Revealing the phosphate-solubilizing characteristics and mechanisms of the plant growth-promoting bacterium Agrobacterium deltaense C1.

AIMS: This study explores the phosphate (Pi)-solubilizing characteristics and mechanisms of a novel phosphate-solubilizing bacterium, Agrobacterium deltaense C1 (C1 hereafter). METHODS AND RESULTS: The growth-promoting effects of C1 were investigated by gnotobiotic experiments, and the Pi-solubilizing mechanism was revealed by extracellular metabolomics, liquid chromatography analysis, and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results showed that C1 significantly increased Arabidopsis biomass and total phosphorus (P) content under P deficiency. Under Ca3(PO4)2 condition, the presence of C1 resulted in a significant and negative correlation between available P content and medium pH changes, implying that Pi dissolution occurs through acid release. Metabolomics revealed C1's ability to release 99 organic acids, with gluconic acid (GA), citric acid, and α-ketoglutaric acid contributing 64.86%, 9.58%, and 0.94%, respectively, to Pi solubilization. These acids were significantly induced by P deficiency. Moreover, C1's Pi solubilization may remain significant even in the presence of available P, as evidenced by substantial pH reduction and high gcd gene expression. Additionally, C1 produced over 10 plant growth-promoting substances. CONCLUSIONS: C1 dissolves Pi primarily by releasing GA, which enhances plant growth under P deficiency. Notably, its Pi solubilization effect is not significantly limited by available Pi.

Primary pulmonary adenoid cystic carcinoma: A clinicopathological study of 64 patients.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological features and prognostic indicators of primary pulmonary adenoid cystic carcinoma (PACC). METHODS: Clinical data were collected from 64 primary PACC patients and analyzed retrospectively at the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, and the Bishan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2003 to August 2023. The 64 patients (28 males and 36 females) were aged from 20 to 73 years, with a median age of 49 years and an average age of 49.3 years. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining showed that the tumors expressed CK7, S-100 protein, CK5/6, CD117, and p63. Seven patients underwent fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) testing and three were found to have myeloblastosis (MYB) gene translocation. In total, 53 patients underwent surgery, among whom 31 received only surgery and 22 received both surgery and postoperative chemoradiotherapy. In addition, 10 patients received chemoradiotherapy only, while one patient underwent treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. The overall survival rates in the first, third, and fifth years were 98.4%, 95.3%, and 87.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Prognostic analysis revealed that age, tumor size, lymph node metastasis status, margin status, and choice of treatment modality significantly influenced the patients' prognosis.

Effect of manual lymphatic drainage combined with targeted rehabilitation therapies on the recovery of upper limb function in patients with modified radical mastectomy: A randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) combined with targeted rehabilitation therapies on the recovery of upper limb function in patients with breast cancer after modified radical mastectomy. Patients and methods: In the randomized controlled study conducted between October 2019 and June 2020, 104 eligible breast cancer patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy were randomly divided into two groups. The routine functional exercise group (Group RF) received regular functional exercise guidance. In addition, the MLD combined with targeted rehabilitation therapies group (Group MLDT) received MLD, targeted rehabilitation therapies, and regular functional exercise guidance. The primary endpoints were shoulder range of motion, arm circumference and the incidence of axillary web syndrome (AWS). The secondary endpoints included the duration of axillary drainage, the duration of chest wall drainage, and complications. Results: One hundred participants (mean age: 51.9±8.0 years; range, 28 to 72 years) were included in the final analysis as four patients could not complete the study. A significant improvement in shoulder range of motion was observed in Group MLDT compared to Group RF (p<0.05). Additionally, in Group MLDT, the duration of chest wall drainage was reduced (p=0.037). The frequency of AWS in Group RF was twice that in Group MLDT (p=0.061), but there was no significant difference in arm circumference (p>0.05) or the duration of axillary drainage (p=0.519). Regarding complications, there was one case of necrosis in the MLDT group and four cases in the RF group, including wound infection and seroma. Conclusion: Manual lymphatic drainage combined with targeted rehabilitation therapies is an effective strategy to improve shoulder function, shorten the duration of chest wall drainage, reduce complications, and partly lower the incidence of AWS.

Current status and progress in research on dressing management for diabetic foot ulcer.

