Alleviating Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Stress: A Chinese Medicine Approach in Neonatal Rats.

Background: Premature infants are exposed to numerous stressors in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during a crucial period for brain development; this period exerts long-term influences on cognitive and behavioral development. Aims: To evaluate the effect of NICU-related stress on neonatal rat pups and explore the effect of Chinese medicine treatment (CMT). Methods: Sixty male rat pups were randomly assigned to three groups: the control group, the NICU group (NICU-related stress), and the CMT group (NICU-related stress plus CMT). All stressors and interventions were administered from 0 to 7 days after birth. Body weight, serum corticosterone levels, and behavior in the open field (OF) test, elevated plus maze (EPM) test, sucrose preference test, and Morris water maze (MWM) test were recorded, and blood samples were collected at five different time points (T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4). Results: The body weights of rats in the CMT and control groups were heavier than those in the NICU group in both early life and adulthood (P < 0.05). Serum corticosterone levels significantly differed with time (except T0 vs. T1 and T3 vs. T4) but did not significantly differ among the three groups (F = 0.441, P = 0.894). Regardless of age, spatial memory and anxiety-like and depression-like behavior did not differ among the three groups. Conclusion: NICU-related stress exerted a long-term effect on rat growth and development but did not affect spatial memory, anxiety-like behavior, depression-like behavior, or serum corticosterone levels. CMT alleviated the impact of NICU-related stress on rats and promoted the growth and development of neonatal rats.

Metal element-based adsorbents for phosphorus capture: Chaperone effect, performance and mechanism.

Excessive phosphorus (P) enters the water bodies via wastewater discharges or agricultural runoff, triggering serious environmental problems such as eutrophication. In contrast, P as an irreplaceable key resource, presents notable supply-demand contradictions due to ineffective recovery mechanisms. Hence, constructing a system that simultaneously reduce P contaminants and effective recycling has profound theoretical and practical implications. Metal element-based adsorbents, including metal (hydro) oxides, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), exhibit a significant chaperone effect stemming from strong orbital hybridization between their intrinsic Lewis acid sites and P (Lewis base). This review aims to parse the structure-effect relationship between metal element-based adsorbents and P, and explores how to optimize the P removal properties. Special emphasis is given to the formation of the metal-P chemical bond, which not only depends on the type of metal in the adsorbent but also closely relates to its surface activity and pore structure. Then, we delve into the intrinsic mechanisms behind these adsorbents' remarkable adsorption capacity and precise targeting. Finally, we offer an insightful discussion of the prospects and challenges of metal element-based adsorbents in terms of precise material control, large-scale production, P-directed adsorption and effective utilization.

Therapeutic role of Wuda granule in gastrointestinal motility disorder through promoting gastrointestinal motility and decreasing inflammatory level.

Introduction: Previous studies indicated that Wuda Granule (WDG) has been applied in the treatment of gastrointestinal motility disorder (GMD), but the effect and underlying mechanisms is yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to explore the mechanism and pharmacological effect of WDG for GMD via network analysis, verification of animal experiments and clinical experiments. Methods: The chemical components of WDG were identified from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP, http://lsp.nwu.edu.cn/index.php), and the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ETCM, http://www.tcmip.cn/ETCM/index.php/Home/Index/) according to oral bioavailability (OB) ≥ 20% and drug-likeness (DL) ≥ 0.10. The targets of WDG compounds were retrieved from the Swiss Target Prediction database (http://www.swisstargetprediction.ch/) and targets related to GMD were retrieved from GeneCards database (https://www.genecards.org/). Network analysis were performed to screen the key active compounds of WDG and its hub targets. Then the pharmacological effect of WDG were verified via vivo experiments in rats and clinical experiments. Results: The results showed that 117 effective active compounds of WDG were screened and 494 targets of WDG compounds targeting GMD were selected. These targets were involved in the biological process of inflammatory regulation and the regulation of gastrointestinal motility. The mechanism was mainly involved in the regulation of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and Rap1 signaling pathway. In addition, molecular docking analysis suggested that eight key active compounds of WDG may be mainly responsible for the effect of WDG on GMD by targeting HARS, AKT, and PIK3CA, respectively. Animal experiments and clinical trials both suggested that WDG could exert therapeutical effect on GMD via inhibiting inflammation and promoting gastrointestinal motility, it could also improve digestive function of patients with laparoscopic colorectal cancer after surgery. Conclusion: This study was the first to demonstrate that WDG improved GMD mainly via inhibiting inflammatory level and promoting gastrointestinal motility, providing new insights for the understanding of WDG for GMD, inspiration for future research and reference for clinical strategy in terms of the treatment of GMD.

