Photothermal and natural activity-based synergistic antibacterial effects of Ti3C2Tx MXene-loaded chitosan hydrogel against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has strong resistance to antibiotic therapy. In this regard, developing antibiotic-free antibacterial agents is of great significance to treat MRSA infections. Herein, we loaded Ti3C2Tx MXene nanomaterial in the non-crosslinked chitosan (CS) hydrogel. The obtained MX-CS hydrogel is expected to not only adsorb MRSA cells via CS-MRSA interactions, but also gather the MXene-induced photothermal hyperthermia, achieving the efficient and intensive anti-MRSA photothermal therapy. As a result, under NIR irradiation (808 nm, 1.6 W/cm2, 5 min), MX-CS showed a greater photothermal effect than MXene alone did (30 µg/mL, 49.9 °C for MX-CS and 46.5 °C for MXene). Importantly, MRSA cells were rapidly adsorbed on MX-CS hydrogel (containing 30 µg/mL MXene) and completely inhibited (99.18 %) under NIR irradiation for 5 min. In contrast, MXene (30 µg/mL) and CS hydrogel alone only inhibited 64.52 % and 23.72 % MRSA, respectively, significantly lower than the inhibition caused by MX-CS (P < 0.001). Interestingly, when the hyperthermia was depleted by a 37 °C water bath, the bacterial inhibition rate of MX-CS significantly decreased to 24.65 %. In conclusion, MX-CS hydrogel has a remarkable synergistic anti-MRSA activity by gathering MRSA cells and MXene-induced hyperthermia, and may have great potentials in treating MRSA-infected diseases.

Nanomaterials-mediated photodynamic therapy and its applications in treating oral diseases.

Oral diseases, such as dental caries, periodontitis and oral cancer, have a very high morbidity over the world. Basically, many oral diseases are commonly related to bacterial infections or cell malignant proliferation, and usually located on the superficial positions. These features allow the convenient and efficient application of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for oral diseases, since PDT is ideally suitable for the diseases on superficial sites and has been widely used for antimicrobial and anticancer therapy. Photosensitizers (PSs) are an essential element in PDT, which induce the generation of a large number of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon absorption of specific lights. Almost all the PSs are small molecules and commonly suffered from various problems in the PDT environment, such as low solubility and poor stability. Recently, reports on the nanomedicine-based PDT have been well documented. Various functionalized nanomaterials can serve either as the PSs carriers or the direct PSs, thus enhancing the PDT efficacy. Herein, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the features of different oral diseases and discuss the potential applications of nanomedicine-based PDT in the treatment of some common oral diseases. Also, the concerns and possible solutions for nanomaterials-mediated PDT are discussed.

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizer Increases the Uptake of Soil Heavy Metal Pollutants by Plant Community.

Soil heavy metal pollution is widespread around the world. Compared with hyperaccumulation plants, non-hyperaccumulator plant communities have many advantages in the remediation of heavy metals pollution in soil. The application of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) is inexpensive and convenient, which can promote the growth of plant. N and P fertilizer might increase plant community remediation of heavy metal polluted soils. In our study, the effects of N and P fertilizer on remediation of soil Cd, Cu, Pb pollution by plant community were studied through a greenhouse experiment. Our results indicated that addition of N, P and N + P fertilizer increased plant community aboveground biomass. Simultaneously, addition of N and P fertilizer increased the accumulation of heavy metals in aboveground of the plant community and accelerated plants absorption soil heavy metals. Among them, N fertilizer had the best effect. Our results provide an inexpensive method for remediation heavy metal pollution of contaminated farmland, abandoned land and mine tailings, etc.

Effectiveness and safety of Xinyin tablet in treatment of chronic heart failure: A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Xinyin Tablet (XYT) has been widely used in the treatment of CHF, Which helping to improve the clinical symptoms, enhance exercise, and even may improve the long-term prognosis of patients. However, the exact effectiveness and safety of XYT for CHF has not be comprehensively researched, so we want to generalize the effectiveness and safety of XYT for CHF through the meta-analysis, which may benefit the design of future clinical trials and provide valuable references. METHODS: This protocol complies with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. From the inception until September 2020, a systematic and comprehensive electronic search about Relevant randomized controlled trials will be conducted in 4 English literature databases and 4 Chinese literature databases. The registration number: INPLASY2020100015. 2 investigators will be arranged to deal with the study selection and data extraction independently. The New York Heart Function Classification, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores, the scores of quality of life, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), etc. will be systematically measured as outcomes. At last, the data will be handled by Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 15.0. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: This study is hoping to provide a high-level evidence to prove the therapeutic effect of XYT on CHF, which may enhance the application of Chinese medicine.

