ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The disruption of the balance between antioxidants and oxidants plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI). Evidence has shown that Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) has antioxidant feature. We examined the efficacy and mechanisms of LBP on hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in the present study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) mice and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-deficient (Nrf2-/-) mice were used in the present study. LBP was fed by gavages once daily for 1 week. Then, the mice were exposed to hyperoxia or room air for 72 h. Additional dosage of LBP was given per 24 h. RESULTS: Reactive oxygen species production was increased in WT mice exposed to hyperoxia. Inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1ß as well as IL-6, and inflammatory cells were increased infiltration in the lung after 3 days hyperoxia exposure. Hyperoxia exposure also induced pulmonary edema and histopathological changes. These hyperoxia-induced changes were improved in LBP treated group. Moreover, elevated activities of heme oxygenase-1 and glutathione peroxidase and enhanced activation of Nrf2 were observed in mice treated with LBP. However, the benefit of LBP on hyperoxic ALI was abolished in Nrf2-/- mice. Moreover, our cell study showed that the LBP-induced activation of Nrf2 was dampened in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells when the AMPK signal was inhibited by siRNA. CONCLUSIONS: LBP improves hyperoxic ALI via Nrf2-dependent manner. The LBP-induced activation of Nrf2 is mediated, at least in part, by AMPK pathway.
Subject(s)
Acute Lung Injury/metabolism , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use , Hyperoxia/metabolism , NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Acute Lung Injury/drug therapy , Acute Lung Injury/pathology , Animals , Cells, Cultured , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology , Endothelium, Vascular/drug effects , Endothelium, Vascular/metabolism , Endothelium, Vascular/pathology , Hyperoxia/drug therapy , Hyperoxia/pathology , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Knockout , Signal Transduction/physiologyABSTRACT
Light-activated photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and photothermal therapy (PTT) using the second near-infrared biowindow (NIR-II, 1000-1350 nm) hold great promise for efficient tumor detection and diagnostic imaging-guided photonic nanomedicine. In this work, we report on the construction of titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticles, with a high photothermal-conversion efficiency and desirable biocompatibility, as an alternative theranostic agent for NIR-II laser-excited photoacoustic (PA) imaging-guided photothermal tumor hyperthermia. Working within the NIR-II biowindow provides a larger maximum permissible exposure (MPE) and desirable penetration depth of the light, which then allows detection of the tumor to the full extent using PA imaging and complete tumor ablation using photothermal ablation, especially in deeper regions. After further surface polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) modification, the TiN-PVP photothermal nanoagents exhibited a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 22.8% in the NIR-II biowindow, and we further verified their high penetration depth using the NIR-II biowindow and their corresponding therapeutic effect on the viability of tumor cells in vitro. Furthermore, these TiN-PVP nanoparticles were developed as a contrast agent for NIR-II-activated PA imaging both in vitro and in vivo for the first time and realized efficient photothermal ablation of the tumor in vivo within both the NIR-I and NIR-II biowindows. This work not only provides a paradigm for TiN-PVP photothermal nanoagents working in the NIR-II biowindow both in vitro and in vivo, but also proves the feasibility of PAI and PTT cancer theranostics using NIR-II laser excitation.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/therapy , Hyperthermia, Induced/methods , Nanomedicine/methods , Nanoparticles/therapeutic use , Theranostic Nanomedicine/methods , Titanium/therapeutic use , Ablation Techniques/methods , Animals , Cell Line, Tumor , Contrast Media/radiation effects , Contrast Media/therapeutic use , Contrast Media/toxicity , Female , Infrared Rays , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Nanoparticles/radiation effects , Nanoparticles/toxicity , Photoacoustic Techniques/methods , Phototherapy/methods , Titanium/radiation effects , Titanium/toxicityABSTRACT
Prunella vulgaris (PV), a traditional Chinese herb, has been shown to be rich in bioactive chemicals and possess anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects on tumor cells. The effect of PV on human well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC), which accounts for the majority of common endocrine malignancies, remains to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the function of PV on WDTC cell lines and apoptosis-associated signaling pathway activity. Additional studies demonstrated that PV may induce apoptosis in WDTC TPC-1 and FTC-133 cell lines, using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Morphological changes of apoptotic cells were observed by Hoechst 33342 and acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining. In addition, ladder pattern of fragmented DNA was observed by DNA gel electrophoresis. It was also observed that PV significantly increased Bcl-2-associated X protein and caspase-3 expression, and downregulated B-cell lymphoma-2 expression in TPC-1 and FTC-133 by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (P<0.05). Thus, the present results indicated that PV has the potential to be a future WDTC therapeutic agent.
