of GSH levels in PC12 cell lysates. The presented assay will be a simple and powerful tool to monitor intracellular GSH levels for biomedical diagnosis. Furthermore, the MNPG nanocomposites will provide insights to construct nanoporous graphene-based hybrids and push forward the advancement of porous graphene for wide applications.

Label-free fluorescence imaging of cytochrome c in living systems and anti-cancer drug screening with nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots.

As an important biomarker for the early stage of apoptosis, cytochrome c (Cyt c) has been recognized as a key component of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Fluorescence imaging tools enabling detection of Cyt c in apoptotic signaling have been rarely explored, though they are critical for cell biology and clinical theranostics. Here, we designed a novel label-free N-doped carbon dot (N-doped CD)-based nanosensor that enables fluorescence activation imaging of Cyt c release in cell apoptosis. The inner filter effect of Cyt c towards N-doped CDs enabled quantitative Cyt c measurement. The nanosensor exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity, rapid response, good cell-membrane permeability and low cytotoxicity. All these features are favorable for in situ visualization of Cyt c for apoptosis research. Notably, the developed nanosensor was successfully applied to monitor intracellular release of Cyt c, and to visualize Cyt c in living zebrafish for the first time. Moreover, it also provided a viable platform for cell-based screening of apoptosis-inducing compounds. In virtue of these advantages and potential, the developed assay not only holds great significance for the better understanding of certain diseases at the cellular level, but also provides an invaluable platform for apoptotic studies and screening of anti-cancer drugs toward drug development.

Switch-on fluorescence sensing of glutathione in food samples based on a graphitic carbon nitride quantum dot (g-CNQD)-Hg²âº chemosensor.

Fluorescence sensing of specific biological molecules by artificial chemosensors is a versatile technique. In the present work, a switch-on fluorescence sensor for rapid, sensitive, and selective sensing of glutathione (GSH) in food samples was developed. This method was based on the g-CNQDs-Hg(2+) system, in which the initial fluorescence from g-CNQDs was quenched by Hg(2+) with an electron transfer process. In the presence of GSH, the fluorescence sensor was switched to the "on" state, which was attributed to a competitive affinity of Hg(2+) to GSH and the functional groups on the surface of g-CNQDs. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) of 37 nM for GSH was achieved with a wide range of 0.16-16 µM. The repeatability was better than 5.3% for GSH in both standard and food samples (n = 3). Finally, this fluorescence sensor was successfully employed for the determination of GSH in various kinds of food samples with excellent recoveries. Furthermore, this application may pave a new way for fluorescence sensing of other substances in food samples.