Alleviating Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Stress: A Chinese Medicine Approach in Neonatal Rats.

Background: Premature infants are exposed to numerous stressors in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during a crucial period for brain development; this period exerts long-term influences on cognitive and behavioral development. Aims: To evaluate the effect of NICU-related stress on neonatal rat pups and explore the effect of Chinese medicine treatment (CMT). Methods: Sixty male rat pups were randomly assigned to three groups: the control group, the NICU group (NICU-related stress), and the CMT group (NICU-related stress plus CMT). All stressors and interventions were administered from 0 to 7 days after birth. Body weight, serum corticosterone levels, and behavior in the open field (OF) test, elevated plus maze (EPM) test, sucrose preference test, and Morris water maze (MWM) test were recorded, and blood samples were collected at five different time points (T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4). Results: The body weights of rats in the CMT and control groups were heavier than those in the NICU group in both early life and adulthood (P < 0.05). Serum corticosterone levels significantly differed with time (except T0 vs. T1 and T3 vs. T4) but did not significantly differ among the three groups (F = 0.441, P = 0.894). Regardless of age, spatial memory and anxiety-like and depression-like behavior did not differ among the three groups. Conclusion: NICU-related stress exerted a long-term effect on rat growth and development but did not affect spatial memory, anxiety-like behavior, depression-like behavior, or serum corticosterone levels. CMT alleviated the impact of NICU-related stress on rats and promoted the growth and development of neonatal rats.

Photothermal Propelling and Pyroelectric Potential-Promoted Cell Internalization of Janus Nanoparticles and Pyroelectrodynamic Tumor Therapy.

Cancer phototherapy experiences limitations in tissue diffusion and cell internalization of phototherapeutic agents and dose-dependent side effects. Herein, Janus pyroelectric nanoparticles (NPs) are designed to generate self-powered motion and built-in electric fields to overcome the delivery barriers. Polydopamine (PDA) layers are partially coated on tetragonal BaTiO3 (tBT) NPs to prepare Janus tBT@PDA, and Au NPs are deposited on the PDA caps to obtain Janus tBT@PDA-Au NPs. Near-infrared (NIR) illumination of tBT@PDA-Au builds in situ pyroelectric potentials on NPs, which selectively affect the membrane potential of tumor cells rather than normal cells to enhance tumor cell internalization and produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) for pyroelectric dynamic therapy (PEDT). The asymmetric photothermal effect of the Janus NPs creates thermophoretic force to propel NP motion, which enhances tumor diffusion and cellular uptake of NPs and boosts cytotoxicity and intracellular ROS levels. The inoculation of Au NPs increases the photothermal effect, exhibits larger motion velocities, produces higher pyroelectric potentials, and elevates cellular uptake rates, resulting in significant induction of tumor cell apoptosis, suppression of tumor growth, and extension of animal survival. Thus, the concise design of tBT@PDA-Au/NIR treatment has achieved thermophoretic motion-promoted tissue diffusion, built-in electric field-enhanced cell internalization, and photothermal/PEDT-synergized antitumor efficacy.

Dissolved organic carbon, a critical factor to increase the bioavailability of phosphorus during biochar-amended aerobic composting.

Considerable research efforts have been devoted to increase phosphorus (P) availability during aerobic composting. However, there is little discussion weather the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) controls the transformation among P-fractions. Thus, we investigated the changes in DOC compositions and P-fractions during biochar-amended composting (wet weight basis, 5% and 10%). TP content continuously increased since the 'concentration effect' during aerobic composting. NaHCO3-Pi, NaOH-Pi and HCl-Pi were main P-fractions, and biochar can improve P-bioavailability by transforming NaOH-Pi and HCl-Pi into NaHCO3-Pi. Structure equation models (SEMs) indicated that biochar enhanced the P-bioavailability through regulating the decomposition of DOC. Our results at least hint that the activation mechanism on P under the influence of DOC during biochar-amended composting.

Intragenic heterochromatin-mediated alternative polyadenylation modulates miRNA and pollen development in rice.

