Review of the Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Essential Oils from Artemisia Argyi, Artemisia Princeps, and Artemisia Montana.

BACKGROUND: Artemisia argyi Lévl. et Van., Artemisia princeps Pamp., and Artemisia montana Pamp., which are the sources of mugwort, have been popular across East Asian countries for nearly 2000 years now. Essential oils are the major chemical component obtained from them, exhibiting a variety of biological activities. OBJECTIVE: This review mainly focuses on the chemical composition and biological activities of A. argyi essential oil (AAEO), A. princeps essential oil (APEO), and A. montana essential oil (AMEO), with a special focus on their common and specific characteristics. The traditional use, distribution, and botany of A. argyi, A. princeps, and A. montana have also been summarized. In addition, the pharmacokinetics of AAEO was involved. METHODS: We collected literature from online and offline databases by entering the following keywords: mugwort, wormwood, A. argyi, A. princeps, A. montana, essential oil, and volatile oil. No language limitation was present in our search. RESULTS: A. argyi, A. princeps, and A. montana were used as traditional medicine, food, and health care products for a long time in Asia. They are widely distributed in most parts of China, Korea, and Japan. AAEO, APEO, and AMEO composed of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and their derivatives, alkanes, olefins, etc. Most of the specific compounds of AAEO were monoterpenoids, nearly half of the specific compounds of APEO were aliphatic hydrocarbons, and the sesquiterpenes were the typical specific compounds of AMEO. The mugwort essential oil showed multiple biological activities, such as anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, anticoagulation, sedative, and insecticide. CONCLUSION: The present review provided insight into the chemical composition and biological activity of AAEO, APEO, and AMEO. The comprehensive literature showed that they possessed wide application prospects in various fields. However, they should be studied in more depth. The underlying bioactive mechanisms should be elucidated and their toxicity and quality control should be determined.

Value of Combined Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2/7 Testing in the Assessment of Infected Preterm Labor.

Objective: To analyze the clinical significance of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7), members of the bone morphogenetic protein family, in infectious preterm birth, to provide references for future prevention and management of IPB. Methods: The study participants were 20 pregnant women with IPB admitted to between January 2022 and January 2023 (research group) and 20 concurrent normal pregnancies (control group). Serum BMP2, BMP-7 inflammatory factors were quantified. Differences in BMP2 and BMP-7 were identified. The Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analyzed the evaluation value of BMP2 and BMP-7 on infectious preterm birth and adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women, and Pearson correlation coefficient determined the correlation of the two with inflammatory factors levels. Results: The research group was higher in serum BMP2 and BMP-7 levels than control group (P < .05). The joint detection by BMP2 and BMP-7 had a sensitivity of 80.00% and a specificity of 90.00% in diagnosing infectious preterm birth (P < .05), and its sensitivity and specificity in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes in infectious preterm birth pregnant women were 100.0% and 66.67%, respectively (P < .05). According to Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, there was an obvious positive relationship between BMP-2 and BMP-7 and inflammatory factors in research group (P < .05). Conclusions: BMP-2 and BMP-7 are elevated in IPB and are linked to inflammatory factor levels. Joint detection of BMP2 and BMP-7 shows promising potential for evaluating infectious preterm birth.

Explore the mechanism of ursolic acid acting on atherosclerosis through network pharmacological and bioinformatics methods.

To explore the deep mechanisms of ursolic acid (UA) for treating atherosclerosis based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics. UA target genes were derived from traditional Chinese medicine system pharmacology, BATMAN-TCM, and SwissTargetPrediction databases. Atherosclerosis-related genes were derived from genecards, NCBI genes, and OMIM databases. The protein interaction network was constructed through the STRING database, and the hub network was extracted by using the Cytoscape software MCODE app. The enrichment analysis of gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes was performed by the R software clusterProfiler package, and the expression and prognostic value of the hub genes were verified on the data set. Screen the genes for expression and prognosis conclusions, conduct methylation analysis, and ceRNA construction. UA had 145 targets in the treatment of atherosclerosis. The top 7 gene ontology (biological process, molecular function, and cellular component) and pathways related to atherosclerosis were screened out. It is principally involved in biological processes, including response to lipopolysaccharide and regulation of inflammatory response. The main signaling pathways incorporated the TNF signaling pathway and the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. Androgen receptor (AR) and interleukin-1 beta gene (IL1B) were further screened as core target genes. Methylation analysis demonstrated that the AR methylation level was elevated in the atherosclerotic group. On the contrary, the IL1B methylation level was lower in the atherosclerotic group. The results of the ceRNA analysis indicated that there were 43 targeted miRNAs in AR and 3 miRNAs in IL1B. We speculate that the target genes of UA regulating atherosclerosis are AR and IL1B. The mechanism may be that UA regulates the expression of target genes by regulating the methylation of target genes.

