Bi-functional biochar-g-C3N4-MgO composites for simultaneously minimizing pollution：Photocatalytic degradation of pesticide and phosphorus recovery as slow-release fertilizer.

Significant progress has been made in the development of phosphorus recovery adsorbents and photocatalysts for degradation of pesticides. However, the bifunctional materials for phosphorus recovery and photocatalytic degradation of pesticides have not been designed, and the mechanism of the interaction between photocatalysis and P adsorption remains unexplored. Herein, we develop biochar-g-C3N4-MgO composites (BC-g-C3N4-MgO) with bi-function application to minimize water toxicity and eutrophication. The results show phosphorus adsorption capacity of the BC-g-C3N4-MgO composite reaches 111.0 mg·g-1, and its degradation ratio of dinotefuran reaches 80.1% within 260 min. The mechanism studies show that MgO can play variety roles in BC-g-C3N4-MgO composite, in which can improve the adsorption capacity of phosphorus, enhance the utilization efficiency of visible light and the separation efficiency of photoinduced electron-hole pairs. The biochar existed in BC-g-C3N4-MgO serves as charge transporter with a good conductivity, which promotes the fluent transfer of photo-generated charge carriers. The ESR indicates that both •O2- and •OH generated from BC-g-C3N4-MgO are responsible for dinotefuran degradation. Finally, pot experiments reveal that P laden BC-g-C3N4-MgO promotes the growth of pepper seedlings with high P utilization efficiency of 49.27%.

Interventions and management on multimorbidity: An overview of systematic reviews.

BACKGROUND: Multimorbidity poses an immense burden on the healthcare systems globally, whereas the management strategies and guidelines for multimorbidity are poorly established. We aim to synthesize current evidence on interventions and management of multimorbidity. METHODS: We searched four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews). Systematic reviews (SRs) on interventions or management of multimorbidity were included and evaluated. The methodological quality of each SR was assessed by the AMSTAR-2 tool, and the quality of evidence on the effectiveness of interventions was assessed by the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) system. RESULTS: A total of 30 SRs (464 unique underlying studies) were included, including 20 SRs of interventions and 10 SRs summarizing evidence on management of multimorbidity. Four categories of interventions were identified: patient-level interventions, provider-level interventions, organization-level interventions, and combined interventions (combining the aforementioned two or three- level components). The outcomes were categorized into six types: physical conditions/outcomes, mental conditions/outcomes, psychosocial outcomes/general health, healthcare utilization and costs, patients' behaviors, and care process outcomes. Combined interventions (with patient-level and provider-level components) were more effective in promoting physical conditions/outcomes, while patient-level interventions were more effective in promoting mental conditions/outcomes and psychosocial outcomes/general health. As for healthcare utilization and care process outcomes, organization-level and combined interventions (with organization-level components) were more effective. The challenges in the management of multimorbidity at the patient, provider and organizational levels were also summarized. CONCLUSION: Combined interventions for multimorbidity at different levels would be favored to promote different types of health outcomes. Challenges exist in the management at the patient, provider, and organization levels. Therefore, a holistic and integrated approach of patient-, provider- and organization- level interventions is required to address the challenges and optimize care of patients with multimorbidity.

Social relationship satisfaction and accumulation of chronic conditions and multimorbidity: a national cohort of Australian women.

Background: Social relationships are associated with mortality and chronic conditions. However, little is known about the effects of social relationship satisfaction on multiple chronic conditions (multimorbidity). Aims: To examine whether social relationship satisfaction is associated with the accumulation of multimorbidity. Methods: Data from 7 694 Australian women who were free from 11 chronic conditions at 45-50 years of age in 1996 were analysed. Five types of social relationship satisfaction (partner, family members, friends, work and social activities) were measured approximately every 3 years and scored from 0 (very dissatisfied) to 3 (very satisfied). Scores from each relationship type were summed to provide an overall satisfaction score (range: ≤5-15). The outcome of interest was the accumulation of multimorbidity in 11 chronic conditions. Results: Over a 20-year period, 4 484 (58.3%) women reported multimorbidities. Overall, the level of social relationship satisfaction had a dose-response relationship with the accumulation of multimorbidities. Compared with women reporting the highest satisfaction (score 15), women with the lowest satisfaction (score ≤5) had the highest odds of accumulating multimorbidity (odds ratio (OR)= 2.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.94 to 2.83) in the adjusted model. Similar results were observed for each social relationship type. Other risk factors, such as socioeconomic, behavioural and menopausal status, together explained 22.72% of the association. Conclusions: Social relationship satisfaction is associated with the accumulation of multimorbidity, and the relationship is only partly explained by socioeconomic, behavioural and reproductive factors. Social connections (eg, satisfaction with social relationships) should be considered a public health priority in chronic disease prevention and intervention.