Despite a much higher proportion of intragenic heterochromatin-containing genes in crop genomes, the importance of intragenic heterochromatin in crop development remains unclear. Intragenic heterochromatin can be recognised by a protein complex, ASI1-AIPP1-EDM2 (AAE) complex, to regulate alternative polyadenylation. Here, we investigated the impact of rice ASI1 on global poly(A) site usage through poly(A) sequencing and ASI1-dependent regulation on rice development. We found that OsASI1 is essential for rice pollen development and flowering. OsASI1 dysfunction has an important impact on global poly(A) site usage, which is closely related to heterochromatin marks. Intriguingly, OsASI1 interacts with the intronic heterochromatin of OsXRNL, a nuclear XRN family exonuclease gene involved in the processing of an miRNA precursor, to promote the processing of full-length OsXRNL and regulate miRNA abundance. We found that OsASI1-mediated regulation of pollen development partially depends on OsXRNL. Finally, we characterised the rice AAE complex and its involvement in alternative polyadenylation and pollen development. Our findings help to elucidate an epigenetic mechanism governing miRNA abundance and rice development, and provide a valuable resource for studying the epigenetic mechanisms of many important processes in crops.

Additive grain-size: An innovative perspective to investigate the transformation among heavy metal and phosphorus fractions during aerobic composting.

Considerable researches have been devoted to ascertain the transformation among heavy metal (HM) or phosphorus (P) fractions during aerobic composting. However, available information that additives with different grain-sizes regulate the activation mechanism on P through influencing the passivation effect on HMs remains limited. Thus, this work aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in HM-fractions and P-fractions, and ascertain the interaction pathway between HMs and P during aerobic composting amended with medical stone (Coarse medical stone, 3-5 mm; Fine medical stone, < 0.1 mm). Medical stone, especially for coarse-grained medical stone, significantly enhanced the HM-passivation and P-activation during the composting (P < 0.05). The bioavailability factor of HMs decreased by 48.05% (Cu), 20.65% (Pb), 15.58% (Cd) and 6.10% (Zn), and the content of labile available P (LAP) increased by 6.45%. HMs, with the explanatory capacity of 65.9%-84.9%, was important parameter superior to temperature (0.8%-5.4%), moisture content (MC, 0.1%-1.7%), pH (0.1%-8.7%), electric conductivity (EC, 0.8%-9.8%), carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N, 0.3%-2.3%) ratio and dissolved organic carbon (DOC, 0.4%-3.1%), to evaluate the transformation among P-fractions. Our results cast a new light on P-activation with respect to HM-passivation during aerobic composting.

Gut flora-targeted photobiomodulation therapy improves senile dementia in an Aß-induced Alzheimer's disease animal model.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays an important role in the pathological progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy is believed to have a positive regulatory effect on the imbalance of certain body functions, including inflammation, immunity, wound healing, nerve repair, and pain. Previous studies have found that the intestinal flora of patients with AD is in an unbalanced state. Therefore, we have proposed the use of gut flora-targeted PBM (gf-targeted PBM) as a method to improve AD in an Aß-induced AD mouse model. METHODS: PBM was performed on the abdomen of the mice at the wavelengths of 630 nm, 730 nm, and 850 nm at 100 J/cm2 for 8 weeks. Morris water maze test, immunofluorescence and proteomic of hippocampus, and intestinal flora detection of fecal were used to evaluate the treatment effects of gf-targeted PBM on AD rats. RESULTS: PBM at all three wavelengths (especially 630 nm and 730 nm) significantly improved learning retention as measured by the Morris water maze. In addition, we found reduced amyloidosis and tau phosphorylation in the hippocampus by immunofluorescence in AD mice. By using a quantitative proteomic analysis of the hippocampus, we found that gf-targeted PBM significantly altered the expression levels of 509 proteins (the same differentially expressed proteins in all three wavelengths of PBM), which involved the pathways of hormone synthesis, phagocytosis, and metabolism. The 16 s rRNA gene sequencing of fecal contents showed that PBM significantly altered the diversity and abundance of intestinal flora. Specifically, PBM treatment reversed the typical increase of Helicobacter and uncultured Bacteroidales and the decrease of Rikenella seen in AD mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that gf-targeted PBM regulates the diversity of intestinal flora, which may improve damage caused by AD. Gf-targeted PBM has the potential to be a noninvasive microflora regulation method for AD patients.

Effects of photobiomodulation combined with MSCs transplantation on the repair of spinal cord injury in rat.