High-quality trials and pharmacological studies needed as translational evidence for the application of traditional Chinese medicine Lianhua Qingwen against COVID-19.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been employed as complementary medication against COVID-19 in China since 2020. Two years since then, TCM, with Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW) as an example, has been included in every version of official clinical protocol guidelines. Recently, LHQW is even distributed to general public at risk but not yet infected. Such common application and widely claimed positive outcome among mild to moderate patients were accompanied by a number of published studies on antiviral, antiinflammatory, and immune modulatory potential using either in vitro or animal models. However, aside from retrospective understanding and open-labeled clinical trials with relatively small subject size, major gap in conclusive proof for efficacy and safety remains due to the lack of double-blind placebo-controlled studies and comprehensive pharmacodynamic and kinetic investigations. This is also supported by a recent WHO expert meeting on this subject, which acknowledged the potential benefits of TCM in mild-moderate cases, while recommended more rigorous studies to further understand effect size, application implications, and outcome determinants. Therefore, there is an urgent need to address the exact role TCM like LHQW could play in COVID-19 management from translational evidence-based perspective. High-quality clinical trials, pharmacological studies, and real-world data from recent outbreak are recommended.

Visualization and Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a professional medical regimen with a wide range of clinical applications in various research fields. In addition to treating diving decompression sickness and air embolism, HBOT is used as an adjuvant in the management of various diseases. A large number of studies have been published to confirm its efficacy. Although HBOT has been clinically applied to the treatment of many diseases, the effectiveness of these treatments remains controversial. Exploring and evaluating HBOT will contribute to the future development of research in this field. Through a quantitative analysis of the literature, this paper explores the citation relevance and collaboration map and their impact on research outcomes. This study used bibliometric and cartographic techniques with VOSviewer to identify the most influential countries and scholars using this treatment, based on syndrome differentiation. It also provides continuous quality evaluation and lean management of the medical expenses associated with HBOT.

Natural Vegetation Encroachment Improves Nutritional Conditions of Bauxite Residue Disposal Area.

The deficiencies of certain nutrients limit plant growth in bauxite residue disposal areas. In this study, residue samples at different depths (0-2 cm, 2-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-40 cm, and 40-60 cm) and stacking ages were collected to analyze the changes of nutritional conditions following natural vegetation encroachment processes. With the encroachment of natural vegetation, the nutrient components improved greatly. The contents of organic carbon, total nitrogen, and available phosphorus increased from 5.6 g/kg to 10.8 g/kg, 0.07 g/kg to 0.73 g/kg, and 6.3 mg/kg to 24.9 mg/kg, respectively. With the increase of natural weathering time, microbial carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus increased significantly. Natural weathering process and vegetation encroachment improved the circulation and accumulation of nutrient substances in bauxite residues.

Elimination of amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) antiscalant in reverse osmosis concentrate using ozone: Anti-precipitation property changes and phosphorus removal.

Amino trimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) was widely used as an antiscalant in reverse osmosis (RO) systems to prevent membrane scaling, and entered RO concentrate at elevated levels. However, phosphonate antiscalants in RO concentrate might aggravate phosphorus pollution, remobilize heavy metals, and adversely affect the sedimentation treatment of RO concentrate. Ozonation was found an efficient method for ATMP treatment. The ATMP removal efficiencies with 8 mg/L ozone were 100% and 86.5% for ultrapure water and RO concentrate, respectively. The ATMP mineralization efficiency reached 46.5% with 8 mg/L ozone. The rate constant for the reaction between ATMP and ozone was 1.92 × 106 M-1 s-1. Increasing the pH from 3 to 9 decreased the ATMP removal efficiency from 90% to 30.9% but increased the orthophosphate formation to ATMP removal ratio from 0.11 to 0.48. The ATMP intermediates generated with low ozone dosages exhibited moderate chelation and anti-precipitation capacity, and their chelation and anti-precipitation capacity could be further attenuated by increasing the ozone dosage. Ozonation alone enhanced the growth potential for microalgae in RO concentrate because orthophosphate formed. Combining ozonation and coagulation effectively removed 83.0% of the total phosphorus from RO concentrate. The maximum algal density of Scenedesmus sp. LX1 decreased by 78.7% by ozonation and coagulation.