Microalgae-bacteria tandem-type ponds simultaneously removing ammonia nitrogen and phosphorus towards municipal wastewater advanced treatment.

Low C/N municipal wastewater is difficult to be treated effectively via traditional biological methods, leading to concentrations of pollutants in effluent far exceeding increasingly strict standards. In this work, we propose a novel microalgae-bacteria tandem-type process to simultaneously remove ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) and phosphorus (P) from municipal wastewater. A 4.5 L microalgae-bacteria tandem-type reactor was constructed and operated stably for 40 days. The removal efficiencies of NH4+-N and P reached 97.5% and 92.9%, respectively, effluent concentrations were 0.53 and 0.17 mg/L on average, which met the Environmental quality standards for surface water in China (GB 3838-2002). Remarkably, microalgae ponds accounted for 69.3% and 76.3% of the overall NH4+-N and P removal via microalgae assimilation. Furthermore, 16 S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed the abundance of bacteria changed, suggesting that the presence of microalgae leads to some species extinction and low-abundance bacteria increase. This work demonstrated that the microalgae-bacteria tandem-type processes can be efficient and widely applied in the advanced treatment of municipal wastewater.

Corncob biocarriers with available carbon release for Chlamydopodium sp. microalgae towards enhanced nitrogen removal from low C/N rare earth element tailings (REEs) wastewater.

Low nitrogen (N) removal efficiency limits the potential of microalgae technology for the treatment of high nitrogen and low carbon rare earth tailings (REEs) wastewater. In this study, waste corncob was utilized as a biocarrier immobilizing Chlamydopodium sp. microalgae to realize high-efficient treatment of the REEs wastewater. In only 2.5 d, corncob-immobilized microalgae allowed the residual concentrations of N lower than the emission standards, and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) removal rate is 83.3 mg L-1·d-1, total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) removal rate is 86.7 mg L-1·d-1, which was 18.5 times that of the previously-reported microalgae (4.68 mg L-1·d-1). Compared with other microalgae immobilization carriers, corncob possesses the ability to release available carbon sources for microalgae. Composition analysis and sugar verification experiments showed that the main content of TOC released by corncob was monosaccharide, and in a certain range, the removal rate of N was positively correlated with the TOC concentration. The utilization of biomass wastes with dual functions as biological carriers has great potential to improve the performance of microalgae, and is conducive to the development of engineering applications.

ICE-CBF-COR Signaling Cascade and Its Regulation in Plants Responding to Cold Stress.

Cold stress limits plant geographical distribution and influences plant growth, development, and yields. Plants as sessile organisms have evolved complex biochemical and physiological mechanisms to adapt to cold stress. These mechanisms are regulated by a series of transcription factors and proteins for efficient cold stress acclimation. It has been established that the ICE-CBF-COR signaling pathway in plants regulates how plants acclimatize to cold stress. Cold stress is perceived by receptor proteins, triggering signal transduction, and Inducer of CBF Expression (ICE) genes are activated and regulated, consequently upregulating the transcription and expression of the C-repeat Binding Factor (CBF) genes. The CBF protein binds to the C-repeat/Dehydration Responsive Element (CRT/DRE), a homeopathic element of the Cold Regulated genes (COR gene) promoter, activating their transcription. Transcriptional regulations and post-translational modifications regulate and modify these entities at different response levels by altering their expression or activities in the signaling cascade. These activities then lead to efficient cold stress tolerance. This paper contains a concise summary of the ICE-CBF-COR pathway elucidating on the cross interconnections with other repressors, inhibitors, and activators to induce cold stress acclimation in plants.

Resourceful treatment of harsh high-nitrogen rare earth element tailings (REEs) wastewater by carbonate activated Chlorococcum sp. microalgae.