Comprehensive Investigation on Associations between Dietary Intake and Blood Levels of Fatty Acids and Colorectal Cancer Risk.

BACKGROUND: Increasingly, studies have discovered that different fatty acids (Fas) are linked to colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. METHODS: We systematically searched Embase and Medline databases to identify eligible studies that examined the associations of different types of Fas with CRC risk. The effect estimates and their 95% confidence intervals (Cis) were pooled using a random-effects model. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the robustness of the study findings. RESULTS: This study evaluated the associations of 28 dietary and 18 blood Fas with CRC risk by summarizing the most updated evidence from 54 observational and four Mendelian Randomization (MR) studies. The present findings suggested that high dietary intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexanoic acid (DHA), and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) are related to low risk of CRC, while the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio and trans-FA are related to high risk of CRC. The summary of all cohort studies found that a high intake of SFA and DHA was a protective factor for CRC, and a high intake of the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was a risk factor for CRC. In the subgroup analysis of cancer subsites, we found that the dietary intake of linoleic acid (LA) and trans-FA are risk factors, while DPA is a protective factor for colon cancer. High dietary DHA intake was associated with a lower risk of rectal cancer, while the dietary n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was associated with a higher risk of rectal cancer. Meta-analysis of blood FA levels showed a significant reverse association between blood pentadecanoic acid and CRC risk, whilst other blood Fas showed no significant association with CRC risk. All included MR studies showed that high plasma arachidonic acid (AA) is associated with increased CRC risk. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence on the dietary intake and blood levels of Fas in relation to CRC risk is less consistent. Future studies are needed to investigate how the metabolism of Fas contributes to CRC development.

Eucommia ulmoides extract attenuates angiotensin II-induced cardiac microvascular endothelial cell dysfunction by inactivating p53

Abstract Angiotensin II (AngII) causes endothelial dysfunction. Eucommia ulmoides extract (EUE) is documented to manipulate AngII, but its impact on cardiac microvascular endothelial cell (CMVEC) function remains unknown. This study determines the effects of EUE on AngII-treated CMVECs. CMVECs were treated with different concentrations of AngII or EUE alone and/or the p53 protein activator, WR-1065, before AngII treatment, followed by examinations of the apoptotic, migratory, proliferative, and angiogenic capacities and nitric oxide (NO), p53, von Willebrand factor (vWF), endothelin (ET)-1, endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels. AngII induced CMVEC dysfunction in a concentration-dependent manner. EUE enhanced the proliferative, migratory, and angiogenic capacities and NO, MnSOD, and eNOS levels but repressed apoptosis and vWF and ET-1 levels in AngII-induced dysfunctional CMVECs. Moreover, AngII increased p53 mRNA levels, p-p53 levels in the nucleus, and p53 protein levels in the cytoplasm and diminishes HIF-1α and VEGF levels in CMVECs; however, these effects were counteracted by EUE treatment. Moreover, WR-1065 abrogated the mitigating effects of EUE on AngII-induced CMVEC dysfunction by activating p53 and decreasing HIF-1α and VEGF expression. In conclusion, EUE attenuates AngII-induced CMVEC dysfunction by upregulating HIF-1α and VEGF levels via p53 inactivation

Abnormal prostate microbiota composition is associated with experimental autoimmune prostatitis complicated with depression in rats.