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a major complication of diabetes and is associated with a high risk of lower limb amputation and mortality. During their lifetime, 19%-34% of patients with diabetes can develop DFU. It is estimated that 61% of DFU become infected and 15% of those with DFU require amputation. Furthermore, developing a DFU increases the risk of mortality by 50%-68% at 5 years, higher than some cancers. Current standard management of DFU includes surgical debridement, the use of topical dressings and wound decompression, vascular assessment, and glycemic control. Among these methods, local treatment with dressings builds a protective physical barrier, maintains a moist environment, and drains the exudate from DFU wounds. This review summarizes the development, pathophysiology, and healing mechanisms of DFU. The latest research progress and the main application of dressings in laboratory and clinical stage are also summarized. The dressings discussed in this review include traditional dressings (gauze, oil yarn, traditional Chinese medicine, and others), basic dressings (hydrogel, hydrocolloid, sponge, foam, film agents, and others), bacteriostatic dressings, composite dressings (collagen, nanomaterials, chitosan dressings, and others), bioactive dressings (scaffold dressings with stem cells, decellularized wound matrix, autologous platelet enrichment plasma, and others), and dressings that use modern technology (3D bioprinting, photothermal effects, bioelectric dressings, microneedle dressings, smart bandages, orthopedic prosthetics and regenerative medicine). The dressing management challenges and limitations are also summarized. The purpose of this review is to help readers understand the pathogenesis and healing mechanism of DFU, help physicians select dressings correctly, provide an updated overview of the potential of biomaterials and devices and their application in DFU management, and provide ideas for further exploration and development of dressings. Proper use of dressings can promote DFU healing, reduce the cost of treating DFU, and reduce patient pain.

Reliability and validity of the Tibetan version of the International Prostate Symptom Score.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the Tibetan version of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS-Tib) in patients with and without urinary symptoms in a Tibetan population. METHODS: The validity and reliability of IPSS-Tib were studied in 85 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 62 controls without lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Reliability was evaluated using the test-retest method and internal consistency using Cronbach's α, and the construct validity was assessed by the correlation between IPSS-Tib scores and quality of life questions (QoL-Tib). RESULTS: The Cronbach's α coefficient of the IPSS-Tib was 0.80 and of a single IPSS scoring item ranged from 0.77 to 0.86. The IPSS-Tib test-retest reliability was evaluated by the intraclass correlation coefficient, and its average value was 0.79 (P < 0.001). The mean (SEM, 95% CI) area under the ROC curve for the IPSS-Tib was 0.91 (0.87-0.96). The IPSS-Tib had a high correlation with the QoL-Tib (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient 0.84, P < 0.01). The mean IPSS score before transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) was 21.9 (6.8), and dropped to 6.38 (1.54) after TURP (P < 0.001), and the average difference was 15.52 (6.23), related to the drop from 4.5 (0.9) to 1.46 (0.48) in the QoL (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The IPSS-Tib has good reliability and validity in the diagnosis and symptom severity assessment of patients with BPH in Tibetan areas. It is an ideal assessment tool that can be used in Tibetan-speaking areas for patients with BPH and as a method for evaluating postoperative curative effect assessment of patients with BPH.

Main components from cultivated and wild Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma by LC-MS and GC-MS / 中国中药杂志

In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) were combined with non-targeted metabonomic analysis based on multivariate statistics analysis, and the content of five indicative components in nardosinone was determined and compared by UPLC. The main chemical components of Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma with imitative wild cultivation and wild Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma were comprehensively analyzed. The results of multivariate statistical analysis based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) and GC-MS were consistent. G1 and G2 of the imitative wild cultivation group and G8-G19 of the wild group were clustered into category 1, while G7 of the wild group and G3-G6 of the imitative wild cultivation group were clustered into category 2. After removing the outlier data of G1, G2, and G7, G3-G6 of the imitative wild cultivation group were clustered into one category, and G8-G19 of the wild group were clustered into the other category. Twenty-six chemical components were identified according to the positive and negative ion modes detected by LC-MS. The content of five indicative components(VIP>1.5) was determined using UPLC, revealing that chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid C, linarin, nardosinone, and total content in the imitative wild cultivation group were 1.85, 1.52, 1.26, 0.90, 2.93, and 2.56 times those in the wild group, respectively. OPLS-DA based on GC-MS obtained 10 diffe-rential peaks. Among them, the relative content of α-humulene and aristolene in the imitative wild cultivation group were extremely significantly(P<0.01) and significantly(P<0.05) higher than that in the wild group, while the relative content of 7 components such as 5,6-epoxy-3-hydroxy-7-megastigmen-9-one, γ-eudesmol, and juniper camphor and 12-isopropyl-1,5,9-trimethyl-4,8,13-cyclotetrade-catriene-1,3-diol was extremely significantly(P<0.01) and significantly(P<0.05) lower than that in the wild group, respectively. Therefore, the main chemical components of the imitative wild cultivation group and wild group were basically the same. However, the content of non-volatile components in the imitative wild cultivation group was higher than that in the wild group, and the content of some volatile components was opposite. This study provides scientific data for the comprehensive evaluation of the quality of Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma with imitative wild cultivation and wild Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma.