[Effect of Wangbuliuxing combined with massage on breastfeeding and lactation function in cesarean section women].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Wangbuliuxing (semen vaccariae) combined with massage at breast and acupoint on breastfeeding and lactation function in cesarean section women. METHODS: A total of 120 cases of cesarean section women were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 60 cases in each group. The control group was treated with routine nursing. On the basis of the control group, the observation group was treated with oral administration of Wangbuliuxing decoction, twice a day for 7 days; in addition, massage at breast and acupoint (Zhongfu [LU 1], Yunmen [LU 2], Danzhong [CV 17], 2 min per acupoint per time) was given, twice a day for 7 days. The onset time of lactation, 48-hour postpartum lactation volume, breast swelling and pain, 42-day postpartum breastfeeding were compared between the two groups; the serum levels of prolactin at 48 and 72 h after delivery were measured, and the body mass of newborns at birth and 42 d after delivery were recorded. RESULTS: The onset time of lactation in the observation group was earlier than that in the control group (P<0.05), the 48-hour postpartum lactation volume was higher than the control group (P<0.05), and the breast swelling pain 48 h after delivery was lighter than the control group (P<0.05). Forty-two days after delivery, the success rate of breastfeeding in the observation group was 91.7% (55/60), which was higher than 76.7% (46/60) in the control group (P<0.05). At 48 and 72 h after delivery, the level of serum prolactin in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). On 42 d after delivery, the body mass of newborns in the two groups was higher than that at birth (P<0.05), and that in the observation group was higher than the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Wangbuliuxing combined with massage at acupoint and breast could significantly shorten the onset time of lactation, improve the lactation volume, effectively improve breast swelling and pain, increase breastfeeding rate and promote the growth and development of newborns.

Immunoregulatory mechanism studies of ginseng leaves on lung cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Panax ginseng is one of the oldest and most generally prescribed herbs in Eastern traditional medicine to treat diseases. Several studies had documented that ginseng leaves have anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties similar to those of ginseng root. The aim of this research was to forecast of the molecular mechanism of ginseng leaves on lung cancer by molecular docking and network pharmacology so as to decipher ginseng leaves' entire mechanism. The compounds associated with ginseng leaves were searched by TCMSP. TCMSP and Swiss Target Prediction databases were used to sort out the potential targets of the main chemical components. Targets were collected from OMIM, PharmGKB, TTD, DrugBank and GeneCards which related to immunity and lung cancer. Ginseng leaves exert its lung cancer suppressive function by regulating the several signaling proteins, such as JUN, STAT3, AKT1, TNF, MAPK1, TP53. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the immunoreaction against lung cancer by ginseng leaves might be related to response to lipopolysaccharide, response to oxidative stress, PI3K-Akt, MAPK and TNF pathway. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that hydrogen bonding was interaction's core forms. The results of CCK8 test and qRT-PCR showed that ginseng leaves inhibit cell proliferation and regulates AKT1 and P53 expression in A549. The present study clarifies the mechanism of Ginseng leaves against lung cancer and provides evidence to support its clinical use.