Background: Microbiota play essential roles in the pathogenesis of prostatitis and depression. However, the changes in prostate microbiota have not yet been explored in rats with prostatitis/depression. This study aimed to investigate the changes of prostate microbiota in rats with prostatitis/depression. Methods: Rats with experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) complicated with depression were constructed through injection of rat prostate antigen with immunoadjuvants followed by application of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). The rats were subjected to inflammatory factor detection and behavioral testing to confirm the establishment of the model. Subsequently, the prostate microbiota was assayed in the rats and compared by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: A rat model of EAP complicated with depression was established and confirmed by increases in IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α as well as the occurrence of depressive-like behaviors. EAP/CUMS significantly altered the richness, evenness, and composition of prostate microbiota. Forty-six taxonomic biomarkers for prostate microbiota were enriched in rats with EAP/depression and exhibited statistically significant and biologically consistent differences. Metabolomics profiling revealed that EAP/depression was associated with reductive acetyl coenzyme A pathway, L-lysine fermentation to acetate and butanoate, protein N-glycosylation and purine nucleobases degradation I, which is regulated by DCE29, Nocardioes, Helicobacter and Dorea. Conclusion: Findings from the study demonstrate the existence of abnormal prostate microbiota in EAP complicated with depression and may be helpful in the treatment of comorbid diseases of prostatitis and depression.

The miR-33a-5p/CROT axis mediates ovarian cancer cell behaviors and chemoresistance via the regulation of the TGF-ß signal pathway.

Due to the lack of symptoms and detection biomarkers at the early stage, most patients with ovarian cancer (OC) are diagnosed at an advanced stage and often face chemoresistance and relapse. Hence, defining detection biomarkers and mechanisms of chemoresistance is imperative. A previous report of a cDNA microarray analysis shows a potential association of carnitine O-octanoyltransferase (CROT) with taxane resistance but the biological function of CROT in OC remains unknown. The current study explored the function and regulatory mechanism of CROT on cellular behavior and paclitaxel (PTX)-resistance in OC. We found that CROT was downregulated in OC tissues and PTX-resistant cells. Furthermore, CROT expression was negatively correlated with the prognosis of OC patients. Overexpression of CROT inhibited the OC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and colony formation, arrested the cell cycle at the G2/M phase, and promoted cell apoptosis. In addition, miR-33a-5p bound directly to the 3'UTR of CROT to negatively regulate the expression of CROT and promoted OC cell growth. Finally, overexpression of CROT decreased the phosphorylation of Smad2, whereas knockdown of CROT increased the nuclear translocation of Smad2 and Smad4, two transducer proteins of TGF-ß signaling, indicating that CROT is a tumor suppressor which mediates OC cell behaviors through the TGF-ß signaling pathway. Thus, targeting the miR-33a-5p/CROT axis may have clinical potential for the treatment of patients with OC.

Retinoblastoma in Adults: Clinical Features, Gene Mutations and Treatment Outcomes: A Study of Six Cases.

Purpose: To report six Asian adult patients with retinoblastoma (RB). Design: Retrospective and observational small case series. Participants: Six patients with a white dome-shaped tumor of the retina were evaluated from May 10, 1995, to September 10, 2021. Main Outcome Measures: Initial tumor and associated fundus features, pathology, gene mutation, treatment, tumor course on follow-up, and salvage globe outcome. Results: The six affected Asian patients consisted of three men and three women. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 36.5 years (median: 31 years, range: 20-55 years). All patients were unilateral. In all cases, the tumors were white, dome-shaped, with full-thickness retinal involvement, and mushroom-like protrusions into the vitreous cavity. The mean tumor thickness measured by ultrasonography was 4.5 mm (median: 3.2 mm, range: 3.2-6.8 mm). Associated characteristic symptoms included dilated retinal feeding artery and draining vein (100%), surrounding subretinal infiltration (83%), exudative retinal detachment (83%), and vitreous seeds (67%). Local tumor resection was performed in three patients, I-125 plaque brachytherapy combined with transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) and intravitreous injection of melphalan (combination treatment) in one patient, I-125 plaque brachytherapy in two patients, and enucleation in one (20%) patient. RB1 gene testing was carried out on four patients and pathological diagnosis on five patients. Genetic analysis revealed that the RB1 mutation was a mosaic c.709dupG (p.Glu237GlyfsTer4) duplication in one patient, a mosaic c.763C>T(p.Arg255Ter) mutation in another patient, while the remaining two patients were RB1 negative. At the end of the follow-up, none of the patients had developed tumor-related metastasis or died. The findings were consistent in all patients who had an adequate follow-up. This study focused on this rare lesion to distinguish it from other intraocular white lesions in adults, including choroidal osteoma, vitreoretinal lymphoma, and retinal capillary hemangioma, all of which are different clinical entities. Conclusion: In adults, RB is typically a white, full-thickness retinal mass that is unilateral, often combining with retinal feeding vessels, subretinal infiltration, and vitreous seeds. Genetic studies on adult-onset RB are essential and still require elucidation. Despite RB being a malignant tumor, patient survival was minimally affected.