Network analysis and experimental pharmacology study explore the protective effects of Isoliquiritigenin on 5-fluorouracil-Induced intestinal mucositis.

5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the most widely used chemotherapy drugs for malignant tumors. However, intestinal mucositis caused by 5-FU is a severe dose-limiting toxic effect and even leads to treatment interruption. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is one of the main active compounds of licorice, which is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine commonly used in inflammation and gastrointestinal diseases. It is speculated that ISL have protective effects on intestinal mucositis. However, no such studies have been reported. Therefore, to investigate the impact of ISL on 5-Fu-induced intestinal mucositis, a strategy based on network prediction and pharmacological experimental validation was proposed in this study. Firstly, the targets and mechanism of ISL in alleviating 5-Fu-induced gastrointestinal toxicity were predicted by network analysis. And the results were further confirmed by molecular docking. Then, a mouse model of intestinal mucositis was established by intraperitoneal injection of 5-FU (384 µmol/kg) to verify the prediction of network analysis. The network analysis results suggested that PTGS2 (Prostaglandin G/H synthase 2) and NOS2 (Nitric oxide synthase, inducible) might be the critical targets of ISL for reducing the intestinal toxicity of 5-FU. In addition, KEGG and GO enrichment analysis revealed that the HIF-1, TNF, MAPK, IL-17, PI3K-Akt, Ras, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, and biological processes of the inflammatory response, apoptosis regulation, NO production and NF-kappa B transcription factor activity might be involved in the mechanism of ISL against intestinal mucositis. Subsequent animal experiments showed that ISL could reduce the weight loss, leukopenia and mucosal damage caused by 5-FU. Compared with the intestinal mucositis model, the protein expressions of PTGS2, NOS2, TNFα (Tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and NF-κB p65 (nuclear factor kappa-B P65) were decreased after ISL treatment. In conclusion, this study is the fist time to find that ISL can attenuate 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis in mice. Its anti-mucositis effect may be through regulating TNF/NF-κB pathway and inhibiting inflammatory mediators PTGS2 and NOS2. It will provide a potential candidate for the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced intestinal mucositis.

Application of traditional Chinese medicine in film drug delivery system.

Film drug delivery systems have the advantages of precise administration, simple process and easy portability, compared with other traditional drug delivery systems such as tablets, capsules, syrups, ointments, etc. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are normally developed in four categories of film agent like patch film, coating, spray film and gel film, which are applied to the treatment of oral ulcers, chronic diseases of lower limbs, burns, scalds, gynecological disease and body care. So the TCM film has great research value and prominent market prospect. In this review, we summarized the research progress of the material composition, pharmaceutical production, clinical application and pharmacology mechanism of various TCM film agents. It may provide a comprehensive reference for further development and utilization of TCM film agents.

