Construction of Large-Scale Conjugated Functionalized Cyclotriphosphazene Lanthanide Framework for Selective Sensing of Volatile Organic Compounds and Assembly of Color-Tunable Dye-Encapsulated Composites.

A flexible functionalized cyclotriphosphazene hexacarboxylic acid, hexakis(4-carboxylatephenoxy) cyclotriphosphazene (HCPCP), is used for the synthesis of a family of fluorescent Ln-HCPCP frameworks (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Gd, and Ho). Structural analysis shows that the compounds exhibit 3D structures with [Ln3(COO)10], secondary building units formed by Ln-O-C-O-Ln connection. Then the molecules are connected to each other through HCPCP, forming rectangular channels along the c-direction. Interestingly, the fluorescence sensing studies show that compound 1 could be used as a multifunctional fluorescence sensor toward volatile organic compounds via different fluorescence emission behaviors. Moreover, a series of Dye@La-HCPCP composites (Dye = rhodamine B, safranine T, crystal violet, and malachite green) are successfully prepared with different quantum yields by the solvothermal reaction followed by cation exchanges.

Integrated Photoresponsive Alkaline Earth Metal Coordination Networks: Synthesis, Topology, Photochromism and Photoluminescence Investigation.

Photoresponsive materials are a key part of the age of smart technology that have potential in a broad range of applications. Coordination networks (CNs) are widely used due to their designability and stability. In this work, three novel alkaline earth metal coordination networks (AEM-CNs): [Mg(CMNDI)(H2 O)2 ], [Ca(CMNDI)(H2 O)2 ]⋅H2 O, and [Sr(CMNDI)(H2 O)(DMF)] with fsl, cds, and scn topology nets were synthetized via N,N'-bis(carboxymethyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide (H2 CMNDI); the scn net is not found in the Reticular Chemistry Structure Resource or ToposPro. The reusable and sensitive photochromic properties of the three CNs enable them to be used as secret inks or ultraviolet detectors. In addition, the CNs also exhibited reusable photoluminescent turn-off toward the drug molecules, balsalazide disodium (Bal.) and colchicine (Col.), with good limits of detection of 0.16 and 0.70 µM. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of a fluorescence sensor for Bal. Thus, the AEM-CNs provide a design idea for integrated photoresponsive materials that could be further improved in the near future by further study.

Three Pbx(COO)y Cluster Frameworks Based on a Flexible Triazinetricarboxylic Acid Ligand: Syntheses, Structures, and Fluorescent Sensing Application for Nitrophenols.

Three new metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), namely, [Pb7(TTPCA)4Cl2]·3H2O (1), [Pb7(TTPCA)4(DMA)2(HCOO)2]·H2O (2), and [Pb4(TTPCA)3]·3DMF·2H2O·H3O (3), were synthesized by the H3TTPCA ligand [H3TTPCA = 1,1',1″-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl)-tripiperidine-4-carboxylic acid], with lead(II) nitrate under solvothermal conditions. They were characterized by CHN analysis, IR spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. In addition, their thermogravimetric analysis and fluorescence properties were studied. Compounds 1-3 were 3D MOF structures with different Pbx(COO)y clusters: ([Pb7(COO)12Cl2]), ([Pb7(COO)12]), and [Pb8(COO)18]. Fluorescence detection of compounds 1-3 shows that they can act as excellent sensors of nitrophenols with a low limit of detection and a high quenching constant.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on Treg/Th17 balance in spleen and serum inflammatory factors in obese mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture(EA) on obese mice, and to explore the underlying mechanism of EA in treating obesity by focusing on the balance of regulatory T cells (Treg) and T helper 17 cells (Th17) and related inflammatory factors. METHODS: C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into normal group, model group and EA group, with 10 mice in each group. The obesity model was established by feeding the mice with high-fat diet. Mice in the EA group was treated with EA at "Zhongwan"(CV12), "Guanyuan"(CV4), "Zusanli"(ST36) and "Fenglong"(ST40) for 20 min every time, 3 times every week, for a total of 8 weeks. The food intake and body weight of mice were observed and recorded, and Lee's index was calculated; the contents of interleukin 2(IL-2), IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α in serum were detected by multiplex liquid chip quantitative technique; the levels of Treg and Th17 cells in mice spleen tissues were detected by flow cytometry; and the expression levels of foxhead box p3(Foxp3) and retinoic acid related orphan receptor γt(ROR-γt) mRNA in spleen were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the food intake, body weight, Lee's index, the contents of IL-2, IL-6, IL-17A, IFN-γ and TNF-α in the serum, and the percentage of Th17 and expression of ROR-γt mRNA in the spleen tissues were significantly increased (P<0.01, P<0.001), while the contents of IL-4 and IL-10 in the serum, the percentage of Treg and expression of Foxp3 mRNA in the spleen tissues were significantly decreased (P<0.001, P<0.01) in the model group. Compared with the model group, the food intake, body weight, Lee's index, the contents of IL-2, IL-6, IL-17A, IFN-γ, and TNF-α in the serum, the percentage of Th17 and expression of ROR-γt mRNA in the spleen tissues were significantly decreased (P<0.01), while the contents of IL-4 and IL-10 in serum, the percentage of Treg and expression of Foxp3 mRNA in the spleen tissues were significantly increased(P<0.01, P<0.05) in the EA group. CONCLUSION: EA may improve the obese state of mice by regulating the balance of Treg/Th17 in spleen and the expression of inflammatory factors in serum.

