Acoustic hologram-induced virtual in vivo enhanced waveguide (AH-VIEW).

Optical imaging and phototherapy in deep tissues face notable challenges due to light scattering. We use encoded acoustic holograms to generate three-dimensional acoustic fields within the target medium, enabling instantaneous and robust modulation of the volumetric refractive index, thereby noninvasively controlling the trajectory of light. Through this approach, we achieved a remarkable 24.3% increase in tissue heating rate in vitro photothermal effect tests on porcine skin. In vivo photoacoustic imaging of mouse brain vasculature exhibits an improved signal-to-noise ratio through the intact scalp and skull. These findings demonstrate that our strategy can effectively suppress light scattering in complex biological tissues by inducing low-angle scattering, achieving an effective depth reaching the millimeter scale. The versatility of this strategy extends its potential applications to neuroscience, lithography, and additive manufacturing.

Active ingredients screening and pharmacological mechanism research of curcumae rhizoma-sparganii rhizoma herb pair ameliorates liver fibrosis based on network pharmacology.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Curcumae Rhizoma-Sparganii Rhizoma (CR-SR) is a classic herbal pair to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis in ancient China. However, the molecular mechanism is still unclear. AIM OF STUDY: To screen out the anti-liver fibrosis active ingredients in CR-SR. Moreover, preliminary exploration the molecular mechanism of CR-SR to ameliorates liver fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this research, plant taxonomy has been confirmed in the "The Plant List" database (www.theplantlist.org). The chemical components of CR-SR were analysed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS). "Component-Target-Pathway-Disease" network of CR-SR components were built by network pharmacology. Then, the interaction between primary components and predicted protein targets based on network pharmacology were validated by molecular docking. The pharmacological actions of CR-SR were verified by blood biochemical indexes, histopathologic examination of CCL4 induced rats' model. The core protein targets were verified by Western blot. The effects of screened active components by molecular autodocking were verified by HSC-T6 cell experiment. RESULTS: The result shows that 57 chemical constituents in CR-SR herbal pair were identified by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS, in which, 27 compounds were closely connected with liver fibrosis related protein targets. 55 protein targets screened out by "component-target-pathway-disease network" maybe the underlying targets for CR-SR to cure liver fibrosis. Moreover, the 55 protein targets are mainly related to RNA transcription, apoptosis, and signal transduction. The molecular autodocking predicted that ten components can bond well with PTGS2 and RELA protein targets. The blood biochemical indexes, histopathologic examination of CCL4 induced rats experiment showed that CR-SR has well intervention effect of liver fibrosis. The Western blot analysis indicated that CR-SR could significantly inhibit RELA, PTGS2, IL-6, SRC, and AKT1 protein expression to exert the anti-fibrosis effect. The HSC-T6 cell experiment indicated that both formononetin (FNT) and curdione could significantly inhibit the activation of HSC and reduce the expression of PTGS2, and p-AKT1 which was accordance with the molecular autodocking results. CONCLUSION: This study proved the molecular mechanism of CR-SR multi-component and multi-target anti-liver fibrosis effect through mass spectrometry, network pharmacology, and western blotting technology. The research provides a theoretical evidence for the development and utilization of CR-SR herbal pair.

Brusatol suppresses the growth of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by PI3K/Akt pathway.