Effects of photobiomodulation therapy on implant stability and postoperative recovery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The purpose of this study was to systemically analyse the effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) on implant stability and postoperative recovery. Electronic searches on MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science were completed independently by two researchers in February 2021, and a manual search was performed for the references of the included articles. The primary outcome was implant stability. The secondary outcome was postoperative recovery, including postoperative pain, recovery of peri-implant hard tissue (marginal bone loss and bone mineral density), facial swelling, and peri-implant clinical parameters. Twenty studies were finally obtained (17 randomised controlled, and 3 controlled clinical studies). Meta-analysis revealed that PBMT increased implant stability at 10 days after insertion (MD 2.27, 95% CI: 0.40 to 4.13, P = 0.020), and reduced marginal bone loss at 6 months after insertion (MD -0.16, 95% CI: -0.23 to -0.08, P < 0.001). However, no significant improvements were noted in implant stability two weeks (P = 0.070), three weeks (P = 0.090), six weeks (P = 0.050), and 12 weeks (P = 0.080) after insertion. Qualitative analysis suggested that PBMT could not alleviate postoperative pain, increase bone mineral density, or improve peri-implant clinical parameters. It was effective only in reducing facial swelling. This study suggests that the effects of PBMT on implant stability and postoperative recovery may be limited.

Effective adsorption of nutrients from simulated domestic sewage by modified maifanite.

Modified maifanite (MMF) was prepared by the synthesized method with sulfuric acid treatment and high-temperature calcination and evaluated as an effective adsorption material to remove the nutrient salt in waste watery. Compared with the raw maifanite (RMF), the MMF exhibited a higher adsorption capacity and higher removal efficiency. The results showed that the adsorption rates of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), nitrate-nitrogen (NOx-N), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by MMF were 86.7%, 44.9%, 29.1%, 19.8%, and 11.9%, respectively, and compared to RMF, the average adsorption capacity of these nutrients by MMF increased by 20.5 mg/kg, 126.2 mg/kg, 61.9 mg/kg, 117.18 mg/kg, and 86.9 mg/kg, respectively. MMF maintained the basic structure and composition of maifanite, while having a rougher and looser surface, more irregular pores, wider gaps, and more active materials such as oxidizing Fe. This study suggests that MMF can be further applied to treat domestic sewage and eutrophic water.

Effects of bentonite on the growth process of submerged macrophytes and sediment microenvironment.

The effects of clay mineral bentonite on the growth process of submerged macrophyte V. spiralis and sediment microenvironment were investigated in the study for the first time, aiming to determine whether it is suitable for application in the field of ecological restoration. The growth index, and physiological and biochemical index of V. spiralis in the experiments were measured once a month, and the changes of rhizosphere microorganisms and physicochemical properties of sediments were also studied at the same time. The results demonstrated that bentonite can effectively promote the growth of V. spiralis. The treatment groups of RB1/1 and MB1/5 (the mass ratios of bentonite to sediment were 1/1 and 1/5, respectively.) showed the best V. spiralis growth promotion rates which were 18.78%, and 11.79%, respectively. The highest microbial diversity and abundance existed in group of RB10 (the mass ratio of sediment to bentonite was 10/1), in which the OTUs, Shannon, Chao and Ace were 1521.0, 5.20, 1712.26, and 1686.31, respectively. Bentonite was conducive to the propagation of rhizosphere microorganisms, and further changed the physical and chemical properties of the sediment microenvironment. The nutrient elements dissolved from bentonite may be one of the main reasons that promoted the growth of V. spiralis. The purpose of this result is to prove that bentonite can be further applied as sediment improver and growing media in ecological restoration projects in eutrophic shallow lakes.

[Research on regional distribution and industrial status analysis of genuine medicinal resources of flowers in Henan province].

Flower medicinal materials usually refer to Chinese medicinal materials with a complete flower,inflorescence,or part of a flower as the different medicinal parts,they have an important share in the Chinese herbal medicine market and appeared frequently in Chinese medicine prescriptions. Firstly,the species and regional distribution of the flower medicinal materials resources in China were briefly summarized. Secondly,the characteristics,yield,producing area and origin distribution of the main flower medicinal materials in Henan province were discussed. Finally,the present situation and the main problems of the flower medicinal materials industry in Henan province were comprehensively analyzed,and the corresponding industrial development countermeasures were put forward.This research was intended to provide decision-making demonstration and scientific basis for the rational exploitation and utilization of resources,breeding of new varieties,planting division,production layout and the healthy and sustainable development of the flower medicinal materials industry in Henan province.