ABSTRACT
Pneumonia is one of the most serious infectious diseases for elderly people who have impaired organ functions and are more susceptible to infection. Elderly patients having pneumonia often need long-term hospitalization, leading to declined quality of life, and increase of financial burden to the society and their family. Therefore, studies on novel therapeutic strategies and the clinical prognosis of the pneumonia patients are imperative. In the present study, we found that the Chinese herbal medicine Fu Zheng decoction had great immunomodulatory effects during the recovery period of elderly pneumonia patients. Patients treated with combined treatment of Fu Zheng decoction and antibiotic had a faster decline of temperature and a more significant decrease of C reactive protein and inflammatory factors level, and it is easier for them to cough off phlegm, compared with the antibiotic only treatment. Furthermore, the inflammation absorption and the reduction of NK-cell proportion as well as the inflammatory factors were more remarkable in the patients taken Fu Zheng decoction. Especially, the Fu Zheng decoction treatment could decrease the duration of antibiotic treatment, which may help reduce the side effects of antibiotics. Our study also found that MyD88 might play a role in the immunomodulatory effect of Fu Zheng decoction. Our study provides novel insight for the further development of intravenous injection of Chinese materia medica preparation on the regulation of immune function.
Subject(s)
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Pneumonia/drug therapy , Pneumonia/immunology , Aged, 80 and over , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology , Female , Humans , Killer Cells, Natural/drug effects , Killer Cells, Natural/immunology , Male , Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism , Pneumonia/diagnosis , Pneumonia/pathology , Prognosis , Quality of Life , Signal Transduction/drug effectsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diet and nutritional status of hospitalized children with blood disease in order to provide nutritional guidelines. METHODS: The patients' daily dietary intakes, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and additional meals, were recorded in detail for seven consecutive days. The intake amount of various nutrients was calculated using the dietary database. RESULTS: The majority of children with blood disease showed inadequate intakes of calories [mean 1825.81 kCal/d, 73.62% of the recommended intake (RNI)] and protein (mean 67.68 g/d, 81.34% of RNI). Intakes of vitamin E and riboflavin were adequate, but intakes of vitamin A, thiamine and vitamin C (66.67%, 77.78% and 69.89% of RNI, respectively) were inadequate. Iron and selenium intakes were adequate, but calcium and zinc intakes (41.11% and 56.21% of RNI, respectively) were grossly inadequate. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized children with blood disease had decreased dietary intakes of calories, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, calcium and zinc. The dietary pattern and nutritional intake need to be improved.
Subject(s)
Energy Intake , Hematologic Diseases/metabolism , Nutritional Status , Adolescent , Ascorbic Acid/administration & dosage , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Hospitalization , Humans , Infant , Male , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Selenium/administration & dosage , Vitamin A/administration & dosage , Zinc/administration & dosageABSTRACT
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics and management of 472 Chinese children (age 1~14 years) with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The distribution of cases by age showed a maximum at 4 years and more patients below 7 years old than between 7 and 14 years old had ITP (337, 71.4% vs. 135, 28.6%). Variable bleeding signs occurred in this series of patients. Steroids therapy was effective for Chinese children with chronic ITP whether as first- or second-line therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine was less effective than steroids.