Internal Superwettability Inversion of a COF-Encapsulated Melamine Sponge Prepared by a One-Step Synthesis at Room Temperature.

Superwettable materials have been attracting attention due to their unique properties, showing great application prospects in a variety of fields including oil-water separation. Herein, a kind of covalent organic framework (COF)-encapsulated melamine sponge (MS) capable of internal superwettability inversion is prepared by a one-step synthesis at room temperature. COF is produced in situ on the skeleton of MS, which is favorable for practical application, and the prepared COF-encapsulated sponge (MS@COF) exhibits superhydrophobicity (water contact angle of about 157.0°) due to the rough surface provided by the micro/nanostructure of COF. More importantly, MS@COF displays reversibly superhydrophilicity by simple prewetting, achieving superwettability inversion conveniently, unlike the previous switchable materials that rely on external conditions. This facile intrinsic superwettability inversion greatly enriches the application prospects of this kind of smart sponge.

Preparation of Temperature-Responsive Films Based on PNVCL Microgel with Varying Sizes and Cross-Linking Degrees for Cell Harvesting.

This work reports preparing thermal responsive poly (N-isovinylcaprolactam) (PNVCL) microgel based films for cell growth and detachment. PNVCL microgels of hydrated size ranging from 386 to 815 nm (25 °C) and different crosslinking degree are prepared. The PNVCL microgels can be rapidly and massively deposited on glass by spin coating method. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle (WCA) are used to study the influence of crosslinking degree and particle size on the surface morphology, stability, and hydrophilicity of PNVCL microgel film. The cell activity of the desorbed cells is quantitatively characterized employing human normal lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). The results show that BEAS-2B cells can be desorbed quickly from the film in 30 min, and the optical density (OD) value of desorbed cells incubated after 3 d increases by approximately 52% compared to the control group. This study broadens the selection of temperature-sensitive film for cell harvesting, and provides a new tool for the quantitative characterization of desorbed cells.

Health economics study of paliperidone palmitate in the treatment of schizophrenia: a 12-month cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the economic benefits of paliperidone palmitate in the treatment of schizophrenia. METHODS: We collected 546 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia according to the 《International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems,10th》(ICD-10). We gathered general population data such as gender, age, marital status, and education level, then initiated treatment with paliperidone palmitate. Then Follow-up evaluations were conducted at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the start of treatment to assess clinical efficacy, adverse reactions, and injection doses. We also collected information on the economic burden before and after 12 months of treatment, as well as the number of outpatient visits and hospitalizations in the past year to analyze economic benefits. RESULTS: The baseline patients totaled 546, with 239 still receiving treatment with paliperidone palmitate 12 months later. After 12 months of treatment, the number of outpatient visits per year increased compared to before (4 (2,10) vs. 12 (4,12), Z=-5.949, P < 0.001), while the number of hospitalizations decreased (1 (1,3) vs. 1 (1,2), Z = 5.625, P < 0.001). The inpatient costs in the direct medical expenses of patients after 12 months of treatment decreased compared to before (5000(2000,12000) vs. 3000 (1000,8050), P < 0.05), while there was no significant change in outpatient expenses and direct non-medical expenses (transportation, accommodation, meal, and family accompanying expenses, etc.) (P > 0.05); the indirect costs of patients after 12 months of treatment (lost productivity costs for patients and families, economic costs due to destructive behavior, costs of seeking non-medical assistance) decreased compared to before (300(150,600) vs. 150(100,200), P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Palmatine palmitate reduces the number of hospitalizations for patients, as well as their direct and indirect economic burdens, and has good economic benefits.

Functionalized xanthohumol nanoemulsion: fabrication, characterization and bioavailability enhancement of bioactive compounds.