[Transurethral resection of the prostate for BPH in native Tibetans with different prostate volumes: A single-center retrospective analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the perioperative parameters and postoperative sexual function and complications in native Tibetans undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for BPH with different prostate volumes. METHODS: From June 2015 to February 2017, 325 native Tibetans with BPH underwent TURP in the People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region. The patients were aged 59－88 years, with a median oxygen saturation level of 84% in the normal status, 24% with hydronephrosis, 40.3% with the history of acute urinary retention, 61.8% with pulmonary hypertension, and 19.1% taking regular medication preoperatively. According to the preoperative prostate volume (PV), the patients were divided into a large PV (LPV) group (PV ≥80 ml, n = 124) and a small PV (SPV) group (<80 ml, n = 201). Perioperative parameters and postoperative sexual function and complications were analyzed and compared between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: The operation time was significantly longer in the LPV than in the SPV group (ï¼»92.36 ± 26.35ï¼½ vs ï¼»56.28 ± 24.61ï¼½ min, P < 0.05) and the intraoperative blood loss was higher in the former than in the latter (ï¼»401.12 ± 50.12ï¼½ vs ï¼»385.15 ± 51.62ï¼½ ml, P < 0.05). Compared with the baseline, at 6 months after operation, the IPSS was significantly decreased in all the patients (22.13 ± 6.23 vs 5.29 ± 1.14 in the LPV group, P < 0.05; 23.04 ± 6.82 vs 5.12 ± 1.28 in the SPV group, P < 0.05), and the maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) remarkably improved (ï¼»17.46 ± 5.82ï¼½ vs ï¼»5.91 ± 1.86ï¼½ ml/s in the LPV group, P < 0.05; ï¼»17.99 ± 5.86ï¼½ vs ï¼»6.01 ± 1.92ï¼½ ml/s in the SPV group, P < 0.05). The incidence rate of retrograde ejaculation was markedly higher in the LPV than in the SPV group postoperatively (48.4% vs 20.9%, P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups of patients in the incidence of postoperative complications (13.71% vs 9.45%, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TURP is effective and safe for the treatment of BPH native Tibetans with different prostate volumes.

Solar thermotherapy reduces the titer of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus and enhances canopy growth by altering gene expression profiles in HLB-affected citrus plants.

Huanglongbing (HLB), a systemic and destructive disease of citrus, is associated with 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' (Las) in the United States. Our earlier work has shown that Las bacteria were significantly reduced or eliminated when potted HLB-affected citrus were continuously exposed to high temperatures of 40 to 42 °C for a minimum of 48 h. To determine the feasibility and effectiveness of solar thermotherapy in the field, portable plastic enclosures were placed over commercial and residential citrus, exposing trees to high temperatures through solarization. Within 3-6 weeks after treatment, most trees responded with vigorous new growth. Las titer in new growth was greatly reduced for 18-36 months after treatment. Unlike with potted trees, exposure to high heat did not eradicate the Las population under field conditions. This may be attributed to reduced temperatures at night in the field compared to continuous high temperature exposure that can be maintained in growth chambers, and the failure to achieve therapeutic temperatures in the root zone. Despite the presence of Las in heat-treated commercial citrus, many trees produced abundant flush and grew vigorously for 2 to 3 years after treatment. Transcriptome analysis comparing healthy trees to HLB-affected citrus both before and after heat treatment demonstrated that post-treatment transcriptional expression patterns more closely resembled the expression patterns of healthy controls for most differentially expressed genes and that genes involved with plant-bacterium interactions are upregulated after heat treatment. Overall, these results indicate that solar thermotherapy can be an effective component of an integrated control strategy for citrus HLB.

Duration sensitivity of neurons in the primary auditory cortex of albino mouse.

Many neurons in the central auditory system of a number of species have been found to be sensitive to the duration of sound stimuli. While previous studies have shown that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic inhibitory input is important for duration sensitivity in the inferior colliculus (IC), it is still unknown whether (GABA)-ergic inhibitory input plays an important role in generating duration sensitivity in the cortex. Using free-field sound stimulation and in vivo extracellular recording, we investigated duration sensitivity in primary auditory cortical (AI) neurons of the Nembutal anesthetized albino mouse (Mus musculus, Km) and examined the effect of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline on AI neuron duration sensitivity. A total of 63 duration tuning curves were measured in AI neurons. Of these, 44% (28/63) exhibited duration sensitive responses, while 43% (27/63) lacked duration sensitivity. The remaining 13% (8/63) exhibited long-pass properties likely reflecting both duration sensitive and insensitive features. We found that duration sensitive neurons had shorter first spike latency (FSL) and longer firing duration (FD) when stimulated with best duration (p < 0.05), while duration insensitive neurons had invariable FSL and FD at different sound durations (p>0.05). Furthermore, 60% (6/10) of duration sensitive neurons and 75% (3/4) long-pass neurons lost duration sensitivity following bicuculline application. Taken together, our results show that cortical neurons in the albino mouse are sensitive to sound duration, and that GABAergic inhibition may play an important role in the formation of de novo duration sensitivity in AI. The possible mechanism and behavioral significance of duration sensitivity in AI neurons is discussed.