Smart crystalline framework materials with a triazole carboxylic acid ligand: fluorescence sensing and catalytic reduction of PNP.

Triazole polycarboxylic acid ligands are widely employed in the construction of MOFs due to their strong coordination ability and flexible coordination modes. In this work, three novel complexes (Pb(MCTCA)(H2O) (1), Co(HMCTCA)2(H2O)2 (2) and Cu(HMCTCA)2(H2O)2 (3)) based on the H2MCTCA ligand (5-methyl-1-(4-carboxyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxylic acid) were successfully synthesized under hydrothermal conditions, respectively. X-ray single crystal structure analysis shows that complex 1 is a 3D network structure, where the central metal Pb(II) is six coordinated to form deformed triangular prism geometry. The complexes 2 and 3 are both 2D layer supramolecular structures connected through intermolecular hydrogen, where the central metals (Co/Cu) are six coordinated to form octahedral configuration geometry. Based on functional properties, it is found that complex 1 exhibits excellent detection ability for small-molecule drugs (azithromycin, colchicine and balsalazide disodium) and actinide cations (Th4+ and UO22+) within a lower concentration range without interference from other components. In particular, the detection limits of three small-molecule drugs are all lower than 0.30 µM. In addition, complexes 2 and 3 exhibited excellent catalytic reduction performance toward p-nitrophenol (PNP), with a reduction efficiency exceeding 98%. These experimental results evidence that complexes 1-3 have potential application prospects in fluorescence sensing and catalytic reduction.

Research progress on acupuncture treatment in central nervous system diseases based on NLRP3 inflammasome in animal models.

Central nervous system (CNS) disorders exhibit complex neurophysiological and pathological mechanisms, which seriously affect the quality of life in patients. Acupuncture, widely accepted as complementary and alternative medicine, has been proven to exert significant therapeutic effects on CNS diseases. As a part of the innate immune system, NLRP3 inflammasome contributes to the pathogenesis of CNS diseases via regulating neuroinflammation. To further explore the mechanisms of acupuncture regulating NLRP3 inflammasome in CNS diseases, our study focused on the effects of acupuncture on neuroinflammation and the NLRP3 inflammasome in vascular dementia, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, depression, and spinal cord injury. This study confirmed that the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome promotes the development of CNS diseases, and inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome is a potential key target for the treatment of CNS diseases. In addition, it is concluded that acupuncture alleviates neuroinflammation by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway, thereby improving the progression of CNS diseases, which provides a theoretical basis for acupuncture to attenuate neuroinflammation and improve CNS diseases.

Endoscopic surgery for intraventricular hemorrhage: A comparative study and single center surgical experience.

BACKGROUND: Intraventricular hemorrhage is a neurosurgical emergency, and a dangerous condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. Previously, hematoma evacuation is generally executed by external intracranial drainage (EVD) or surgical evacuation. Nowadays, endoscopic evacuation is emerging as a good alternative because it brings relatively less invasion and injury. However, successful endoscopic evacuation requires skilled manipulation of endoscopic devices and the evidence supporting its efficacy differs in different reports. AIM: To improve the technique usage and provide more evidence of endoscopic evacuation efficacy, we summarize our surgical experience and compared the outcomes of the endoscopic evacuation with EVD using real-world data. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 96 consecutive patients with intraventricular hemorrhage who underwent either endoscopic surgery (n = 43) or non-endoscopic surgery (n = 53) for hemorrhage evacuation between November 2013 and September 2019 in our center. Patients' conditions prior to and after the operation were evaluated and analyzed to assess the efficacy of the operation. The consciousness status improvement and perioperative in-hospital parameters in the two types of operation groups were assessed and compared. RESULTS: Patients in the endoscopic and non-endoscopic groups presented with a similar state of consciousness, with a comparable Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) index. The average operation time of the endoscopic group was longer than that of the non-endoscopic group (median 2.42 h vs 1.08 h, P < 0.001). Although the endoscopic group was older and had a baseline Graeb score that indicated more severe hemorrhage than the non-endoscopic group (Graeb median: Endoscopic group = 9 vs non-endoscopic group = 8, P = 0.023), the clearance rate of hematoma was as high as 60.5%. Both the endoscopic and non-endoscopic groups showed an improved GCS index after surgery. However, this improvement was more marked in patients in the endoscopic group (median improvement of GCS index: Endoscope group = 4 vs non-endoscopic group = 1, P < 0.001). Additionally, the endoscopic group had a lower Graeb score than the non-endoscopic group after the operation. The intensive care unit stay of the endoscopic group was significantly shorter than that of the non-endoscopic group (median: endoscopic group = 6 d vs non-endoscope group = 7 d, P = 0.017). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic evacuation of intraventricular hemorrhage was generally an effective and efficient way for hemorrhage evacuation, and contributed remarkably to the improvement of consciousness in patients with intraventricular hemorrhage.