The discharge of rare earth element (REE) tailings wastewater results in serious ecological deterioration and health risk, due to high ammonia nitrogen, and strong acidity. The low C/N ratio makes it recalcitrant to biodegradation. Recently it has been shown that microalgal technology has a promising potential for the simultaneous harsh wastewater treatment and resource recovery. However, the low nitrogen removal rate and less biomass of microalgae restricted its development. In this work, Chlorococcum sp. was successfully isolated from the rare earth mine effluent. The microalgae was capable of enhancing nitrogen contaminants removal from REEs wastewater due to the carbonate addition, which simulated the activity increase of carbonic anhydrase (CA). The total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) removal rate reached 4.45 mg/L h-1, which compared to other microalgal species, the nitrogen removal rate and biomass yield were 7.8- and 4.9-fold higher, respectively. Notably, high lipid contents (mainly triglycerides, 43.85% of dry weight) and a high biomass yield were obtained. Meanwhile, the microalgae had an excellent settleability attributed to higher extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) formation, leading to easier resource harvest. These results were further confirmed in a continuous-flow photobioreactor with a stable operation for more than 30 days, indicating its potential for application.

Angiotensin II-induced muscle atrophy via PPARγ suppression is mediated by miR-29b.

The activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) induced by increased angiotensin II (AngII) levels has been implicated in muscle atrophy, which is involved in the pathogenesis of congestive heart failure. Although peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) activation can suppress RAS, the exact role of PPARγ in AngII-induced muscle atrophy is unclear. Here we identified PPARγ as a negative regulator of miR-29b, a microRNA that is able to promote multiple types of muscle atrophy. Suppression of miR-29b could prevent AngII-induced muscle atrophy both in vitro and in vivo. IGF1, PI3K(p85α), and Yin Yang 1 (YY1) were identified as target genes of miR-29b, and overexpression of these targets could rescue AngII-induced muscle atrophy. Importantly, inhibition of PPARγ was sufficient to induce muscle atrophy, while PPARγ overexpression could attenuate that. These data indicate that the PPARγ/miR-29b axis mediates AngII-induced muscle atrophy, and increasing PPARγ or inhibiting miR-29b represents a promising approach to counteract AngII-induced muscle atrophy.

Intravesical In Situ Immunostimulatory Gel for Triple Therapy of Bladder Cancer.

Bladder cancer displays multiple biological features aided in drug resistance; therefore, single therapy fails to induce complete tumor regression. To address this issue, various kinds of cell death of cancer cells as well as restoring tumor immune microenvironment need to be taken into consideration. Here, we introduce a gel system termed AuNRs&IONs@Gel, which target-delivers a combination of photothermal, ferroptotic, and immune therapy through intravesical instillation. AuNRs&IONs@Gel consists of a gel delivery platform, embedded gold nanorods (AuNRs), and iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs). The targeted delivery gel platform provides dextran aldehyde-selective adhesion with cancer collagen. In this condition, photothermal therapy can be performed by gold nanorods (AuNRs) under imaging-guided near-infrared radiation. Local high concentrations of IONs can be absorbed by cancer cell to induce ferroptosis. Moreover, tumor-associated macrophages which often display an immune-suppressive M2-like phenotype will be repolarized by IONs into the antitumor M1-like phenotype, exerting a direct antitumor effect and professional antigen presentation of dead cancer cells. This process triggers a potent immune response of innate and adapt immunities to protect tumor rechallenge in long terms. Our triple-therapy strategy employs FDA-approved nanoparticles to inhibit bladder cancer which may possess great potential for clinical translation.

Successful isolation of a tolerant co-flocculating microalgae towards highly efficient nitrogen removal in harsh rare earth element tailings (REEs) wastewater.