Enhanced 4T1 breast carcinoma anticancer activity by co-delivery of doxorubicin and curcumin with core-shell drug-carrier based on heparin modified poly(L-lactide) grafted polyethylenimine cationic nanoparticles.

Use of single chemotherapy agents has shown some limitations in anti-tumor treatment, such as development of drug resistance, severe adverse reactions and limited regime for therapeutic use. Combination of two or more therapeutic drugs is a feasible strategy to overcome these limitations. This paper reports study of co-delivery by core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) with hydrophobic PLLA core loaded with curcumin (Cur) and hydrophilic heparin shell adsorbing Doxorubicin (DOX). Characterizations of Cur-PEA NPs, Cur-PEA/heparin NPs and DOX adsorbing into Cur-PEA/heparin NPs (DOX-Cur NPs) were also investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Malvern Zetasizer. Studies on cellular uptake of DOX-Cur NPs demonstrated that both drugs were effectively taken up by 4T1 tumor cells. Furthermore, DOX-Cur NPs suppressed 4T1 tumor cells growth more efficiently than either DOX or Cur alone at the same concentrations, as measured by flow cytometry (FCM). We found out that intravenous injection of DOX-Cur NPs efficiently inhibited growth of subcutaneous 4T1 breast carcinoma in vivo (p < 0.01) and prolonged survival of the treated 4T1 breast carcinoma mice. Moreover, the pathological damage to the cardiac tissue in mice treated with DOX-Cur NPs was significantly less severe than that of mice treated with free DOX. This study suggested that DOX-Cur NPs may have promising applications in breast carcinoma therapy.

Preparation of curcumin-loaded poly(ester amine) nanoparticles for the treatment of anti-angiogenesis.

The aim of this study was to prepare curcumin loaded poly(ester amine) nanoparticles and enhance their hydrophilicity and treatment efficacy on anti-angiogenesis zebra fish model. Poly(ester amine) (PEA) copolymer was synthesized in this study. The curcumin-loaded PEA nanoparticles were prepared through double emulsion-solvent evaporation technique. The average particle size of obtained nanoparticles was about 100 nm. The zeta potential of prepared nanoparticles was about 35.8+/-2.4 mV. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated a narrow size distribution with in vitro release profile demonstrating in vitro slow release of curcumin from the PEA nanoparticles. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the curcumin encapsulated PEA nanoparticles nearly had the same tendency of cytotoxic activity in vitro with free curcumin on tumor cells. In vitro cellular uptake of the curcumin-loaded nanoparticles demonstrated in Hela cells demonstrated that this kind of nanoparticles can be a promising candidate as a drug delivery system to cancer cells. The Cur/PEA nanoparticles more efficiently inhibited angiogenesis (in vivo) in transgenic zebra fish model and Alginate-encapsulated tumor cells than free curcumin. No mortality or significant lesions were observed from histopathological study of the major organs. From our results, we can conclude that the prepared PEA nanoparticles are an efficient curcumin drug delivery system for anti-angiogenesis therapy.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography for the analysis of aldehydes in edible oils.

Oxidation has important effects on the quality of edible oils. In particular, the generation of aldehydes produced by the oxidation of oils is one of the deteriorative factors to their quality. The aim of this study was to develop a method to determine the aldehydes as lipid oxidation markers in edible oils. Seven aldehydes generated from lipid oxidation were studied using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. The extraction efficiency of five commercial fibers was investigated and the influence of extraction temperature, extraction time, desorption temperature, and desorption time were optimized. The best result was obtained with 85 µm carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane, extraction at 50 °C for 15 min and desorption in the gas chromatography injector at 250 °C for 2 min. Under the optimized conditions, the content of hexanal was the highest of the seven aldehydes in all edible oils. The limits of detection for hexanal in the three oils were found to range from 4.6 to 10.2 ng L(-1). The reproducibility of the method was evaluated and the relative standard deviations were less than 8.9%. This developed approach was successfully applied to analyze hexanal in peanut oil, soy oil, and olive oil samples, and these results were compared with those obtained using the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARs) method.