BACKGROUND: Xanthohumol is an isopentadienyl flavonoid in hops, which have several pharmacological effects. However, due to the poor bioavailability of xanthohumol, it cannot be widely used. RESULT: In this study, solvent extraction combined with preparative liquid chromatography was used to separate and purify xanthohumol in hop residue. And the purity, yield and recovery of xanthohumol was 983.0 ± 2.1 g kg-1, 921.61 ± 5.65 g kg-1, and 5.41 ± 0.07 g kg-1, respectively. Response surface methodology optimization revealed that 216.75 g kg-1 ethyl oleate, 574.1 g kg-1 polyoxyl-35 castor oil (EL35) and 209.15 g kg-1 polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG200) produced the xanthohumol nanoemulsion with a loading capacity of 85.40 ± 0.33 g kg-1, mean droplet diameter of 42.35 ± 0.06 nm, and zeta potential of -21.78 ± 0.18 mV. CONCLUSION: Xanthohumol nanoemulsion has better relative stability. The relative oral bioavailability of xanthohumol nanoemulsion was increased by 1.76 times. These results provide a theoretical basis for the application of nanoemulsion containing xanthohumol in food and pharmaceutical industry. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Oridonin loaded peptide nanovesicles alleviate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice.

This study was to construct a nanovesicle delivery system to improve the loading efficiency and stability of ORI for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This nanovesicles (NVs) exerted a narrow size distribution (195.6 ± 11.49 nm) and high entrapment efficiency (84.46 ± 1.34%). In vitro cell studies demonstrated that the NVs treatment enhanced the cellular uptake of ORI and reduced lipid over-accumulation and total cholesterol levels in NAFLD cell model. At the same time, in vivo study proved that, compared with the normal group, the model group mice showed a decrease in body weight, a significant increase in liver index (6.71 ± 0.62, p < 0.01), and symptoms of liver lipid accumulation, lipid vesicles, and liver tissue fibrosis. Compared with the model group, after high-dose ORI NVs intervention, mice gained weight, decreased liver index (4.69 ± 0.55, p < 0.01), reduced hepatic lipid droplet vacuoles, reduced lipid accumulation (reduced oil red area, p < 0.001), and alleviated the degree of liver fibrosis (reduced blue collagen area, p < 0.001). In conclusion, ORI/HP-ß-CD/H9-HePC NVs showed specific liver accumulation and improved therapeutic effects, the nano drug loading system provides a promising strategy for the encapsulation of ORI to effectively alleviate the process of NAFLD.

[Fuyu Decoction ameliorates myocardial fibrosis in rat model of heart failure by regulating Nrf2/GPX4-mediated ferroptosis].

This study aims to investigate the effect and mechanism of Fuyu Decoction(FYD) in the treatment of myocardial fibrosis in the rat model of heart failure(HF). Sixty Wistar rats were randomized into a modeling group(n=50) and a sham group(n=10). A post-myocardial infarction HF model was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery in rats. The successfully modeled rats were assigned into model, low-dose(2.5 g·kg~(-1)) FYD(FYD-L), high-dose(5.0 g·kg~(-1)) FYD(FYD-H), and FYD+Nrf2 inhibitor(ML385, 30 mg·kg~(-1)) groups(n=10). FYD was administrated by gavage and ML385 by intraperitoneal injection. The rats in the sham and model groups were administrated with equal amounts of normal saline by gavage. After 8 weeks of intervention, the cardiac function indicators were measured, and the myocardial tissue morphology and collagen deposition were observed. The positive expression of collagens Ⅰ and Ⅲ, apoptosis, and oxidative stress were examined, and the levels of Fe~(2+) and reactive oxygen species(ROS) were determined. The protein levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2), solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11), glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), and acyl-coenzyme A synthase long chain family member 4(ACSL4) in the myocardial tissue were determined. Compared with sham group, the model group showed decreased left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS), increased left ventricular end internal dimension in systole(LVIDs), left ventricular internal diameter in diastole(LVIDd), and myocardial collagen deposition, positive expression of collagens Ⅰ and Ⅲ, elevated apoptosis rate and malondialdehyde(MDA), Fe~(2+), and ROS levels, lowered superoxide dismutase(SOD) and glutathione peroxidase(GSH) levels, down-regulated protein levels of Nrf2, SLC7A11, and GPX4, and up-regulated protein level of ACSL4. Compared with the model group, the above indicators were restored by FYD. Moreover, ML385 reversed the protective effect of FYD on myocardial fibrosis in HF rats. In conclusion, FYD can inhibit ferroptosis by activating the Nrf2/GPX4 pathway, thereby ameliorating myocardial fibrosis in HF rats.

Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Triphilic Main-Chain-Type Semifluorinated Alternating Graft Copolymers in Aqueous Solution.

Fluorinated copolymers can self-assemble in solution and form micelles with rare properties due to the peculiar behavior of fluorinated groups. However, the process description of the self-assembly is still largely phenomenological and difficult to explain due to the tendency of the fluorinated segments to segregate from both the hydrophilic and lipophilic segments, which can result in various morphologies. Herein, the controlled formation of ellipsoidal micelles, disklike micelles, and sheets by hierarchical self-assembly of triphilic main-chain-type semifluorinated alternating graft copolymers (AB)n A-g-mOEG is presented (where A represents unit of α,ω-diiodoperfluoroalkane, B represents the unit of α,ω-unconjugated diene, and mOEG represents methoxy oligo(ethylene glycol)), which are synthesized by step transfer-addition and radical-termination (START) polymerization and azide-alkyne click chemistry. Furthermore, the possible self-assembly mechanism of these micron-level aggregates is proposed, which is ascribed to the hierarchical self-assembly, crowding effect of hydrophilic chains and the interfacial tension between the fluoroalkane and alkane segments. This study can provide a facile and highly efficient approach to the synthesis of main-chain-type fluorinated graft copolymers and expand the research field for the solution self-assembly of fluorinated copolymers.

Liquiritigenin alleviates doxorubicin-induced chronic heart failure via promoting ARHGAP18 and suppressing RhoA/ROCK1 pathway.

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is one of the most common chronic diseases with increasing incidence and mortality. Liquiritigenin (LQG) is shown to protect mice from cardiotoxicity. However, its underlying mechanism remains unclear. Our study aimed to reveal the role of ARHGAP18 in LQG-mediated cardioprotective effects in CHF. In the current study, CHF cell model and rat model were established by the application of doxorubicin (DOX). The reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and cell apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry. The cardiac function of rats was evaluated by measuring left ventricular systolic pressure, left ventricular end diastolic pressure, and serum level of lactate dehydrogenase and brain natriuretic peptide. The expression of active RhoA was elevated and that of ARHGAP18 was decreased in DOX-induced CHF cell model. ARHGAP18 could reduce DOX-induced RhoA activation, ROS elevation, and cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, the knockdown of ARHGAP18 could promote the activation of RhoA, the level of ROS, and the rate of cell apoptosis, which could be reversed by the application of RhoA inhibitor. LQG promoted the expression of ARHGAP18 and exerted similar effects of ARHGAP18 in CHF cell model. The application of LQG could also reverse the effects mediated by ARHGAP18 knockdown. Moreover, LQG significantly improved cardiac function and ameliorated DOX-induced cardiotoxicity of CHF rats. In conclusion, LQG could alleviate DOX-induced CHF via promoting ARHGAP18 and suppressing RhoA/ROCK1 pathway. LQG was a potential agent for CHF treatment.

A yes-associated protein 1- Notch1 receptor positive feedback loop promotes breast cancer lung metastasis by attenuating the bone morphogenetic protein 4-SMAD family member 1/5 signaling.

The Notch1 (Notch1 receptor) and yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) signaling can regulate breast cancer metastasis. This study aimed at investigating whether and how these two signal pathways crosstalk to promote breast cancer lung metastasis. Here, we show that YAP1 expression was positively correlated with Notch1 in breast cancer according to bioinformatics and experimental validation. Mechanistically, YAP1 with TEA domain transcription factors (TEADs) enhanced Jagged1(JAG1)-Notch1 signaling. Meanwhile, Notch1 promoted YAP1 stability in breast cancer cells by inhibiting the ß-TrCP-mediated degradation, thereby, forming a YAP1- JAG1/Notch1 positive feedback loop in breast cancer. Furthermore, YAP1 enhanced the mammosphere formation and stemness of MDA-MB-231 cells by attenuating the inhibition of the BMP4-SMAD1/5 signaling. In vivo, the YAP1- JAG1/Notch1 positive feedback loop promoted the lung colonization of MDA-MB-231 cells. Our data for the first time indicate that the YAP1-Notch1 positive feedback loop promotes lung metastasis of breast cancer by modulating self-renewal and inhibiting the BMP4-SMAD1/5 signaling.