Evaluation of anticancer effects of Juniperus communis extract on hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer and accounts for the fourth leading cause of all cancer deaths. Scientific evidence has found that plant extracts seem to be a reliable choice due to their multitarget effects against HCC. Juniperus communis has been used for centuries in traditional medicine and its anticancer properties have been reported. As a result, the purpose of the study was to investigate the anticancer effect and mechanism of J. communis extract (JCo extract) on HCC in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we found that JCo extract inhibited the growth of human HCC cells by inducing cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase, extensive apoptosis and suppressing metastatic protein expressions in HCC cells. Moreover, the combinational treatment of JCo and VP-16 was found to enhance the anticancer effect, revealing that JCo extract might have the potential to be utilized as an adjuvant to promote HCC treatment. Furthermore, in vivo study, JCo extract significantly suppressed HCC tumor growth and extended the lifespan with no or low systemic and pathological toxicity. JCo extract significantly up-regulated the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins and tumor suppressor p53, suppressed VEGF/VEGFR autocrine signaling, down-regulated cell cycle regulatory proteins and MMP2/MMP9 proteins. Overall, our results provide a basis for exploiting JCo extract as a potential anticancer agent against HCC.

Beneficial Effects of Astragaloside IV-Treated and 3-Dimensional-Cultured Endothelial Progenitor Cells on Angiogenesis and Wound Healing.

INTRODUCTION: Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is a natural herb extract and a popular compound used in traditional Chinese medicine because of its effect on multiple biological processes, such as promotion of cell proliferation, improvement in cardiopulmonary and vascular function, and promotion of angiogenesis around wounds, leading to accelerated wound healing. Vascular regeneration primarily results from the differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Biomedical acceleration of angiogenesis and differentiation of EPCs around the wound remain challenging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we treated human umbilical cord blood-derived EPCs with AS-IV and cultured them on 2-dimensional (tissue culture polystyrene) and 3-dimensional culture plates (3DPs). These cultured cells were then combined with human blood plasma gel and applied on the skin of nude mice in an attempt to repair full-thickness skin defects. RESULTS: The results show that using 3DP culture could increase vascular-related gene expression in EPCs. Furthermore, 12.5 µg/mL AS-IV-treaded EPCs were combined with plasma gels (P-3DP-EPC12.5) and showed enhanced vascular-related protein expression levels after 3 days of culture. Finally, P-3DP-EPC12.5s were used to repair full-thickness skin defects in nude mice, and we could register a wound healing rate greater than 90% by day 14. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, we concluded that we have developed a potential therapeutic approach for wound healing using plasma gel containing 3-dimensional surface-cultured AS-IV-treated EPCs.

Icaritin Improves Memory and Learning Ability by Decreasing BACE-1 Expression and the Bax/Bcl-2 Ratio in Senescence-Accelerated Mouse Prone 8 (SAMP8) Mice.

Icaritin (ICT) is the main component in the traditional Chinese herb Epimedium, and it has been shown to have anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) effects, but its neuroprotective effects and the pharmacological mechanisms are unclear. In the present study, senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice were randomly divided into a model group and an ICT-treated group. Learning and memory abilities were detected by the Morris water maze assay, and the expression of amyloid beta protein (Aß) and ß-site APP cleavage enzyme 1 (BACE1) was determined by Western blotting and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Histological changes in CA1 and CA3 were detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining (H&E staining), and the immunohistochemical analysis was used to detect the expression and localization of Bax and Bcl-2. The results showed that compared with the SAMP8 mice, the ICT-treated SAMP8 mice showed improvements in spatial learning and memory retention. In addition, the number of necrotic cells and the morphological changes in CA1 and CA3 areas were significantly alleviated in the group of ICT-treated SAMP8 mice, and the expression of BACE1, Aß 1-42 levels, and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in the hippocampus was obviously decreased in the ICT-treated group compared with the control group. The results demonstrated that ICT reduced BACE-1 levels, the contents of Aß 1-42, and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, suggesting that ICT might have potential therapeutic benefits by delaying or modifying the progression of AD.

Metal-catechol-(amine) networks for surface synergistic catalytic modification: Therapeutic gas generation and biomolecule grafting.

Regarding the high requirement of cardiac and vascular implants in tissue engineering, a novel concept of surface chemistry strategy featuring multiple functions is proposed in this study, which provides glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-like catalytic activity and allows secondary reactions for grafting functional biomolecules. The suggested strategy is the fabrication of a metal-catechol-(amine) network (MCAN) containing copper ions with GPx-like activity, amine-bearing hexamethylenediamine (HD) and wet adhesive catechol dopamine (DA). With a simple one-step molecular/ion co-assembly, the developed copper-DA-HD (CuII-DA/HD) network can be used to catalyze the generation of therapeutic nitric oxide (NO) gas in a durable and dose-controllable manner. The primary amine groups in the CuII-DA/HD network facilitate the secondary immobilization of bivalirudin (BVLD) to further provide an antithrombotic activity as supplement to the functions of NO. The CuII-DA/HD + BVLD coating functionalized on cardiovascular stents successfully improved thromboresistance, anti-restenosis, and promotes re-endothelialization in vivo. With regard to the ease of operation and low cost, the synergetic modification using MCAN strategy is of great potential for developing multifunctional blood-contacting materials/devices.