High-throughput analytical techniques for multiresidue, multiclass determination of 653 pesticides and chemical pollutants in tea--Part III: Evaluation of the cleanup efficiency of an SPE cartridge newly developed for multiresidues in tea.

A comparative study was conducted over three stages on the cleanup efficiency of SPE cartridge Cleanert TPT, newly developed for multigroups of pesticide residues in tea. In Stage I, different SPE cartridges C18, graphite carbon black (GCB), primary secondary amine (PSA), and amino (NH2) were purchased and combined into 12 different sequences. Through the comparative test on cleanup efficiency of 84 representative pesticides in tea, Envi-Carb GCB + PSA with a good cleanup effect was selected. In Stage II, GC/MS test results from the comparative study of the extraction efficiency of 201 pesticides spiked into green tea and Woolong tea with Cleanert TPT and Envi-Carb + PSA SPE showed that average recoveries fell within 70-110% and RSD <20% for 193 and 184 pesticides, respectively, for green tea, accounting for 96.0 and 91.0% of the total number, respectively. GC/MS/MS test results also found 193 and 184 pesticides, respectively, meeting the recovery and RSD conditions, accounting for 96.0 and 91.5%, respectively, of the total number. For Woolong tea samples, GC/MS results showed that with Cleanert TPT and Envi-Carb + PSA SPE for cleanup, there were 192 and 177 pesticides, respectively, meeting the conditions, accounting for 95.5 and 88.1% of the total number, respectively. GC/MS/MS results demonstrated that there were 195 and 184 pesticides, respectively, meeting the conditions, accounting for 97.0 and 91.5% of the total number, respectively. It was seen that Cleanert TPT was superior to Envi-Carb + PSA in cleanup efficiency, whether for green or Woolong tea samples, or GC/MS or GC/MS/MS determination. In Stage III, 61104 results of the average content value of pesticides and RSD (two teas xtwo Youden pair concentrations x two kinds of SPE cartridges x two instruments x 19 tests x 201 pesticides) were derived from the 19 times stability tests over 3 months by paralleling three samples every 5 days via two instruments with two kinds of SPE cartridges for cleanup, respectively, against Youden Pair samples of the 201 incurred pesticides from green and Woolong teas. The statistical analysis found that detected values from the target pesticides of the incurred Youden pair samples showed no marked differences with cleanup by either Cleanert TPT or Envi-Carb + PSA, whether for green or Woolong tea, or G/IMS or G/IM/IMS. The test results using the two aforementioned kinds of SPE cleanup for above 93% pesticides had a tolerance less than 15%, which testifies that both cartridge cleanups met the requirement for pesticide residue analysis.

PLA/PEG-PPG-PEG/dexamethasone implant prepared by hot-melt extrusion for controlled release of immunosuppressive drug to implantable medical devices, Part 2: in vivo evaluation.

Hot-melt extrusion (HME) plays an important role in preparing implants as local drug delivery systems in pharmaceutical fields. Here, a new PLA/PEG-PPG-PEG/Dexamethasone (PLA/F68/Dex) implant prepared by HME has been developed. Importantly, the implant was successfully achieved to control release of immunosuppressive drug to an implanted device. In particular, this implant has not been reported previously in pharmaceutical fields. FTIR and XRD were adopted to investigate the properties of the samples. The in vivo release study showed that the maximum value of Dex release from the implants was approximately 50% at 1 month. The in vivo degradation behavior was determined by UV spectrophotometer and scanning electron microscopy studies, and the weight loss rate of the implants were up to 25% at 1 month. Furthermore, complete blood count (CBC) test, serum chemistry and major organs were performed, and there is no significant lesion and side effects observed in these results. Therefore, the results elucidated that the new PLA/F68/Dex implant prepared by HME could deliver an immunosuppressive drug to control the inflammatory reaction at the implant site.