BACKGROUND: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a malignancy with a hidden onset, high metastasis recurrence rate, and poor prognosis. Research on effective drugs for ICC is important for improving the prognosis of patients in the clinic. Brusatol is a quassinoid extracted from the seeds of Brucea sumatrana and has been shown to have the potential to inhibit tumor metastasis and proliferation. There has been no scientific research on the therapeutic effect of brusatol on ICC. Our study offers a novel strategy for the therapy of ICC. PURPOSE: Explore effects of brusatol treatment on ICC and clarify the possible mechanism. STUDY DESIGN: Various cell functional experiments and basic experimental techniques were applied to ICC cell lines to explore the influences of brusatol on ICC cells; this conclusion was further verified in animal models. METHODS: The anti-cancer effects of the drug on the cell, protein, and RNA level were verified by cell functional experiments, WB blotting and transcriptome sequencing experiments, respectively. Finally, the experimental results were verified using subcutaneous tumor experiments in nude mice. RESULTS: The consequences exhibited that the levels of epithelial markers of ICC cells increased after brusatol treatment, and the levels of interstitial indicators decreased, suppressing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Brusatol inhibited proliferation, induced apoptosis, and suppressed the migration and invasion abilities of Hucc-T1 and RBE oncocytes via activating PI3K/Akt pathway. It also suppressed the growth of Hucc-T1 xenografts in nude mice. CONCLUSION: Brusatol inhibits the proliferation and EMT process in ICC oncocytes by the PI3K/Akt pathway and promotes apoptosis in oncocytes.

Dual-Wavelength Photoacoustic Computed Tomography with Piezoelectric Ring-Array Transducer for Imaging of Indocyanine Green Liposomes Aggregation in Tumors.

Recently, indocyanine green (ICG), as an FDA-approved dye, has been widely used for phototherapy. It is essential to obtain information on the migration and aggregation of ICG in deep tissues. However, existing fluorescence imaging platforms are not able to obtain the structural information of the tissues. Here, we prepared ICG liposomes (ICG-Lips) and built a dual-wavelength photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) system with piezoelectric ring-array transducer to image the aggregation of ICG-Lips in tumors to guide phototherapy. Visible 780 nm light excited the photoacoustic (PA) effects of the ICG-Lips and near-infrared 1064 nm light provided the imaging of the surrounding tissues. The aggregation of ICG-Lips within the tumor and the surrounding tissues was visualized by PACT in real time. This work indicates that PACT with piezoelectric ring-array transducer has great potential in the real-time monitoring of in vivo drug distribution.

Structural characterization of a pure polysaccharide from Bletilla striata tubers and its protective effect against H2O2-induced injury fibroblast cells.

The present study investigated the structural characteristics and its protective effect against H2O2-induced injury fibroblast cells of Bletilla striata tuber polysaccharide. The polysaccharides were gently extracted by water and recovered using the method of alcohol precipitation, and after further purification by DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow gel column, a pure polysaccharide (pBSP) was finally obtained. The structural characterization of pBSP were investigated by using periodate oxidation studies, Smith-degradation, FT-IR spectroscopy, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The antioxidant effect of pBSP was evaluated by inhibiting the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human fibroblast model cells induced by H2O2. It was firstly reported that pBSP was composed of d-glucose and D-mannose in a molar ratio of 1.00:1.34 with a molecular weight of 327.6 kDa. The repeating units of pBSP contained (1 â†’ 4)-linked-ß-D-Manp, (1 â†’ 4)-linked-α-D-Glcp and (1 â†’ 3)-linked-ß-D-Manp, and there was no branched chain. pBSP exhibited no toxic effect on fibroblasts cells and could protect them against H2O2-induced injuries. After pretreatment with pBSP for 24 h, the content of ROS in fibroblasts decreased significantly. These results not only confirm the availability B. striata, but also indicate that pBSP have potential antioxidant capacity. Our observations can provide foundation for further development of pBSP-based cosmetics.