Mussel-inspired "built-up" surface chemistry for combining nitric oxide catalytic and vascular cell selective properties.

Specific selectivity of vascular cells and antithrombogenicity are crucial factors for the long-term success of vascular implants. In this work, a novel concept of mussel-inspired "built-up" surface chemistry realized by sequential stacking of a copper-dopamine network basement, followed by a polydopamine layer is introduced to facilitate the combination of nitric oxide (NO) catalysis and vascular cell selectivity. The resultant "built-up" film allowed easy manipulation of the content of copper ions and the density of catechol/quinone groups, facilitating the multifunctional surface engineering of vascular devices. For example, the chelated copper ions in the copper-dopamine network endow a functionalized vascular stent with a durable release of NO via catalytic decomposition of endogenous S-nitrosothiol. Meanwhile, the catechol/quinone groups on the film surface allow the facile, secondary grafting of the REDV peptide to develop a selectivity for vascular cells, as a supplement to the functions of NO. As a result, the functionalized vascular stent perfectly combines the functions of NO and REDV, showing excellent antithrombotic properties and competitive selectivity toward the endothelial cells over the smooth muscle cells, hence impressively promotes re-endothelialization and improves anti-restenosis in vivo. Therefore, the first mussel-inspired "built-up" surface chemistry can be a promising candidate for the engineering of multifunctional surfaces.

Therapeutic effects and modulatory mechanism of Alpiniae oxyphyllae Fructus in chronic intermittent hypoxia induced enuresis in rats.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the effect of Alpiniae oxyphyllae Fructus (AOF) on a rat model of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH)-induced enuresis. Findings of this study may help identify therapeutic targets in children with nocturnal enuresis (NE). METHODS: Female rats were randomly divided into a control group (saline gavage, 4 weeks of normal air), CIH group (saline gavage, 4 weeks of CIH), and AOF group (AOF gavage, 4 weeks of CIH). The variables measured in this study included water intake, urine output, bladder leak point pressure (BLPP), malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The expression levels of the purinergic P2X3 receptor, muscarinic M3 receptor, and ß3-adrenergic receptor (ß3-AR) in the bladder were also measured. The bladder was subjected to haematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Weigert staining, and histological changes were observed under a light microscope to evaluate the morphological changes in the bladder in each group. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, urine output was increased, and the BLPP was decreased in the CIH group, but AOF administration decreased urine output and increased BLPP. In addition, the serum MDA level increased and the SOD activity decreased in the CIH group compared with the control group. Administration of AOF decreased the MDA level and increased the SOD activity. Additionally, compared with the control group, HE and Weigert staining in the CIH group showed that the bladder detrusor muscle bundles were disordered and loose, some muscle bundles were broken, the content of collagen fibres in the gap was reduced, and the gap was significantly widened. However, following the administration of AOF, the bladder detrusor muscle bundles were neatly arranged, and the content of collagen fibres in the gap was increased. Furthermore, compared with the control group, the purinergic P2X3 receptor and muscarinic M3 receptor were expressed at higher levels, and ß3-AR was expressed at lower levels in the CIH group, but AOF administration decreased the expression of the purinergic P2X3 receptor and muscarinic M3 receptor and increased the expression of the ß3-AR. CONCLUSIONS: AOF improves enuresis by inhibiting oxidative stress and regulating the expression of the purinergic P2X3 receptor, muscarinic M3 receptor, and ß3 adrenergic receptor.

Biomimetic engineering endothelium-like coating on cardiovascular stent through heparin and nitric oxide-generating compound synergistic modification strategy.

