Compact large area and high-quality Au film with a hierarchical structure and its application in SERS.

We have described a novel and facile strategy for fabricating a compact large area and high-quality Au film with a hierarchical structure (HS) by using a polyaniline slice as a reductant. The unique morphology of the as-prepared Au HS film, which is controlled by the concentration of AuCl4(-), results in enhanced Raman signals toward probe molecules such as 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP), 2-naphthalenethiol (2-NAT) and 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA). The employed approach may shed some light on simultaneously fabricating and immobilizing unique Au micro/nanostructures.

Safflower extract inhibiting apoptosis by inducing autophagy in myocardium derived H9C2 cell.

The Heart failure (HF) is considered as the end-stage of various heart disease and associated with high mortality globally. Progressive loss of cardiac myocytes via apoptosis is considered as the most important factor for HF pathology. In this study, we demonstrated that Safflower extract was able to inhibitthe apoptosis inducted by Angiotensin II (AngII) in a ratmyocardium derived cell line H9C2. Further examination of LC-3II conversion and autophagosome formation suggested Safflower extract induced autophagy in treated cell. Inhibition of Safflower extract induced autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3MA) abolished anti-apoptotic function of Safflower extract, while application of autophagy stimulator Rapamycin in H9C2 inhibited apoptosis as well. Moreover, treatment of H9C2 cell with Safflower extract also inhibited expression of pro-apoptotic genes BAD and Bax. In conclusion, our data indicated that Safflower extract inhibit apoptosis via inducing autophagy in myocardium cell and demonstrated the potential as novel therapeutic drug for Heart failure.