Mechanism of astragalus injection to relieve symptoms of preeclampsia rat model by inhibiting MMP-9/sFlt-1/TNF-α.

Objective: The aim of this study was to observe the effect of astragalus injection on rats with preeclampsia. Methods: A total of 30 pregnant Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to the model group (MG), the astragalus group (AG) or the control group (CG), with 10 rats in each group. The rat model of preeclampsia was established by subcutaneous injection of 50 mg/(kg∙d) of N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), and 0.024 ml/(g∙d) astragalus injection was administered intraperitoneally. The arterial pressure, urinary protein, placental mass, fetal weight, inflammatory factors in peripheral blood of pregnant rats, protein and mRNA levels of nuclear factor- κB (NF-κB), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), nuclear transcription factor 5 (NFAT-5), placental growth factor (PlGF), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in placental tissues were compared in the 3 groups. Results: After treatment, the arterial pressure and urinary protein levels in pregnant rats in the MG group were significantly higher than in the CG and AG groups (P < .05). The placental mass in the MG group was lower than in the CG and AG groups (P < .05). The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels of sFlt-1, NFAT-5 and NF-κB, as well as ROS activity, MDA, inerleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interferon gamma (INF-γ) in the AG group were significantly lower than in the MG group, and mRNA and protein expression of MMP-9 and PlGF, as well as the NO level in the AG group, were significantly higher than in the MG (P < .05). Conclusions: Astragalus injection can effectively inhibit the expression of sFlt-1, NFAT-5, NF-κB and enhance the expression of PlGF and MMP-9 in the placental tissue of rats with preeclampsia, which may be the mechanism of preeclampsia treatment.

Transcatheter Intra-Arterial Infusion Combined with Interventional Photothermal Therapy for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Photothermal therapy (PTT) has great potential application in the treatment of tumors. However, due to the low penetration of near-infrared light (NIR) and the low concentration of nanomaterials in the tumor site, the application of PTT has been limited. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of transcatheter intra-arterial infusion of lecithin-modified Bi nanoparticles (Bi-Ln NPs) combined with interventional PTT (IPTT) on hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Bi-Ln NPs were prepared by emulsifying the hydrophobic Bi nanoparticles and lecithin, and the photothermal conversion and cytotoxicity of Bi-Ln NPs were then measured by infrared imaging and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, respectively. Twenty-four VX2 hepatic carcinoma rabbits were randomly divided into four groups. Rabbits in group A received Bi-Ln NPs by intra-arterial infusion and NIR laser treatment (IA Bi-Ln NPs + Laser), group B received Bi-Ln NPs by intravenous infusion and NIR laser treatment (IV Bi-Ln NPs + Laser), group C received PBS (phosphate buffer saline) via intra-arterial infusion with NIR laser treatment (IA PBS + Laser), group D received PBS via intra-arterial infusion (IA PBS). Transcatheter intra-arterial infusion was conducted by superselective intubation under digital subtraction angiography (DSA) guidance. IPTT was performed by introducing an NIR optical fiber access to the rabbit VX2 hepatic carcinoma under real-time ultrasound guidance. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to evaluate the tumor size. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) were conducted 7 days after treatment to evaluate the necrosis rate and viability of tumor, respectively. RESULTS: The Bi-Ln NPs have the advantages of good biological compatibility and high photothermal conversion efficiency. Minimally invasive transcatheter intra-arterial infusion can markedly increase the concentration of Bi-Ln NPs in tumor tissues. IPTT can contribute to the significant improvement in the photothermal efficiency of Bi-Ln NPs. Compared to other groups, the group of IA Bi-Ln NPs + Laser showed a significantly higher tumor inhibition rate (TIR) of 93.38 ± 19.57%, a higher tumor necrosis rate of 83.12 ± 8.02%, and a higher apoptosis rate of (43.26 ± 10.65%) after treatment. CONCLUSION: Transcatheter intra-arterial infusion combined with interventional PTT (IPTT) is safe and effective in eradicating tumor cells and inhibiting tumor growth and may provide a novel and valuable choice for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in the future.

CalliSpheres drug-eluting beads versus lipiodol transarterial chemoembolization in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a short-term efficacy and safety study.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of drug-eluting beads transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) with CalliSpheres Beads loaded with doxorubicin (DOX) in the treatment of Chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared to conventional TACE (cTACE). METHODS: A total of 54 patients with HCC treated by TACE from June 2016 to February 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. These included 24 cases in the DEB-TACE group and 30 cases in the cTACE group. The clinical efficacy, tumor recurrence rate, and complications were compared between the two groups. Furthermore, liver function tests and alpha-feto protein levels were compared between the two groups before and at 1 week and 1 month after interventional treatment. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics (p > 0.05). Tumor response rates and disease control rates in the DEB-TACE group were significantly higher than those in the cTACE group at 3 and 6 months after treatment (p < 0.05). Recurrence rates at 6 months were significantly higher for cTACE compared to DEB-TACE (43.3 vs. 16.7%; p = 0.036). At 1 month, the AFP level in the DEB-TACE group was significantly lower than that in the cTACE group (p = 0.008). At the end of follow-up, four cases in the DEB-TACE group and two cases in the cTACE group were treated with salvage surgery after downstaging the disease. Liver function of both groups improved at 1 month. However, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin levels in the DEB-TACE group were better than those in the cTACE group (p < 0.05). The incidence of DOX-related complications in the DEB-TACE group was significantly lower than in the cTACE group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The short-term efficacy of DEB-TACE is better, and the complication rates are lower compared to cTACE in the treatment of Chinese patients with HCC. However, long-term clinical efficacy and survival benefit should be analyzed in future studies.