Sleep deprivation boosts O2·- levels in the brains of mice as visualized by a Golgi apparatus-targeted ratiometric fluorescence nanosensor.

Sleep deprivation (SD) is highly prevalent in the modern technological world. Emerging evidence shows that sleep deprivation is associated with oxidative stress. At the organelle level, the Golgi apparatus actively participates in the stress response. In this study, to determine whether SD and Golgi apparatus stress are correlated, we rationally designed and fabricated a novel Golgi apparatus-targeted ratiometric nanoprobe called Golgi dots for O2·- detection. This probe exhibits high sensitivity and selectivity in cells and brain slices of sleep-deprived mice. Golgi dots can be readily synthesized by coprecipitation of Golgi-F127, an amphiphilic polymer F127 modified with a Golgi apparatus targeting moiety, caffeic acid (CA), the responsive unit for O2·-, and red emissive carbon nanodots (CDs), which act as the reference signal. The fluorescence emission spectrum of the developed nanoprobe showed an intense peak at 674 nm, accompanied by a shoulder peak at 485 nm. As O2·- was gradually added, the fluorescence at 485 nm continuously increased; in contrast, the emission intensity at 674 nm assigned to the CDs remained constant, resulting in the ratiometric sensing of O2·-. The present ratiometric nanoprobe showed high selectivity for O2·- monitoring due to the specific recognition of O2·- by CA. Moreover, the Golgi dots exhibited good linearity with respect to the O2·- concentration within 5 to 40 µM, and the limit of detection (LOD) was ~ 0.13 µM. Additionally, the Golgi dots showed low cytotoxicity and an ability to target the Golgi apparatus. Inspired by these excellent properties, we then applied the Golgi dots to successfully monitor exogenous and endogenous O2·- levels within the Golgi apparatus. Importantly, with the help of Golgi dots, we determined that SD substantially elevated O2·- levels in the brain.

Increased cardiac distribution of mono-PEGylated Radix Ophiopogonis polysaccharide in both myocardial infarction and ischemia/reperfusion rats.

Although PEGylation plays an important role in drug delivery, knowledge about the distribution behavior of PEGylated drugs in ischemic myocardia is rather limited compared to nanoparticles. This work therefore aims to characterize the targeting behavior of the anti-myocardial ischemic mono-PEGylated conjugates of Radix Ophiopogonis polysaccharide (ROP) in two clinically relevant animal models, ie, the myocardial infarction (MI) model and the ischemia/reperfusion (IR) model. To determine the effect of the molecular size of conjugates, two representative conjugates (20- and 40-kDa polyethylene glycol mono-modified ROPs), with hydrodynamic size being approximately and somewhat beyond 10 nm, respectively, were studied in parallel at three time points postdose after a method for determining them quantitatively in biosamples was established. The results showed that the cardiac distribution of the two conjugates was significantly enhanced in both MI and IR rats due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect induced by ischemia. In general, the cardiac targeting efficacy of the conjugates in MI and IR rats was approximately 2; however, different changing in targeting efficacy with time was observed between MI and IR rats and also between the conjugates. Although the enhanced permeability and retention effect-based targeting efficacy for mono-PEGylated ROPs was not high, they, as dissolved macromolecules, are prone to diffusion in the cardiac interstitium space, and thus, facilitate the drug to reach perfusion-deficient and nonperfused areas. These findings are helpful in choosing the cardiac targeting strategy.

The effects of tai chi on the renal and cardiac functions of patients with chronic kidney and cardiovascular diseases.

[Purpose] To assess the effects of Tai Chi on the renal and cardiac functions of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-one patients with CKD and CVD were randomly divided into control and exercise groups. The exercise group performed Tai Chi training for 30 minutes three to five times a week for 12 weeks, while the control group did not. All patients' renal and cardiac functions and blood lipid parameters were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. [Results] The 12 weeks Tai Chi intervention improved the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and the high density lipoprotein (HDL) level, and decreased the serum creatintine (Scr) level, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and the total cholesterol (CH), triglyceride (TG) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. The change in eGFR correlated negatively with the changes in CH, TG and LDL, and positively with the change in HDL. In addition, the change in SBP correlated positively with the changes in CH, TG and LDL, and negatively with the change in HDL. [Conclusion] Tai Chi training might improve the renal and cardiac functions of CKD and CVD patients via improved regulation of lipid metabolism.

[Preparation and pharmacokinetic evaluation of long-acting injectable oily suspensions for ophiopogonis radix polysaccharide MDG-1].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in vivo pharmacokinetics of Ophiopogonis Radix polysaccharide MDG-1 oily suspension injection prepared with different prescriptions in rats, and explore the feasibility of the long-acting drug delivery of MDG-1 Injection by using the oily suspension drug release system. METHOD: MDG-1 microparticles were prepared by the anti-solvent precipitation method. Their size and size distribution were characterized. Castor oil with a high viscosity or aluminum stearate were added into soybean oil with a low viscosity, in order to prepare oily media with different viscosities, detect their rheological properties and screen out superior prescriptions for in vivo evaluation. RESULT: The average size of microparticles was 21.81 microm, and the span between them was 2.63. The in vivo evaluation was conducted for prescriptions of mixed oil (soybean oil/castor oil, 2: 3) and soybean oils gelled by 2% and 4% aluminium stearate. Among them, the prescription of soybean gelled by 4% aluminium stearate could significantly reduce C(max) and prolong the apparent t1/2, with the MDG-1 release time of several days. CONCLUSION: It is feasible to achieve the long-acting MDG-1 drug delivery by using oily media with a high viscosity.