Electroacupuncture Pretreatment Exhibits Lung Protective and Anti-Inflammation Effects in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury via SIRT1-Dependent Pathways.

To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on acute lung injury (ALI), a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced ALI mouse model was used in this study. Before receiving intratracheal LPS instillation, mice were given EA at ST36 for 7 days as a long-term treatment or one time as a short-term treatment. Lung histopathological examination, lung injury scores, lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio, and inflammatory cytokines included proinflammation factors such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 and anti-inflammation factors such as IL-4 and IL-10 in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected at the end of experiment. The results show that EA pretreatment ameliorated the lung damage and inflammatory response by LPS. In addition, we found that SIRT1 and its deacetylation of NF-κB were promoted after EA pretreatment in lung tissues. Meanwhile, the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is also enhanced by EA pretreatment. Thus, the present findings suggest that EA could be a potential therapy of ALI.

Relationship between acupuncture and transient receptor potential vanilloid: Current and future directions.

Acupuncture is a common complementary and alternative therapy around the world, but its mechanism remains still unclear. In the past decade, some studies indicated that transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channels play a great role in the response of acupuncture stimulation. In this article, we discussed the relationship between acupuncture and TRPV channels. Different from inhibitors and agonists, the regulation of acupuncture on TRPV channels is multi-targeted and biphasic control. Acupuncture stimulation shows significant modulation on TRPV1 and TRPV4 at the autonomic nervous system (ANS) including central and peripheral nervous systems. On the contrary, the abundant expression and functional participation of TRPV1 and TRPV4 were specific to acupuncture stimulation at acupoints. The enhancement or inhibition of TRPV channels at different anatomical levels will affect the therapeutic effect of acupuncture. In conclusion, TRPV channels help to understand the principle of acupuncture stimulation, and acupuncture also provides a potential approach to TRPV-related trials.

Multifunctional luminescence sensing and white light adjustment of lanthanide metal-organic frameworks constructed from the flexible cyclotriphosphazene-derived hexacarboxylic acid ligand.

Considering that cyclotriphosphazene polycarboxylic acid is a kind of organic ligand with fantastic structures and performances and the unique luminescence characteristics of rare earth ions, a series of porous lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) (CH3)2NH2[Ln3(HCPCP)1.5(CH3COO)]·6DMA (Ln = Ce (1), Sm (2), Eu (3), Tb (4), HCPCP = hexa(4-carboxyphenoxy)cyclotriphosphazene, and DMA = N,N-dimethylacetamide) were synthesized with novel topological network structures. Compound 4 exhibited a sensitive recognition of -NO2, and had a fluorescence quenching phenomenon for seven kinds of nitro aromatic compounds (NACs). In particular, it showed the best fluorescence response to 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP) and 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), and the KSV values were 2.86 × 105 M-1 and 8.21 × 104 M-1, and the limit of detection (LOD) values were 0.20 µM and 0.71 µM, respectively. At the same time, we successfully doped different concentrations of Eu3+ into compound 4 to obtain a series of doped Ln-MOF materials x%Eu3+@4 (x = 0.5, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15 and 20). With the increase of Eu3+ doping ratios, the characteristic peaks of Tb3+ and Eu3+ changed regularly, and the energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+ ions occurred. By changing the excitation wavelength of the samples with different Eu3+ doping concentrations, a higher quality white light emitting material 7.5%Eu3+@4 (λex = 340 nm) was finally obtained, with a CIE coordinate of (0.3268, 0.3212).