Stem cell transplantation has shown promising regenerative effects against neural injury, and photobiomodulation (PBM) can aid tissue recovery. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) and laser alone or combined on spinal cord injury (SCI). The animals were divided into SCI, hUCMSCs, laser treatment (LASER) and combination treatment (hUCMSCs + LASER) groups. Cell-enriched grafts of hUCMSCs (1 × 106 cells/ml) were injected at the site of antecedent trauma in SCI model rats. A 2 cm2 damaged area was irradiated with 630 nm laser at 100 mW/cm2 power for 20 min. Locomotion was evaluated using Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scores, and neurofilament repair were monitored by histological staining and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). First, after SCI, the motor function of each group was restored with different degrees, the combination treatment significantly increased the BBB scores compared to either monotherapy. In addition, Nissl bodies were more numerous, and the nerve fibers were longer and thicker in the combination treatment group. Consistent with this, the in situ expression of NF-200 and glial fibrillary acidic protein in the damaged area was the highest in the combination treatment group. Finally, DTI showed that the combination therapy optimally improved neurofilament structure and arrangement. These results may show that the combination of PBM and hUCMSCs transplantation is a feasible strategy for reducing secondary damage and promoting functional recovery following SCI.

Effect of 650-nm low-level laser irradiation on c-Jun, c-Fos, ICAM-1, and CCL2 expression in experimental periodontitis.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of 650-nm low-level laser irradiation (LLLI) as an adjunctive treatment of experimental periodontitis. To investigate possible LLLI-mediated anti-inflammatory effects, we utilized an experimental periodontitis (EP) rat model and analyzed c-Jun, c-Fos, ICAM-1, and CCL2 gene expressions on PB leukocytes and in the gingival tissue. Total RNA was isolated from the gingivae and peripheral blood (PB) leukocytes of normal, EP, scaling, and root planing (SRP)-treated EP and LLLI + SRP-treated EP rats, and gene expressions were analyzed by real-time PCR. The productions of c-Jun, c-Fos, ICAM-1, and CCL2 in gingivae were analyzed immunohistochemically. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining was used to determine osteoclast activity in alveolar bone. The c-Jun and ICAM-1 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were significantly decreased in the EP rat gingival tissue treated by SRP + LLLI than by SRP, the c-Jun, ICAM-1, and c-Fos mRNA levels on PB leukocytes reduced after LLLI treatment but did not show any significant differences in both groups. There was no significant difference in CCL2 mRNA levels on PB leukocytes and in gingivae between the SRP + LLLI and the SRP groups. The c-Fos mRNA levels in gingivae did not show significant difference in both groups. Immunohistochemistry showed that the CCL2, ICAM-1, c-Jun, and c-Fos productions were significantly reduced in rats of the SRP + LLLI group compared with the only SRP group. LLLI significantly decreased the number of osteoclasts as demonstrated by TRAP staining. The 650-nm LLLI might be a useful treatment modality for periodontitis.

Organic matter, a critical factor to immobilize phosphorus, copper, and zinc during composting under various initial C/N ratios.

The status of heavy metals and the P fractions in compost affects their environmental risk. The present study investigated the effects of different initial carbon to nitrogen (C/N) ratios (15, 22, 27) on redistribution of Cu, Zn, and P fractions during composting. The results showed that the composting process transformed Cu, Zn and P from mobile fractions to more stable fractions. Compost with an initial C/N of 22 showed the most effective immobilization of Cu, Zn and P because of yielding greatest degree of polymerization. Multivariate statistical analysis identified organic matter as the most critical factor for explaining the redistribution of Cu, Zn, and P fractions in composting. However, the degree of organic matter degradation (organic matter content and Humic acid/Fulvic acid) better explained the change of bioavailability factor for Cu and the mobility of P during composting. This research provided guidance for providing technology to reduce environmental risk in compost.

Identification of environmental factors controlling phosphorus fractions and mobility in restored wetlands by multivariate statistics.

Phosphorus is a dominant environmental factor in fostering eutrophication, and its biogeochemical behavior has attracted much attention. This study investigated the distribution of phosphorus fractions and the adsorption-desorption characteristic in the soils of wetlands converted from paddy fields with a restoration duration of 1, 2, 3, 5, 13, or 19 years. The results demonstrated the content of total phosphorus (TP) first increased, which was then reversed until the process stabilized after 5 restoration years. Labile inorganic phosphorus (L-Pi), labile organic phosphorus (L-Po), iron-aluminum-bound phosphorus (Fe.Al-P), and humic phosphorus (Hu-P) peaked at 1-3 restoration years, respectively, while moderately labile organic phosphorus (Ml-Po), calcium-magnesium-bound phosphorus (Ca.Mg-P), and residual phosphorus (Re-P) decreased within 0-5 restoration years. During the 5th to 19th restoration years, the contents of all phosphorus fractions stabilized within a minor fluctuating range. Redundancy analysis (RDA) results indicated that total nitrogen (TN) and soil organic matter (SOM) are the important environmental factors controlling redistribution of phosphorus fractions. The capability of restored wetlands to retain phosphorus increased first and then decreased with the extension of the restoration duration. Path analysis (PA) results demonstrated that pH, TN, and Fe are the primary factors for the capacity of soil to retain phosphorus, followed by SOM, Mn, and electrical conductivity(EC). Fe.Al-P and Hu-P had a higher release risk with approximate amounts of 197.25-337.25 and 113.28-185.72 mg/kg during the first stage of restoration, which needs to be focused.