Compound glycyrrhiza oral solution alleviates oxidative stress and inflammation by regulating SRC/MAPK pathway in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from persistent cough and breathlessness, which can be ameliorated by the Chinese herbal medicine glycyrrhiza. Furthermore, the SRC/MAPK pathway is activated in the process of oxidative stress and inflammation, which afflict COPD progression. Thus, this research aimed at dissecting the mechanism of compound glycyrrhiza oral solution (CGOS) relieving oxidative stress and inflammation in COPD via the SRC/MAPK pathway. METHODS: After a COPD rat model was established using lipopolysaccharide and cigarette smoke, rats underwent intragastric administration with CGOS and intratracheal injection with LV-NC and LV-SRC lentivirus into lungs. Then, pulmonary function-related indexes were evaluated, followed by analyses of arterial blood and inflammatory cell number in prepared bronchoalveolar lavage fluids. Meanwhile, the contents of oxidative stress-related indicators (malondialdehyde, 3NT, 8-Isoprostane, glutathione, NO, and SOD) in pulmonary tissues were measured, along with RT-qPCR and ELISA detection of the expression of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-4, and IL-10). Moreover, western blot assay was utilized to assess p-SRC/SRC and p-p38/p38 ratios in pulmonary tissues. RESULTS: CGOS treatment enhanced PaO2 and reduced PaCO2 in COPD rats, accompanied by declines in the number of total cells, neutrophils, and macrophages. CGOS improved pulmonary function, decreased malondialdehyde, 3NT, 8-Isoprostane, TNF-α, and IL-1ß levels, and increased GSH, NO, IL-4, and IL-10 levels and SOD activity. Mechanistically, CGOS suppressed the SRC/MAPK pathway, and SRC overexpression reversed the alleviating function of CGOS in COPD rats. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, CGOS might alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation in COPD rats by inhibiting the SRC/MAPK pathway.

Predicting the Risk of Microtia From Prenatal Factors: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study.

Background: Although a wide range of risk factors for microtia were identified, the limitation of these studies, however, is that risk factors were not estimated in comparison with one another or from different domains. Our study aimed to uncover which factors should be prioritized for the prevention and intervention of non-syndromic microtia via tranditonal and meachine-learning statistical methods. Methods: 293 pairs of 1:1 matched non-syndromic microtia cases and controls who visited Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital were enrolled in the current study during 2017-2019. Thirty-nine risk factors across four domains were measured (i.e., parental sociodemographic characteristics, maternal pregnancy history, parental health conditions and lifestyles, and parental environmental and occupational exposures). Lasso regression model and multivariate conditional logistic regression model were performed to identify the leading predictors of microtia across the four domains. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to calculate the predictive probabilities. Results: Eight predictors were identified by the lasso regression, including abnormal pregnancy history, genital system infection, teratogenic drugs usage, folic acid supplementation, paternal chronic conditions history, parental exposure to indoor decoration, paternal occupational exposure to noise and maternal acute respiratory infection. The additional predictors identified by the multivariate conditional logistic regression model were maternal age and maternal occupational exposure to heavy metal. Predictors selected from the conditional logistic regression and lasso regression both yielded AUCs (95% CIs) of 0.83 (0.79-0.86). Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest some factors across multiple domains are key drivers of non-syndromic microtia regardless of the applied statistical methods. These factors could be used to generate hypotheses for further observational and clinical studies on microtia and guide the prevention and intervention strategies for microtia.

Effect of Wuzhi capsules on cyclosporine A concentration in children with aplastic anemia immunotherapy: a single-center observational study.

OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to assess the effect of Wuzhi capsules (WZC) on the blood concentration of cyclosporine A (CsA) in renal aplastic anemia recipients. METHODS: This observational study was carried out at the Hematology Oncology Center, Beijing Children's Hospital between November 2019 and February 2020. A total of 102 Chinese AA recipients receiving CsA (6 mg/kg/d) with or without WZC were included in this study. Baseline data, such as age, therapeutic drug monitoring data, and follow-up information were collected. The promotion concentration of CsA was calculated, and the pharmaceutical economics evaluation with combination of two drugs was also carried out. RESULTS: Dose- and body weight-adjusted trough concentrations (C0/D/W) of CsA in the WZC group were found to be significantly higher than that in the non-WZC group (P < 0.01). The average C0 of CsA increased by (63.27 ± 45.81) ng/mL. The incidence of adverse events was also not statistically significant between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: WZC can increase CsA concentration without increasing adverse drug reactions. Efficient and convenient immunosuppressive effects on AA recipients can be achieved via immunosuppressant therapy in combination with WZC.