The effects of myofascial release technique for patients with low back pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this meta-analytic review was to quantitatively examine the effects of myofascial release technique (MFR) on pain intensity, back disability, lumbar range of motion, and quality of life in patients with low back pain (LBP). METHODS: Potential articles were retrieved using five electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang). The search period was from inception to January 27, 2021. Two researchers independently completed record retrieval and selection, data extraction, and methodological quality assessment. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of MFR on pain intensity, back disability, lumbar range of motion, and quality of life in LBP patients were included. Pooled effect sizes were calculated using random effects models and 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI). RESULTS: Data from eight RCTs (386 patients with back pain) meeting the inclusion criteria were extracted for meta-analysis with methodological quality assessment scores ranging from 6 to 10. Compared to the control intervention, MFR induced significant decrease in back disability (SMD = -0.35, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = -0.68, -0.02, P = 0.04, I² = 46 %, n = 284). MFR induced non-significant decrease in the pain intensity (SMD = -0.12, 95 % confidence interval[CI] = -0.35, 0.11, P = 0.32, I² = 0%, n = 294), non-significant improvement in quality of life (SMD = -0.09, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = -0.46, 0.28, P = 0.62, I² = 0%, n = 114), and non-significant improvement in lumbar range of motion (Flexion SMD = 0.57,95 % confidence interval [CI] = -0.09, 1.24, P = 0.09, I² = 54 %, n = 80) (Extension SMD = 0.68, 95 % confidence interval[CI] = -0.72, 2.08, P = 0.34, I² = 89 %, n = 80) (Right flexion SMD = 0.05, 95 % confidence interval[CI] = -0.90, 0.99, P = 0.92, I² = 78 %, n = 80) (Left flexion SMD = 0.14, 95 % confidence interval[CI] = -0.59, 0.88, P = 0.70, I² = 64 %, n = 80). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that MFR can improve the effect of physical therapy alone and exercise therapy alone, and that MFR can be an effective adjuvant therapy. Meta-analysis showed that MFR has a significant effect on reducing back disability in patients with low back pain, but no significant effect on reducing pain intensity, improving quality of life, and improving lumbar range of motion.

Distinct Changes of Metabolic Profile and Sensory Quality during Qingzhuan Tea Processing Revealed by LC-MS-Based Metabolomics.

Qingzhuan tea (QZT) is a unique type of dark tea exclusively produced in Hubei Province of China. In the current study, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) coupled with multivariate analysis was applied to characterize the chemical composition of QZT and investigate the effect of QZT processing on its metabolic profile and sensory quality. The contents of polyphenols and flavonoids decreased significantly while the polysaccharides content remained stable, while the theabrownin content inversely increased during QZT processing. LC-MS-based metabolomics analyses revealed that the tea sample after microbial fermentation (MFT) was dramatically different from the sample before microbial fermentation (UFT), while MFT was very similar to QZT. A total of 102 compounds were identified as critical metabolites responsible for metabolic changes caused by QZT processing, with the contents of catechins and flavonoids significantly decreased, and some novel phenolic acids and catechin derivatives were formed. The sensory quality of QZT was mainly formed during microbial fermentation, which greatly reduced the astringency and bitterness of raw tea leaves and produced its characteristic woody and stale aroma as well as mellow taste. These results suggested that microbial fermentation is the critical process in changing the metabolic profile of raw tea leaves and forming the sensory quality of QZT.

Effects of extraction methods on physicochemical properties and hypoglycemic activities of polysaccharides from coarse green tea.

Coarse tea is made of mature tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) shoots and is generally discarded as a worthless crop product, but has been proved an excellent material for the treatment of diabetes. This study aims to evaluate the effects of the extraction techniques WE (water extraction), UAE (ultrasound-assisted extraction), MAE (microwave-assisted extraction), and EE (enzyme extraction) on the physicochemical properties and antidiabetic activities of polysaccharides from coarse tea (CTPSs). The results showed that all four CTPSs had homogeneity in the monosaccharide types and similar IR (Infrared spectroscopy) characteristic absorption peaks, but differed in monosaccharide proportion and molecular weight distribution. Compared with the other three extraction techniques, CCTPS extracted by EE had the lowest protein content, the highest total sugar content of 71.83% and a polysaccharide yield of 4.52%. In addition, EE-CTPS had the best hypoglycemic activity that was better than ordinary green tea polysaccharides, the α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities of EE-CTPS were highest in the range of 2-10 mg/mL compared with the other three CTPSs, which may be related to its smaller molecular weight and porous structure. The results suggested that the EE method was a good way to extract polysaccharides from coarse tea for food and pharmaceutical production.