Synthesis and Phase Behavior of (Semifluorinated Alkane)-Based Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline Copolymers.

Side-chain liquid crystalline polymer (SCLCP) usually contains a simple and flexible homopolymer as main chain, while its effect on the self-assembly behavior is often ignored. In this work, in order to increase the structural complexity and investigate the interaction between the main chain and mesogens, perfluorinated segments are introduced into the main chain using a photoinduced Step Transfer-Addition & Radical-Termination polymerization method, producing a novel series of SCLCPs containing 4-methoxyphenyl benzoate mesogens, soft hydrocarbon spacers, and a strictly alternating perfluoroalkyl and alkyl backbone. By adjusting the length of spacers or perfluoroalkyl segments, several mesophases with complex chain packing structures are achieved. This design strategy that constructing highly ordered liquid crystalline (LC) structures from SCLCPs with precise chemical structure provides a facile way toward novel LC nanomaterials.

Establishment and validation of a prediction model for the probability of malignancy in solid solitary pulmonary nodules in northwest China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To construct a prediction model of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs), to predict the possibility of malignant SPNs in patients aged 15-85 years in northwest China for clinical diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making. METHODS: The features of SPNs were assessed by multivariate logistic regression, followed by visualization using a nomogram. Hosmer lemeshow was applied to evaluate the fitting degree of the model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was identified to determine the discriminative ability of the model. RESULTS: Lobulation, spiculation, pleural-tag, carcinoembryonic antigen, neuron-specific enolase, and total serum protein were independent predictors of malignant pulmonary nodules (p < .05). Lobulation (100 points) scored the highest in the nomogram, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic was 0.805 (p > .05). The area under curve (AUC) of the modeling and validation groups using logistic regression were 0.859 (95% CI, 0.805-0.903) and 0.823 (95% CI, 0.738-0.890), respectively. Moreover, the AUC of our model was higher than that of the Mayo model, VA model, and Peking University (AUC 0.823 vs. 0.655 vs. 0.603 vs. 0.521). CONCLUSION: Our prediction model is more suitable for predicting the possibility of malignant SPNs in northwest China, and can be calculated using a nomogram to determine further treatments.

Facile Synthesis of Unimodal Polymethacrylates with Narrow Dispersity via NIR LED Light-Controlled Bromine-Iodine Transformation Reversible-Deactivation Radical Polymerization.

A facile and clean strategy for synthesizing unimodal polymethacrylates with narrow dispersity (D < 1.10) is successfully developed by a near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting diode (LED) light (λmax = 740 nm)-controlled in situ bromine-iodine transformation reversible-deactivation radical polymerization system without the use of NIR dyes and expensive catalysts. In this system, alkyl iodide ethyl α-iodophenylacetate (EIPA) initiator is generated in situ by the nucleophilic substitution reaction between an alkyl bromide compound ethyl α-bromophenylacetate and sodium iodide (NaI). At the same time, excessive NaI is also acted as a highly active catalyst by forming halogen bonds with terminal iodine of the polymer chains in this system to make it capable of precisely synthesizing polymethacrylates with narrow dispersities (D = 1.03-1.10). In addition, the strong penetration ability of NIR LED light is illustrated by the successful polymerization even through 11 pieces of A4 paper.

BRD4 inhibition suppresses PD-L1 expression in triple-negative breast cancer.