Traditional Chinese Medicine in the prevention and treatment of stable angina pectoris in patients with coronary heart disease based on the theory of "phlegm and blood stasis" under guidance of evidence-based medicine: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain whether continuous treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) combined with standardized drug therapy from Western Medicine can further reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary heart disease and angina and reduce the incidence of angina pectoris in patients with coronary heart disease. METHODS: A multicenter, prospective cohort study of 1042 patients in 22 hospitals was conducted. A total of 423 patients with angina pectoris were treated with standardized Western Medicine alone (control group) and 619 with a combination of Chinese and Western Medicine (exposure group). The two groups underwent follow-up for 1 year to establish whether there was any improvement in the incidence of cardiovascular events or change in the curative effect. RESULTS: The incidence of primary endpoint events in the combined-exposure group decreased by 0.45% (P > 0.05) and the incidence of secondary terminal events decreased by 5.25% in comparison with the control group (P < 0.05). The total angina pectoris score clearly decreased in the Western Medicine group over the first 6 months, but the decline was more apparent in the combined-exposure group. CONCLUSION: Compared with treatment using standardized Western Medicine alone, providing TCM combined with Western medical treatment reduced the incidence of cardiovascular events in patients with stable angina pectoris (grade Ⅱ endpoint) and effectively improved the curative effect.

The comparative impact among different intensive statins and combination therapies with niacin/ezetimibe on carotid intima-media thickness: a systematic review, traditional meta-analysis, and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: To compare the impact of different statins therapies on the reduction of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) may reflect their cardiovascular benefits which is useful in clinical decision. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched, and 3539 articles published from 1992 to 2020 were retrieved. CIMT in randomized controlled trials for statins therapies were included for traditional and network meta-analyses analyzed by Stata 16. The quality of included studies was assessed by the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. RESULTS: Thirty-three randomized controlled trials (n=8762) were eligible for network meta-analysis, of which 18 randomized controlled trials (n=5252) were included for comparison between statins and no statins and 11 randomized controlled trials (n=1338) were included for comparison between high-intensity statins or combination with niacin/ezetimibe and moderate/low-intensity statins in 2 traditional meta-analyses. In the traditional meta-analyses, the statins groups significantly reduce CIMT compared to no statins (standard mean difference=-0.207, 95% confidence interval: -0.291 to -0.123, p<0.001), while high-intensity statins or combination with niacin/ezetimibe performed significant CIMT reduction compared to moderate/low-intensity statins (standard mean difference=-0.287, 95% confidence interval: -0.460 to -0.114, p=0.001). In the network meta-analysis, a relative rank for the ability to reduce CIMT was given as follows: combination therapy with niacin (mean rank: 1.7), high-intensity statins, combination therapy with ezetimibe, and moderate/low-intensity statins. CONCLUSION: Statins combined with niacin performed a greater CIMT reduction compared to high-intensity statins alone and combination therapies with ezetimibe. The advantage of niacin-combined statins therapies to improve cardiovascular endpoint needs further validation through randomized controlled trials. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD42020175972.

Polydopamine-Encapsulated Perfluorocarbon for Ultrasound Contrast Imaging and Photothermal Therapy.

Biomedical nanoplatforms have been widely investigated for ultrasound (US) imaging and cancer therapy. Herein, perfluorocarbon (PFC) is encapsulated into biocompatible polydopamine (PDA) to form a theranostic nanosystem, followed by the modification of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to stabilize the nanoparticle via a facile one-pot method. Under 808 nm near-infrared laser irradiation, PDA can generate hyperthermia to transform PFC droplets to bubbles with high US imaging sensitivity. The US imaging detection of the PFC-PDA-PEG nanosystem is achievable in a time span of up to 25 min in vitro at a low US frequency and mechanical index, manifesting a US imaging performance for in vivo application. Moreover, tumor cells incubated with the nanosystem are ablated effectively under laser irradiation at 808 nm. The results illustrate the potential of the PDA-based theranostic agent in US imaging-guided photothermal therapy of tumor.