[Electroacupuncture postpones growth of tumors by activating SIRT1 expression to reduce inflammatory reaction and facilitate cellular autophagy in mice with transformed colorectal carcinomas].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on tumor number, body conditions, inflammatory factors and expression levels of silent information regulator 1 (sirtuin 1, SIRT1) and autophagy-related proteins Beclin-1, P62, and LC3 in colorectal tissues in inflammatory-transformed colorectal cancer mice, so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in resisting tumor growth. METHODS: A total of 100 C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into normal control, model, EA, EA + SIRT1 inhibitor (EA+inhibitor) and agonist resveratrol (agonist) groups, with 20 mice in each group. EA (2 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to "Zusanli"(ST36)and "Fenglong"(ST40) for 20 min every time, 3 times a week for 11 weeks. Mice of the EA +inhibitor group received intraperitoneal injection of SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 (5 mg/kg) at the same time of EA treatment, and those of the agonist group received gavage of resveratrol (200 mg/kg, an agonist of SIRT1), 3 times a week for 11 weeks. The body mass was measured weekly. The disease activity index (DAI), colorectal length and tumor number in each group were recorded. The histopathological changes of colorectal tissues were observed by H.E. staining; the contents of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-10, IL-17, in the colorectal tissues were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression levels of SITR1, Beclin-1, P62, and LC3 in colorectal tissues were detected by Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the body weight, length of colorectum, the contents of IL-10, and the expression levels of SIRT1,Beclin-1 and LC3 mRNAs and proteins were significantly decreased (P<0.001), whereas the DAI score, the number of tumors, the contents of IL-6 and IL-17, and the expression levels of P62 mRNA and protein were significantly increased (P<0.000 1, P<0.001) in the model group. In comparison with the model group, the body weight, the length of colorectum, the contents of IL-10, and the expression levels of SIRT1,Beclin-1 and LC3 mRNAs and proteins were significantly increased (P<0.01,P<0.05,P<0.001), while the DAI scores, the numbers of tumors, the contents of IL-6 and IL-17, and the expression levels of P62 mRNA and protein were obviously decreased in the EA and agonist groups (P<0.01,P<0.05, P<0.001). No significant changes were found in all the above-mentioned indexes in the EA+inhibitor group in comparison with the model group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: EA can reduce the number of tumors and inflammation reaction in colorectal tissue and improve the body condition in mice with colorectal cancer, which may be related to its functions in activating the expression of intestinal SIRT1, and then facilitating cellular autophagy.

The Prognostic Value of Autophagy-Related Markers Bclin-1 and LC-3 in Colorectal Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: At present, the relationship between autophagosomes and the prognosis of various cancers has become a subject of active investigation. A series of studies have demonstrated the correlation between autophagy microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC-3), Beclin-1, and colorectal cancer (CRC). Since autophagy has dual regulatory roles in tumors, the results of this correlation are also uncertain. Hence, we summarized the relationship between Beclin-1, LC-3, and CRC using systematic reviews and meta-analysis to clarify their prognostic significance in it. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched online up to April 1, 2019. The quality of the involving studies was assessed against the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Pooled hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) in a fixed or random effects model were used to assess the strength of correlation between Beclin-1, LC-3, and CRC. RESULTS: A total of 9 articles were collected, involving 2,297 patients. Most literatures scored more than 6 points, suggesting that the quality of our including research was acceptable. Our finding suggested that the expression of Beclin-1 was not associated with overall survival (HR = 0.68, 95% CI (0.31-1.52), P=0.351). Nonetheless, LC-3 expression exerted significant impact on OS (HR = 0.51, 95% CI (0.35-0.74), P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis exhibited that Beclin-1 expression was associated with OS at TNM stage III (HR = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.02-0.08, P < 0.05), surgical treatment (HR = 1.53, 95% CI (1.15-2.02), P=0.003), and comprehensive treatment (HR = 0.27 95% CI (0.08-0.92), P=0.036), respectively. Similarly, the results showed the increased LC-3 expression in CRC was related to OS in multivariate analyses (HR = 0.44, 95% CI (0.34-0.57), P < 0.05), stages (HR = 0.51, 95% CI (0.35-0.74), P < 0.05), and comprehensive treatment (HR = 0.44, 95% CI (0.34-0.57), P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Autophagy-related proteins of LC-3 might be an important marker of CRC progression. However, since the number of the original studies was limited, more well-designed, large-scale, high-quality studies are warranted to provide more convincing and reliable information.

Crosstalk between Acupuncture and NF-κB in Inflammatory Diseases.

Acupuncture has been used in China for thousands of years and concerned as a typical alternative medicine in inflammatory diseases nowadays. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factor is an important regulator of inflammation. In this article, we discuss the role of acupuncture in NF-κB pathways and also present the acupoints selection, acupuncture administration, and related inflammation diseases and models from previous studies to bring readers close to a more complete understanding of the mechanisms between acupuncture and NF-κB in inflammatory diseases.