Efficacy and safety of high-dose Xueshuantong injection (lyophilised) in reducing the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with unstable angina: a protocol of a randomised, parallel-arm, controlled, double-blind and multicentre clinical trial based on dual antiplatelet therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Unstable angina (UA), referred to as acute coronary syndrome (ACS), causes unexpected chest pain. Xueshuantong injection (lyophilised) (XST) is a traditional Chinese herbal injection having the potential to treat ACS. However, no clinical trial has been performed in this field. This clinical trial aims to examine the efficacy and safety of XST. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a randomised, parallel-arm, controlled, double-blind and multicentre clinical trial. A total of 1200 participants with UA will be enrolled in a 1:1 ratio, with 600 patients included in the XST treatment group and 600 with 1/20th dose in the control group. The efficacy assessment and major adverse cardiovascular events will be observed, and the frequency of angina attack, angina pectoris will be examined at the start and end of the run-in period. All adverse events will be recorded, regardless of the severity, to assess the safety of XST. The baseline characteristics of patients will be summarised and compared using the t test or non-parametric statistical test. Qualitative data will be analysed using the χ2 or Fisher exact tests, Cochran-Mantel-Hasenszel test and Wilcoxon test. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This trial has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, China (approval number: ZYYEC [2017] 0021). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The results of this trial will be disseminated to the public through academic conferences and peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn/) with the ID ChiCTR1800015911.

Breaking down barriers: enabling care-by-parent in neonatal intensive care units in China.

BACKGROUND: Denying parents access to their infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a standard practice in most hospitals across China. Visitation is not usually permitted or may be strictly limited, and NICU care for most neonates is provided by health-care professionals with little participation of the parents. An exception to this rule is the level 2 "Room-In" ward in Qilu Children's Hospital, Shandong University, where parents have 24-hour access to their infants and participate in providing care. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study compared the outcomes of infants who were admitted to the NICU and remained there throughout their stay (NICU-NICU group, n=428), admitted to the NICU and then transferred to the Room-In ward (NICU-RIn group, n=1018), or admitted straight to the Room-In ward (RIn only group, n=629). RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the rates of nosocomial infection, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, intraventricular hemorrhage, and retinopathy of prematurity between the NICU-NICU and NICU-RIn groups. The rate of necrotizing enterocolitis was significantly lower in the NICU-RIn group (P=0.04), while weight gain and duration of hospital stay were significantly higher (both P<0.001). Rates of adverse outcomes were lower in RIn-only infants due to their low severity of illness on admission. CONCLUSIONS: Allowing parents access to their infant in the NICU is feasible and safe in China, and may result in improvements in infant outcomes. Further studies are required to generate stronger evidence that can inform changes to neonatal care in China.

Inhibition of c-Met promoted apoptosis, autophagy and loss of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential in oridonin-induced A549 lung cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE: Herein, inhibition of hepatocyte growth factor receptor, c-Met, significantly increased cytochrome c release and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, indicating that c-Met played an anti-apoptotic role. The following experiments are to elucidate this anti-apoptotic mechanism, then the effect of c-Met on autophagy has also been discussed. METHODS: Investigated was the influence of c-Met on apoptosis, autophagy and loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Δψm), and the relevant proteins were examined. KEY FINDINGS: First, we found that activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p53 was promoted by c-Met interference. Subsequent studies indicated that ERK was the upstream effector of p53, and this ERK-p53 pathway mediated release of cytochrome c and up-regulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Secondly, the inhibition of c-Met augmented oridonin-induced loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Δψm), resulting apoptosis. Finally, the inhibition of c-Met increased oridonin-induced A549 cell autophagy accompanied by Beclin-1 activation and conversion from microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)-I to LC3-II. Activation of ERK-p53 was also detected in autophagy process and could be augmented by inhibition of c-Met. Moreover, suppression of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or small interfering RNA against Beclin-1 or Atg5 decreased oridonin-induced apoptosis. Inhibition of apoptosis by pan-caspase inhibitor (z-VAD-fmk) decreased oridonin-induced autophagy as well and Loss of Δψm also occurred during autophagic process. CONCLUSION: Thus, inhibiting c-Met enhanced oridonin-induced apoptosis, autophagy and loss of Δψm in A549 cells.