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on the surface of tumour cells can cause tumour immune evasion. Benefits of combining anti-PD-L1 therapy with nab-paclitaxel in patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have been reported. However, some patients cannot tolerate the immune-related adverse effects (irAEs) caused by antibody-based immunotherapy. BRD4 is a member of the bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) family. BRD4 inhibition has shown antitumour effects in many tumours, but its role in TNBC has not been definitively concluded. In particular, the immune regulation of BRD4 in TNBC has been rarely studied. In this study, we used JQ1, a BET inhibitor, and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting BRD4 to explore the influence of BRD4 on PD-L1 expression in TNBC. The results indicated that BRD4 inhibition suppressed PD-L1 expression and the PD-L1 upregulation induced by interferon-γ (IFN-γ). In the in vivo experiments, we found that JQ1 not only reduced the PD-L1 expression level but also changed the proportions of T lymphocyte subsets in the spleens of tumour-bearing mice, which helped to relieve immunosuppression. Briefly, our study reveals that BRD4 regulates PD-L1 expression and may provide a potential method for blocking the programmed death 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 immune checkpoint in TNBC.

MiR-34c promotes hepatic stellate cell activation and Liver Fibrogenesis by suppressing ACSL1 expression.

Normally, there are multiple microRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. In our work, we aimed at identifying the role of miR-34c in the hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and liver fibrosis and its potential mechanism. Our results have shown that during natural activation of HSC, the level of miR-34c was increased significantly whereas acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member-1(ACSL1), which is a key enzyme can affect fatty acid(FA) synthesis, was decreased. A double fluorescence reporter assay further confirmed that ACSL1 is a direct target gene of miR-34c. Moreover, the inhibition of miR-34C can attenuate the synthesis of collagen in HSC-T6. In our rescue assay, ACSL1 expression was 1.49-fold higher compared to normal control cells which were transfected with the miR-34c inhibitor in a stable low expression ACSL1 cell line. While at the same time, α-SMA and Col1α expression decreased by 18.22% and 2.58%, respectively. Moreover, we performed an in vivo model using dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in conjunction with the miR-34c agomir, combined with the treatment of DMN and the miR-34c agomir can increase liver fibrosis. Meanwhile, the degree of hepatic fibrosis was increased and lipid droplets reduced dramatically in rats and HSC-T6 cell treated with miR-34c mimics alone compared to untreated groups. Our results indicate that miR-34c plays an essential role in liver fibrosis by targeting ACSL1 closely associated with lipid droplets, and it might be used as a potential therapeutic target.

Effect of ultrasound-assisted extraction on the structure and emulsifying properties of peanut protein isolate.

BACKGROUND: With an increasing demand for edible protein, research on new extraction methods is attracting more attention. The effects of such methods on functional properties are important. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of ultrasound-assisted extraction on the extraction efficiency, structure, and the emulsifying properties of peanut protein isolate (PPI). RESULTS: Ultrasound-assisted extraction significantly improved extraction efficiency and shortened the processing time. The nanostructure, molecular weight distribution, and particle size of PPI were altered by ultrasound-assisted extraction. The emulsifying properties of the PPI from ultrasound-assisted extraction were significantly improved compared with alkaline extraction. Peanut protein isolate had lower molecular weight fractions, higher levels of hydrophobic amino acids, and the highest fluorescence intensity with ultrasound intensity, temperature, and time of 3.17 W cm-3 , 35 °C, and 30 min, respectively. These contributed to the higher emulsifying activity index and emulsifying stability index of the PPI emulsions. The uniform distribution of droplets and smaller particle size of the PPI emulsions was also observed. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that ultrasound can be used to induce the conformational changes to modify the interfacial association between protein-oil phases, thereby improving the emulsifying properties of peanut protein. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Analysis of clinical features and genetic variants in a child with creatine deficiency syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical features and genetic basis for a patient diagnosed with creatine deficiency syndrome (CDS). METHODS: The patient was subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. The level of creatine was determined by using a magnetic resonance spectrum (MRS) method. RESULTS: The patient presented with development delay and poor response to stimuli. No obvious abnormality was found with his muscle tone and strength of his limbs. Borderline EEG was detected. MRI showed abnormal development of the white matter and dysplasia of corpus callosum. Urine organic acid screening has shown increased glycerin-3-phosphate. WES revealed that the patient has carried compound heterozygous variants of the GAMT gene, namely c.412C>T and IVS4-1G>A, which were respectively derived from his mother and father. MRS showed reduced creatine in bilateral basal ganglia. Functional study of the splicing site suggested that the IVS4-1G>A variant has resulted skipping of exon 5 upon splicing. CONCLUSION: The compound variants of the GAMT gene probably underlay the disease in this child. Above finding has enriched the spectrum of GAMT gene variants.