Distribution and release of phosphorus fractions associated with soil aggregate structure in restored wetlands.

Phosphorus, a dominating element responsible for eutrophication, is a potential limiting nutrient in wetland ecosystem. In this study, the release risk of phosphorus was evaluated by investigating the distribution of phosphorus fractions in different grain-sizes of soil aggregates in wetlands with restoration durations of 1, 2, 3, 5, 13 or 19 years. The results showed that the soil aggregate structure tended to be stable when paddy fields were changed into wetland, though aggregate structure first condensed fine-aggregates (<0.25 mm) into coarse-aggregates (>0.25 mm), which was then reversed until the process stabilized after 5 restoration years. With the exception of labile inorganic phosphorus (L-Pi), which continuously decreased within extended abandoned period, total phosphorus (TP), labile organic phosphorus (L-Po), moderately labile organic phosphorus (Ml-Po), iron-aluminum bound phosphorus (Fe·Al-P), calcium-magnesium bound phosphorus (Ca·Mg-P), humic phosphorus (Hu-P) and residual phosphorus (Re-P) concentrations presented a unimodal tendency with a peak at the 2nd or 3rd restoration year, respectively. TP, L-Pi, L-Po and Re-P tended to decrease with decreasing soil aggregate grain-size, and Ml-Po was enriched in small macro-aggregates (0.25-1 mm) and micro-aggregates (0.053-0.25 mm). Macro-aggregates carried Fe·Al-P and Ca·Mg-P. Adsorption isotherm simulation results demonstrated that the retention capacity for phosphorus of a restored wetland first increased and then decreased with extended abandonment period, and macro-aggregates showed a considerable capacity to retain phosphorus. Fe.Al-P and Hu-P had potential release risk with approximate amounts of 197.25-337.25 mg kg-1 and 131.28-185.72 mg kg-1, in associated with anaerobic environment and aggregate structure.

Change in the Distribution of Phosphorus Fractions in Aggregates under Different Land Uses: A Case in Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China.

Phosphorus in agro-ecosystems has attracted much attention due to its impact on the nutrient supply of plants and the risk of loss of non-point source pollution. This study investigated the fraction distribution and release of phosphorus from soil aggregates structure under different land uses (rice, maize and soybean). The soil aggregates were characterized as large macro-aggregates (L-mac, >1 mm), small macro-aggregates (S-mac, 0.25⁻1 mm), micro-aggregates (MIC, 0.053⁻0.25 mm) and silt clay (SC, <0.053 mm) with the wet-sieving method. A sequential chemical extraction scheme was used to separate phosphorus into labile inorganic phosphorus (L-Pi), labile organic phosphorus (L-Po), moderately labile organic phosphorus (Ml-Po), iron-aluminum bound phosphorus (Fe.Al-P), calcium-magnesium bound phosphorus (Ca.Mg-P), humic phosphorus (Hu-P) and residual phosphorus (Re-P). Experimental results indicated that soil aggregates were mainly S-mac and MIC, followed by L-mac and SC, and they accounted for 52.16%, 25.20%, 14.23% and 8.49% in rice fields, 44.21%, 34.61%, 12.88% and 8.30% in maize fields, and 28.87%, 47.63%, 3.52% and 19.99% in soybean fields, respectively. Total nitrogen (TN), soil organic matter (SOM), Fe and Mn in soil aggregate fractions decreased with the reduction in soil aggregate grain-sizes. For phosphorus fractions (P-fractions), Fe.Al-P and Re-P tended to condense in L-mac and S-mac. MIC and SC were the primary carriers of Ca.Mg-P. Adsorption isotherm simulation results demonstrated that L-mac and S-mac have a strong capacity to retain phosphorus. In rice fields, phosphorus bioavailability and utilization rate were high. However, the P-fractions there were easily changed under aerobic-anaerobic conditions. Therefore, the risk of phosphorus loss during drainage should be given considerable attention.

Effect of photobiomodulation on neural differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells.