Co-immobilization of two or more molecules with different and complementary functions to prevent thrombosis, suppress smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation, and support endothelial cell (EC) growth is generally considered to be promising for the re-endothelialization on cardiovascular stents. However, integration of molecules with distinct therapeutic effects does not necessarily result in synergistic physiological functions due to the lack of interactions among them, limiting their practical efficacy. Herein, we apply heparin and nitric oxide (NO), two key molecules of the physiological functions of endothelium, to develop an endothelium-mimetic coating. Such coating is achieved by sequential conjugation of heparin and the NO-generating compound selenocystamine (SeCA) on an amine-bearing film of plasma polymerized allylamine. The resulting surface combines the anti-coagulant (anti-FXa) function provided by the heparin and the anti-platelet activity of the catalytically produced NO. It also endows the stents with the ability to simultaneously up-regulate α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression and to increase cyclic guanylate monophosphate (cGMP) synthesis of SMC, thereby significantly promoting their contractile phenotype and suppressing their proliferation. Importantly, this endothelium-biomimetic coating creates a favorable microenvironment for EC over SMC. These features impressively improve the antithrombogenicity, re-endothelialization and anti-restenosis of vascular stents in vivo.

UV/chlorine oxidation of the phosphonate antiscalant 1-Hydroxyethane-1, 1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) used for reverse osmosis processes: Organic phosphorus removal and scale inhibition properties changes.

Reverse osmosis (RO) technology plays an increasingly important role in municipal wastewater reclamation. However, the antiscalants used in RO systems showed adverse effects to the ecosystem: impending the removal of hardness from RO concentrates; inducing phosphorus pollution in receiving water; enhancing the trace metal migration in the environment. In this study, UV/chlorine advanced oxidation process was used to oxidize a typical phosphoric antiscalant (1-Hydroxyethane-1, 1-diphosphonic Acid, HEDP). UV/chlorine showed significant synergetic effects on HEDP degradation compared to UV irradiation or chlorination alone. Compared to UV/H2O2 oxidation, UV/chlorine process is more efficient for HEDP transformation with chlorine dosages ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 mmoL/L. Chorine dosage showed dual effects on HEDP oxidation by UV/chlorine: the increasing trend of transformation efficiency of HEDP got slower with increasing chlorine dosage. The transformation efficiency of HEDP by UV/chlorine oxidation decreased from 39% to 14% with pH increasing from 4.5 to 9.0, likely due to the higher quantum yields and lower radical quenching rates of HOCl than those of OCl-. The transformation efficiency of HEDP decreased 14% and 42% with 30 mM of chloride and bicarbonate, respectively. The presence of nitrate promoted the oxidation of HEDP by UV/chlorine: the transformation efficiency increased 5% and 83% with the presence of 5 mM and 30 mM nitrate, respectively. Based on the static scale inhibition tests, UV/chlorine oxidation is effective at removing the scale inhibition ability of HEDP. During UV/chlorine process, the maximum scale inhibition ratio decreased from 66% to 34% as the removal of phosphonate ligand from HEDP increased to 80%.

Magnesium ion leachables induce a conversion of contractile vascular smooth muscle cells to an inflammatory phenotype.

Phenotype switching is a characteristic response of vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) to the dynamic microenvironment and contributes to all stages of atherosclerotic plaque. Here, we immersed pure magnesium and AZ31 alloy in the completed medium under cell culture condition, applied the resultant leaching extracts to the isolated contractile rat aortic vSMCs and investigated how vSMCs phenotypically responded to the degradation of the magnesium-based stent materials. vSMCs became more proliferative and migratory but underwent more apoptosis when exposed to the degradation products of pure magnesium; while the AZ31 extracts caused less cell division but more apoptosis, thus slowing cell moving and growing. Noticeably, both leaching extracts dramatically downregulated the contractile phenotypic genes at mRNA and protein levels while significantly induced the inflammatory adhesive molecules and cytokines. Exogenously added Mg ions excited similar transformations of vSMCs. With the liberation or supplementation of Mg2+ , the expression patterns of the pro-contractile transactivator myocardin and the pro-inflammatory transcriptional factor kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) were reversed. Overall, the degradation of the Mg-based materials would evoke a shift of the contractile vSMCs to an inflammatory phenotype via releasing Mg ions to induce a transition from the phenotypic control of vSMCs by the myocardin to that by the KLF4. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 988-1001, 2019.