[Effect of Buyang Huanwut decoction on apoptosis of splenocytes in rats with sepsis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the change in number of spleen T lymphocyte, B lymphocyte, apoptotic splenocytes and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax protein in rats with sepsis; to study the effect of Buyang Huanwu decoction (BYHWD) on the immune function in rats with sepsis. METHODS: One hundred and eighty healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham operation group (n=30), model group (n=50), BYHWD treatment group (n=50) and BYHWD prevention group (n=50) . Sepsis model was reproduced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The rats of BYHWD treatment group and BYHWD prevention group were given BYHWD (1 g/ml) 15 ml/kg at 30 minutes after surgery, and 3 days before surgery, once a day, respectively. The rats were sacrificed and their spleens were harvested at 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 hours after reproduction of the model. Morphological changes in spleen, the expression of T lymphocyte, B lymphocyte, apoptotic cells, Bcl-2 and Bax were determined in all the groups. RESULTS: By light microscopy, it was found that white pulp became atrophic and splenic nodules destroyed after CLP. The pathology was most obvious in model group, followed by BYHWD treatment group, and least obvious in prevention group. CD4(+) T lymphocyte, CD40 B lymphocyte and Bcl-2 protein expression in model group were obviously reduced compared with those of sham operation group, but the number of apoptotic cells and Bax protein expression were elevated, reaching their nadir or peak 24 hours after the surgery [the optical densities (A value): CD4(+) T lymphocyte: 18.28±4.57 vs. 98.60±18.18; CD40 B lymphocyte: 26.96±6.26 vs. 104.87±30.97; Bcl-2 protein expression: 20.23±11.75 vs. 149.67±5.24; apoptotic cells: 241.75±44.79 vs. 14.67±5.24; Bax protein expression: 128.75±44.79 vs. 5.34±4.26, all P<0.01], then they gradually increase or decrease. CD8(+) T lymphocyte count did not significantly changed . The results showed that BYHWD could markedly elevate the level of CD4(+) T lymphocyte and CD40 B lymphocyte, and lower the protein expression of apoptotic cells and Bax. There were no significant changes in the CD8(+) T lymphocyte and Bcl-2 protein expression. Furthermore, the results in the BYHWD prevention group were better than those in BYHWD treatment group (A value: CD4(+) T lymphocyte: 94.12±15.45 vs. 72.37±8.00; B lymphocyte: 90.46±13.34 vs. 55.66±4.23; apoptotic cells: 27.63±9.91 vs. 40.83±16.09; Bax protein expression: 11.63±5.91 vs. 30.83±16.09, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Ninety-six hours after CLP, the above indexes gradually approached to the level of the sham operation group. Correlation analysis showed that cell apoptosis and Bax were positively correlated (r=0.522, P=0.000), but cell apoptosis and Bcl-2 showed negative correlation (r=-0.659, P=0.000). CONCLUSION: BYHWD improves the immunological suppression in rats with sepsis by lowering apoptosis of CD4(+) T lymphocyte and B lymphocyte in spleen, and its underlying mechanism may be that BYHWD produce a decrease of apoptosis through Bax.

[Identification of gastrodia elata blume by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy].

In this paper, a method of rapid and undamaged identification of wild and cultivated Gastrodia elata Blume, and one of its fakes by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is reported. The results show that Gastrodia elata Blume and its fake have different characteristic infrared spectra, by which Gastrodia elata Blume can be identified from its fake. Wild winter, wild spring, and cultivated Gastrodia elata Blume can be discriminated by FTIR, according to the differences of their spectral peaks and absorbance ratios. By the differences of absorbance ratios of several peaks, different grade of Gastrodia elata Blume may be classified. FTIR has proved to be a rapid, simple and nondestructive method for the identification of Gastrodia elata Blume.