Photocontrolled Iodine-Mediated Reversible-Deactivation Radical Polymerization: Solution Polymerization of Methacrylates by Irradiation with NIR LED Light.

Herein, near-infrared (NIR) photocontrolled iodide-mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) of methacrylates, without an external photocatalyst, was developed using an alkyl iodide (e.g., 2-iodo-2-methylpropionitrile) as the initiator at room temperature. This example is the first use of a series of special solvents containing carbonyl groups (e.g., 1,3-dimethyl-2-imidazolidinone) as both solvent and catalyst for photocontrolled RDRP using long-wavelength (λmax =730 nm) irradiation. The polymerization system comprises monomer, alkyl iodide initiator, and solvent. Well-defined polymers were synthesized with excellent control over the molecular weights and molecular weight distributions (Mw /Mn <1.21). The living features of this system were confirmed by polymerization kinetics, multiple controlled "on-off" light switching cycles, and chain extension experiments. Importantly, the polymerizations proceeded successfully with various barriers (pork skin and A4 paper), demonstrating the advantage of high-penetration NIR light.

Photo-Controlled Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly (Photo-PISA): A Novel Strategy Using In Situ Bromine-Iodine Transformation Living Radical Polymerization.

A series of hydrophilic poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (PPEGMA) macroinitiators and stabilizers are synthesized in methanol through in situ photo-controlled bromine-iodine transformation living radical polymerization, where ethyl α-bromophenylacetate (EBPA) is the initial initiator and is converted to an iodo-type initiator in the presence of NaI. The subsequent photo-controlled polymerization-induced self-assembly (photo-PISA) process is achieved by adding a second monomer, hydrophobic benzyl methacrylate (BnMA), under irradiation with blue light emitting diode (LED) light at room temperature. The effect of the target degree of polymerization (DP) of PPEGMA, PBnMA, as well as the solids content on the self-assembly behavior of block copolymer PPEGMA-b-PBnMA is evaluated by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) characterization. Resulting uniform spherical micelles and vesicle aggregates are observed.

Pollution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in drinking water of China: Composition, distribution and influencing factors.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a kind of persistent toxic substances, which have been frequently detected in environmental media. However, studies on their occurrences and distributions in drinking water are insufficient and their composition profiles in drinking water are still not clear. In this study, we investigated 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in drinking water from different administrative level cities throughout mainland China, analyzed the influences of anthropogenic activities on PAHs, and assessed the health risk of the PAHs in drinking water. On the national scale, the sum concentration of the 16 priority-controlled PAHs (∑16PAHs) designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) was in a range of 3.89-231.39 (mean 56.25) ng L-1. With the decline of ∑16PAHs, the concentration of 3-ring PAHs decreased, while its proportion increased, indicating 3-ring PAHs might be more difficult to remove than other PAHs in drinking water. The geographical distribution of PAHs in drinking water of China was in a descending order of West (69.81 ng L-1) > South (61.95 ng L-1) > North (58.63 ng L-1) > East (39.21 ng L-1) > Northeast China (37.93 ng L-1). ∑16PAHs in drinking water of Prefecture-level City was the greatest (71.49 ng L-1) followed by Provincial Capital (52.12 ng L-1), County-level City (50.98 ng L-1) and Municipality (33.92 ng L-1). ∑16PAHs was significantly negatively correlated with the per capita GDP of sampling city (P < 0.01, n = 78), implying that waterworks is an effective way to control and reduce PAH pollution in drinking water. The carcinogenic risk of the 16 PAHs in drinking water of China was much greater than the non-carcinogenic risk.