2-Phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTCA) degradation by ozonation: Kinetics, phosphorus transformation, anti-precipitation property changes and phosphorus removal.

2-Phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTCA) is an antiscalant that is widely used in reverse osmosis (RO) systems. Because of its high concentration in RO concentrate, eutrophication risk and anti-precipitation properties may affect subsequent treatments, therefore treatment strategies are needed to eliminate such substances. In this study, PBTCA was degraded by ozonation. The results show that PBTCA reacted with ozone molecules and hydroxyl radicals, with second-order rate constants of (0.12 ±â€¯0.002) and (7.83 ±â€¯1.51) × 108 L mol-1 s-1, respectively. The phosphorus in PBTCA (PP) was transformed into organic phosphorus except for PBTCA (PO), and inorganic phosphorus (PI); PO was further transformed into PI. The changes in the concentrations of these phosphorus forms were investigated by model simulation. Simulation showed that the rate of PP transformation into PO was 5.5 times higher than that into PI. PBTCA was ozonated much faster at alkaline pH than at acidic pH. This is ascribed to different amounts of ozone molecules and hydroxyl radicals, and their different reaction rates with PBTCA. Furthermore, anti-precipitation property was reduced during ozonation, as shown by the amounts and morphology changes of the precipitates. PBTCA concentration for 50% anti-precipitation (AP50) did not change during ozonation, indicating that the transformation products generated during ozonation did not have anti-precipitation effects. Phosphorus in PBTCA was removed by ozonation-coagulation treatment. Total phosphorus and inorganic phosphorus were removed efficiently by using ferric chloride as a coagulant. The coagulants tended to bind with inorganic phosphorus to form flocs. Meanwhile, flocs were more easily to aggregate and precipitate as anti-precipitation effect was gradually removed, thus more phosphorus was removed. A combination of ozonation and coagulation removed PBTCA effectively and simultaneously reduced its anti-precipitation property and phosphorus.

Modulation the crosstalk between tumor-associated macrophages and non-small cell lung cancer to inhibit tumor migration and invasion by ginsenoside Rh2.

BACKGROUND: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a critical role in modulating the tumor microenvironment and promote tumor metastases. Our studies have demonstrated that ginsenoside Rh2 (G-Rh2), a monomeric compound extracted from ginseng, is a promising anti-tumor agent in lung cancer cells. However, it remains unclear whetherG-Rh2 can modulate the differentiation of TAMs and its interaction with tumor microenvironment. In this study, we investigated how G-Rh2 regulates the phenotype of macrophages and affects the migration of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. METHODS: Murine macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells and human THP-1 monocyte were differentiated into M1 and M2 subsets of macrophages with different cytokines combination, which were further identified by flow cytometry with specific biomarkers. M2 macrophages were sorted out to co-culture with NSCLC cell lines, A549 and H1299. Wound healing assay was performed to examine the cell migration. Expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2, - 9) and vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) were measured by RT-qPCR and western blot, and the release of VEGF in the supernatant was measured by a VEGF ELISA kit. Finally, modulation of TAMs phenotype and VEGF expression by G-Rh2 was examined in vivo. RESULTS: We demonstrated that M2 subset of macrophages alternatively differentiated from RAW264.7 or THP-1cells promote migration of NSCLC cells. Further examinations revealed that NSCLC significantly increased the release of VEGF to the media and elevated the expression levels of VEGF at mRNA and protein levels after being co-cultured with M2 macrophages. Similar alterations in MMP-2 and MMP-9 were observed in NSCLC after being co-cultured. Of note,G-Rh2 had a potential to effectively convert M2 phenotype to M1 subset of macrophages. Importantly, G-Rh2 had a preference to decrease the expression levels of VEGF, MMP2, and MMP9 in co-cultured lung cancer cells, over than those in lung cancer cells without co-culturing. Consistently, G-Rh2 reduced M2 macrophage marker CD206 and VEGF expression levels in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: All of these results suggested that M2 subset macrophages drive lung cancer cells with more aggressive phenotypes. G-Rh2 has a potential to convert TAMs from M2 subset to M1 in the microenvironment and prevents lung cancer cell migration, suggesting the therapeutic effects of G-Rh2onlung cancer.