Matrine Reverses the Warburg Effect and Suppresses Colon Cancer Cell Growth via Negatively Regulating HIF-1α.

The Warburg effect is a peculiar feature of cancer's metabolism, which is an attractive therapeutic target that could aim tumor cells while sparing normal tissue. Matrine is an alkaloid extracted from the herb root of a traditional Chinese medicine, Sophora flavescens Ait. Matrine has been reported to have selective cytotoxicity toward cancer cells but with elusive mechanisms. Here, we reported that matrine was able to reverse the Warburg effect (inhibiting glucose uptake and lactate production) and suppress the growth of human colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that matrine significantly decreased the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of HIF-1α, a critical transcription factor in reprogramming cancer metabolism toward the Warburg effect. As a result, the expression levels of GLUT1, HK2, and LDHA, the downstream targets of HIF-1α in regulating glucose metabolism, were dramatically inhibited by matrine. Moreover, this inhibitory effect of matrine was significantly attenuated when HIF-1α was knocked down or exogenous overexpressed in colon cancer cells. Together, our results revealed that matrine inhibits colon cancer cell growth via suppression of HIF-1α expression and its downstream regulation of Warburg effect. Matrine could be further developed as an antitumor agent targeting the HIF-1α-mediated Warburg effect for colon cancer treatment.

Crepidatumines C and D, Two New Indolizidine Alkaloids from Dendrobium crepidatum Lindl. ex Paxt.

Two new indolizidine alkaloids, crepidatumines C (1) and D (2), together with crepidine (3), isocrepidamine (4), and crepidamine (5) were isolated from the Dendrobium crepidatum Lindl. ex Paxt. X-ray diffraction experiments established the absolute configurations of known compounds 3 and 4. The planar structures and relative configurations of new compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated by extensive spectra analysis including HR-ESI-MS, NMR (1H, 13C, 1H-1H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY spectra), and the absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were suggested on the basis of possible biosynthetic pathways. The biological results confirmed that isocrepidamine (4) displayed a potent hypoglycemic effect in vitro without cytotoxicity.

Anterior Atlanto-Occipital Transarticular Screw Fixation: A Radiological Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: In situations in which posterior atlanto-occipital fixation might not be possible or might require supplemental fixation, anterior fixation might add stability in obtaining arthrodesis. The present study aimed to provide a radiographic evaluation of the safety and feasibility in the anterior approach. METHODS: The bilateral craniocervical computed tomography slices of 60 patients were examined. The anterior screw entry point was the lowest point at the middle anterior aspect of C1 (atlas) lateral mass. To avoid hypoglossal canal and craniocerebral injury, the height of the hypoglossal canal and occipital condyle and occipital condyle width were obtained. The mandible occlusion angle (MOA), anterior screw trajectory above, under, and distal to the hypoglossal canal (AHA, UHA, and DHA) relative to the tangent line of C1 front border were measured, together with the maximum screw length under each angle (AHL, UHL and DHL). An independent samples t test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The height of the hypoglossal canal and occipital condyle and occipital condyle width were all larger in the men than in the women. The MOA, AHA, UHA, and DHA were 55.0°, 18.7°, 41.0°, and 55.0°, respectively, and were similar between genders. The AHL, UHL, and DHL were 34.5, 30.9, and 31.3 mm, with the measurements for the men generally longer than those for the women by 3-4 mm. A total of 10 of 120 bilateral measurements showed the possibility of mandible occlusion, and the potential success rate of the anterior approach could reach 91.7%. CONCLUSIONS: The ideal entry angle for anterior atlanto-occipital fixation ranges from 41.0° to 55.0°, with a safe screw length from 30.9 to 31.3 mm. The potential success rate could reach >90%.

Perfluorohexane-cored nanodroplets for stimulations-responsive ultrasonography and O2-potentiated photodynamic therapy.