Comparative analysis of existence form for selenium and structural characteristics in artificial selenium-enriched and synthetic selenized green tea polysaccharides.

In recent years, selenium-enriched polysaccharides (Se-PS) have been paid more and more attention, and the activity of many Se-PSs has been studied but little on their structure. This study aimed to investigate the activity, structural characterization and present forms of selenium in two different artificial selenium-enriched tea polysaccharides (Se-TPS). The physicochemical analysis showed that both CSe-tps1 and ASe-tps1 were acidic heteropolysaccharides with different monosaccharide composition, molar ratio, and selenium content. Structural investigations including FT-IR, Raman spectra and 1D, 2D NMR analysis revealed that selenium in CSe-tps1 replaced the hydroxyl group at the C-6 position in the polysaccharide with the form of selenyl ester, while most of the selenium in ASe-tps1 replaced the hydroxyl group at the C-1 and C-6 position in the form of the SeH bond on the branch of the polysaccharide. Besides, a series of studies on the structural characteristics of the Congo red test, I2-KI reaction, FESEM, DSC, and XRD analysis showed that the two artificial Se-TPSs had a triple helix structure and more branches. However, there were significant differences in crystal morphology, apparent morphology, heat release ability, and the α-glucosidase inhibition activity. These results indicated that the difference in artificial selenization methods not only made the polysaccharide exhibit different structural characteristics and the hypoglycemic activity, but also had a significant effect on the form of selenium in polysaccharides.

Organoids of liver diseases: From bench to bedside.

Understanding the occurrence, development, and treatment of liver diseases is the main goal of hepatopathology research. Liver diseases are not only diverse but also highly heterogeneous among individuals. At present, research on liver diseases is conducted mainly through cell culture, animal models, pathological specimens, etc. However, these methods cannot fully reveal the pathogenic mechanism and therapeutic characteristics of individualized liver diseases. Recent advances in three-dimensional cell culture technology (organoid culture techniques) include pluripotent stem cells and adult stem cells that are cultured in vitro to form self-organizing properties, making it possible to achieve individualized liver disease research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the development of liver organoids, the existing and potential applications of liver regenerative medicine, the pathogenesis of liver disease heterogeneity, and drug screening.

Comparison and structural characterization of polysaccharides from natural and artificial Se-enriched green tea.

Se-enriched green tea has been widely used as a functional food and disease prevention. In this study, two kinds of homogeneous polysaccharides namely ASe-TPS2 and NSe-TPS2 were obtained from artificial and natural Se-enriched teas with the molecular weights of 6.73 × 103 Da and 2.44 × 105 Da. The structures of ASe-TPS2 and NSe-TPS2 were characterized by monosaccharide composition analysis, partial acid hydrolysis, methylation, FT-IR spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, SEM and TGA analysis. It showed that ASe-TPS2 and NSe-TPS2 were acidic polysaccharides containing high amount of uronic acid. The structure of the ASe-TPS2 was mainly composed of ß­D­(1 → 3)­Glcp, α­D­(1 → 4)­GalpA, (1 → 4)­Glcp, α­L­(1 → 2)­Rhap and α­D­(1 → 4)­GalpA, and the non-reducing ends were mainly composed of Araf and Xylp. However, the NSe-TPS2 was mainly composed of ß­D-(1 → 4)­Glcp and α­D­(1 → 4)-GalpA, and the branches were mainly composed of ß­L­(1 → 2)­Araf, α­D­(1 → 3)­Galp and ß­L­(1 → 2)­Rhap whereas the non-reducing ends were mainly composed of Glcp and Galp residues. These results suggested that the distinction of selenylation methods could present different polysaccharide chain structures.