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) can enhance the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) proliferation, differentiation, and tissue repair and can therefore be used in regenerative medicine. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of photobiomodulation on the directional neural differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) and provide a theoretical basis for neurogenesis. hUC-MSCs were divided into control, inducer, laser, and lasers combined with inducer groups. A 635-nm laser and an 808-nm laser delivering energy densities from 0 to 10 J/cm2 were used in the study. Normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and injured cerebrospinal fluid (iCSF) were used as inducers. The groups were continuously induced for 3 days. Cellular proliferation was evaluated using MTT. The marker proteins nestin (marker protein of the neural precursor cells), NeuN (marker protein of neuron), and GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein, marker proteins of glial cells) were detected by immunofluorescence and western blot. We found that irradiation with 635-nm laser increased cell proliferation, and that with 808 nm laser by itself and combined with cerebrospinal fluid treatment generated significant neuron-like morphological changes in the cells at 72 h. Nestin showed high positive expression at 24 h in the 808 nm group. The expression of GFAP increased in the 808-nm combined inducer group at 24 h but decreased at 72 h. The expression of neuN protein increased only at 72 h in both the 808-nm combined inducer group and inducer group. We concluded that 808 nm laser irradiation could help CSF to induce neuronal differentiation of hUC-MSCs in early stage and tend to change to neuron rather than glial cells.

Effect of 405 nm low intensity irradiation on the absorption spectrum of in-vitro hyperlipidemia blood.

BACKGROUND: Laser therapy is reported to be clinically effective for improving microcirculation, rheological properties and blood lipid profiles despite the lack of certainty on the mechanism. OBJECTIVE: This study intends to provide methods to drop blood lipid level of hyperlipidemia samples by low-intensity laser irradiation therapy and provide reasoning of mechanism. METHODS: Twenty whole blood samples of high level of lipids profile are irradiated by 405 nm low-intensity laser at 12 J/cm2 twice a day for 3 days and compared with normal lipids profile group. Then whole blood sample are centrifuged to obtain result of erythrocyte for further interpretation. Multi-scan spectrum microplate reader is used to measure absorption spectrum and data is analyzed by software SPSS 14.0. RESULTS: Results show that after 405 nm low-intensity laser irradiation, whole blood samples of high lipid level statistically have higher absorbance peak value than normal samples while erythrocyte samples have lower absorbance peak value. CONCLUSIONS: From the divergence of absorption peak value change after low-intensity laser irradiation for whole blood sample and erythrocyte, we suspect that low level laser irradiation affects the enzymes activity of lipid metabolism, improves the cholesterol balance of plasma and cytoplasm in erythrocyte, and decreases aggregation of the erythrocyte.

Cross-Site Reliability of Human Induced Pluripotent stem cell-derived Cardiomyocyte Based Safety Assays Using Microelectrode Arrays: Results from a Blinded CiPA Pilot Study.

Recent in vitro cardiac safety studies demonstrate the ability of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) to detect electrophysiologic effects of drugs. However, variability contributed by unique approaches, procedures, cell lines, and reagents across laboratories makes comparisons of results difficult, leading to uncertainty about the role of hiPSC-CMs in defining proarrhythmic risk in drug discovery and regulatory submissions. A blinded pilot study was conducted to evaluate the electrophysiologic effects of 8 well-characterized drugs on 4 cardiomyocyte lines using a standardized protocol across 3 microelectrode array platforms (18 individual studies). Drugs were selected to define assay sensitivity of prominent repolarizing currents (E-4031 for IKr, JNJ303 for IKs) and depolarizing currents (nifedipine for ICaL, mexiletine for INa) as well as drugs affecting multichannel block (flecainide, moxifloxacin, quinidine, and ranolazine). Inclusion criteria for final analysis was based on demonstrated sensitivity to IKr block (20% prolongation with E-4031) and L-type calcium current block (20% shortening with nifedipine). Despite differences in baseline characteristics across cardiomyocyte lines, multiple sites, and instrument platforms, 10 of 18 studies demonstrated adequate sensitivity to IKr block with E-4031 and ICaL block with nifedipine for inclusion in the final analysis. Concentration-dependent effects on repolarization were observed with this qualified data set consistent with known ionic mechanisms of single and multichannel blocking drugs. hiPSC-CMs can detect repolarization effects elicited by single and multichannel blocking drugs after defining pharmacologic sensitivity to IKr and ICaL block, supporting further validation efforts using hiPSC-CMs for cardiac safety studies.