To achieve efficient ultrasonography-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT), two major obstacles need to be overcome. On the one hand, O2-dependent PDT produces limited effects on hypoxic solid tumors. On the other hand, small particles facilitate tumor accumulation whereas large ones strengthen ultrasound (US) imaging, which makes the development of an ultrasonographic probe showing effective tumor accumulation and high US sensitivity an intractable challenge. Therefore, an intelligent perfluorohexane (PFH)-based nanodroplet, PFH@Ce6@O2, was fabricated in order to simultaneously solve the above problems. The nanoscale PFH@Ce6@O2 particles were firstly delivered to elevate the local O2 level of tumors, which is critical for achieving excellent PDT effect under laser irradiation. Then, a spontaneous "small-to-large" growth of droplet at tumor acidic microenvironment resulted in an echo-contrast enhancement for high-performance US imaging of tumor. The in vitro and in vivo results manifested the advantage of PFH@Ce6@O2 in alleviating hypoxic status to inhibit tumor growth. Overall, PFH@Ce6@O2 integrating US/FL bimodal imaging and PDT effect appears to be a promising nanoplatform for ultrasonography-guided PDT of solid tumors.

Effect of traditional Chinese medicine formula Sinisan on chronic restraint stress-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a rat study.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents one of the most common forms of liver disease worldwide, and it is always regarded as a consequence of a sedentary, food-abundant lifestyle, sitting for an extended time, and a low physical activity level, which often coincide with chronic and long-lasting psychological stress. A Chinese medicine Sinisan (SNS) may be a potential formula for treating this kind of disease. METHODS: In this study, a long-term chronic restraint stress protocol was used to investigate the mechanism underlying stress-induced NALFD. To investigate the effect of SNS treatment on stress-induced NAFLD, we measured the liver and serum values of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), liver free fatty acids (FFA), low-density lipoprotein, superoxide dismutase, tumor necrosis factor-α, malondialdehyde, interleukin (IL)-6, and serum values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase. Results are shown as a mean ± standard deviation. Significant differences between the groups were evaluated using the Student t-test. For multiple comparisons, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used. If the results of ANOVA indicated significant differences, post hoc analysis was performed with the Tukey test or Dunnett test, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Long-term chronic stress led to steatosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Additionally, SNS treatment significantly increased body weight gain (p < 0.01) and sucrose preference (p < 0.001), and it reduced the liver values of TC, TG, and FFA (p < 0.05). SNS also reduced the serum values of AST and ALT (p < 0.001), and the liver value of IL-6 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This study's results demonstrate that psychological stress may be a significant risk factor of NAFLD. Furthermore, the traditional Chinese medicine formula SNS may have some beneficial effect in antagonizing psychological stress and stress-related NAFLD.

Antitumoral Activity of (20R)- and (20S)-Ginsenoside Rh2 on Transplanted Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Mice.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes of malignancy-related death in China. Its therapy in clinics is a big challenge. Ginsenoside Rh2 is one of the most notable cancer-preventing components from red ginseng and it has been reported that ginsenoside Rh2 exhibited potent cytotoxicity against human hepatoma cells. Rh2 exists as two different stereoisomeric forms, (20S)-ginsenoside Rh2 and (20R)-ginsenoside Rh2. Previous reports showed that the Rh2 epimers demonstrated different pharmacological activities and only (20S)-ginsenoside Rh2 showed potent proliferation inhibition on cancer cells in vitro. However, the in vivo anti-hepatoma activity of (20R)-ginsenoside Rh2 and (20S)-ginsenoside Rh2 has not been reported yet. This work assessed and compared the anti-hepatoma activities of (20S)-ginsenoside Rh2 and (20R)-ginsenoside Rh2 using H22 a hepatoma-bearing mouse model in vivo. In addition, hematoxylin and eosin staining, the deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay, and the semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method were used to further study the apoptosis of the tumors. The results showed that both (20S)-ginsenoside Rh2 and (20R)-ginsenoside Rh2 suppressed the growth of H22 transplanted tumors in vivo, and the highest inhibition rate could be up to 42.2 and 46.8 %, respectively (p < 0.05). Further, hematoxylin/eosin staining and the deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay indicated that both (20R)-ginsenoside Rh2 and (20S)-ginsenoside Rh2 could induce H22 hepatoma tumor cell apoptosis, with apoptosis indexes of 3.87 %, and 3.80 %, respectively (p < 0.05). Moreover, this effect was accompanied by downregulating the level of Bcl-2 mRNA. In conclusion, both (20S)-ginsenoside Rh2 and (20R)-ginsenoside Rh2 can suppress the growth of H22 hepatomas without causing severe side effects, and this effect is associated with the induction of apoptosis.