Arabidopsis COG Complex Subunits COG3 and COG8 Modulate Golgi Morphology, Vesicle Trafficking Homeostasis and Are Essential for Pollen Tube Growth.

Spatially and temporally regulated membrane trafficking events incorporate membrane and cell wall materials into the pollen tube apex and are believed to underlie the rapid pollen tube growth. In plants, the molecular mechanisms and physiological functions of intra-Golgi transport and Golgi integrity maintenance remain largely unclear. The conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex has been implicated in tethering of retrograde intra-Golgi vesicles in yeast and mammalian cells. Using genetic and cytologic approaches, we demonstrate that T-DNA insertions in Arabidopsis COG complex subunits, COG3 and COG8, cause an absolute, male-specific transmission defect that can be complemented by expression of COG3 and COG8 from the LAT52 pollen promoter, respectively. No obvious abnormalities in the microgametogenesis of the two mutants are observed, but in vitro and in vivo pollen tube growth are defective. COG3 or COG8 proteins fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) label the Golgi apparatus. In pollen of both mutants, Golgi bodies exhibit altered morphology. Moreover, γ-COP and EMP12 proteins lose their tight association with the Golgi. These defects lead to the incorrect deposition of cell wall components and proteins during pollen tube growth. COG3 and COG8 interact directly with each other, and a structural model of the Arabidopsis COG complex is proposed. We believe that the COG complex helps to modulate Golgi morphology and vesicle trafficking homeostasis during pollen tube tip growth.

Finding the rhythm of sudden cardiac death: new opportunities using induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Sudden cardiac death is a common cause of death in patients with structural heart disease, genetic mutations, or acquired disorders affecting cardiac ion channels. A wide range of platforms exist to model and study disorders associated with sudden cardiac death. Human clinical studies are cumbersome and are thwarted by the extent of investigation that can be performed on human subjects. Animal models are limited by their degree of homology to human cardiac electrophysiology, including ion channel expression. Most commonly used cellular models are cellular transfection models, which are able to mimic the expression of a single-ion channel offering incomplete insight into changes of the action potential profile. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes resemble, but are not identical, adult human cardiomyocytes and provide a new platform for studying arrhythmic disorders leading to sudden cardiac death. A variety of platforms exist to phenotype cellular models, including conventional and automated patch clamp, multielectrode array, and computational modeling. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes have been used to study long QT syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and other hereditary cardiac disorders. Although induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes are distinct from adult cardiomyocytes, they provide a robust platform to advance the science and clinical care of sudden cardiac death.

Tetra-sulfonate phthalocyanine zinc-bovine serum albumin conjugate-mediated photodynamic therapy of human glioma.

BACKGROUND: Glioma is the most common brain malignancy with poor prognosis. The current treatments for gliomas are mainly based on surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, which exhibit limited efficacy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using photosensitizers has been applied to glioma therapy. However, different photosensitizers usually lead to different therapeutic effects and adverse reactions. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the anti-tumor effect of photosensitizer ZnPcS4-BSA in xenograft glioma tumors. METHODS: The xenograft glioma tumor model was established by inoculating nude mice with U251 cells. Tumor growth was evaluated by tumor volume, weight, and inhibition rate. Cell apoptosis was evaluated using TUNEL staining. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and microvessel density were measured by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Significant decreases in tumor volume and weight as well as significant increases in tumor inhibition rate, cell apoptosis, VEGF expression, and microvessel density were observed in mice in the low- and high-dose PDT groups compared to the control, irradiation alone, and photosensitizer alone groups. No significant difference in cytotoxicity was observed between control group and photosensitizer alone group. Photosensitizer ZnPcS4-BSA significantly inhibited xenograft glioma tumor growth through induction of apoptosis. CONCLUSION: PDT using ZnPcS4-BSA may be effective for the therapy of gliomas.

A new phenylethanoid glycoside with antioxidant and anti-HBV activity from Tarphochlamys affinis.

A new phenylethanoid glycoside, named taraffinisoside A (1), together with five known glycosides were isolated from the stems and leaves of Tarphochlamys affinis. The structure of taraffinisoside A was identified on the basis of detailed spectral analysis. Compounds 1-4 and 6 showed potent antioxidant activities with IC50 values of 10.36, 19.73, 43.95, 15.30 and 46.04 µM by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl radical-scavenging assay. Compounds 1, 2 and 4 showed anti-HBV activities, with IC50 values of 0.50, 0.72 and 0.26 mM for HBsAg and 0.93, 0.42 and 0.07 mM for HBeAg, respectively.