Acidic rare earth element tailings (REEs) wastewater with high nitrogen and low COD is the most serious and yet unsolved environmental issue in the rare earth mining industry. The effective and cheap remediation of NH4+-N and NO3--N from the REEs wastewater is still a huge challenge. This harsh wastewater environment results in the difficulty for common microbes and microalgae to be survived. In this work, a novel highly tolerant co-flocculating microalgae (the combination of Scenedesmus sp. and Parachlorella sp.) was successfully isolated from the rare earth mine effluent through three-year cultivation. The removal efficiency of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) by the co-flocculating microalgae cultivation was as high as 90.9%, which is 1.9 times than the average removal efficiency (47.9%) of previously-reported microalgae species in the wastewater with COD/N ratio ranging from 0 to 1. Thus, the residual concentrations of NH4+-N and TIN could reach the Emission Standards of Pollutants from Rare Earths Industry (GB 26451-2011). Along with the high N removal performance, other related characteristics of the co-flocculating microalgae were also revealed, such as high tolerance towards high NH4+-N and strong acid, rapid growth and sedimentation, and simultaneous removal of NH4+-N and NO3--N. These algae characteristics were ascribed to the specific co-flocculating community structure covered by extracellular polymeric substances.

Electrocatalytic dechlorination of halogenated antibiotics via synergistic effect of chlorine-cobalt bond and atomic H.

Although noble metal electrocatalysts are highly efficient in the dehalogenation of halogenated antibiotics, the prohibitive cost hinders their practical applications. In this study, a cobalt-phosphorous/oxide (CoP/O) composite prepared via a one-step electrodeposition was for the first time applied in electroreductive dechlorination of halogenated antibiotics (HA), including chloramphenicol (CAP), florfenicol (FLO) and thiamphenicol (TAP). CoP/O had a higher FLO dechlorination efficiency (91%) than Pd/C (69.3%) (t = 60 min, C0 = 20 mg L-1, applied voltage of -1.2 V vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE)). Furthermore, the dechlorination efficiencies of CoP/O for CAP and TAP reached to 98.7 and 74.2%, respectively. The electron spin resonance and in situ Raman characterizations confirmed that atomic H* was produced via the CoP and the formation of CoCl bonds occurred on the CoO in CoP/O. The CoCl bond formation could trap HA molecules onto CoP/O and weaken the CCl bond strength. The synergistic effect of H* attack and CoCl bond was responsible for the high dechlorination efficiency. This study offers new insights into the interface mechanism of electroreductive dehalogenation process, and shows a great potential for the remediation of halogenated antibiotics contaminated wastewater.

Detection of multipoint pulse waves and dynamic 3D pulse shape of the radial artery based on binocular vision theory.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pulse signals contain a wealth of human physiological and pathological information. How to get full pulse information is especially challenging, and most of the traditional pulse sensors can only get the pulse wave of a single point. This study is aimed at developing a binocular pulse detection system and method to obtain multipoint pulse waves and dynamic three-dimensional pulse shape of the radial artery. METHODS: The proposed pulse detection approach is image-based and implemented by two steps. First, a new binocular pulse detection system is developed based on the principle of pulse feeling used in traditional Chinese medicine. Second, pulse detection is achieved based on theories and methods of binocular vision and digital image processing. In detail, the sequences of pulse images collected by the designed system as experimental data are sequentially processed by median filtering, block binarization and inversion, area filtering, centroids extraction of connected regions, to extract the pattern centroids as feature points. Then stereo matching is realized by a proposed algorithm based on Gong-shape scan detection. After multipoint spatial coordinate calculation, dynamic three-dimensional reconstruction of the thin film shape is completed by linear interpolation. And then the three-dimensional pulse shape is achieved by finding an appropriate reference time. Meanwhile, extraction of multipoint pulse waves of the radial artery is accomplished by using a suitable reference origin. The proposed method is analyzed from three aspects, which are pulse amplitude, pulse rate and pulse shape, and compared with other detection methods. RESULTS: Analysis of the results shows that the values of pulse amplitude and pulse rate are consistent with the characteristics of pulse wave of the radial artery, and pulse shape can correctly present the shape of pulse in space and its change trend in time. The comparison results with the other two previously proposed methods further verify the correctness of the presented method. CONCLUSIONS: The designed binocular pulse detection system and proposed algorithm can effectively detect pulse information. This tactile visualization-based pulse detection method has important scientific significance and broad application prospects and will promote further development of objective pulse diagnosis.

[Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on inflammatory response and intestinal permeability in perioperative period of laparoscopic intestinal surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on the inflammatory response and intestinal permeability after laparoscopic radical surgery for colon cancer, so as to explore the protective mechanism for perioperative organs. METHODS: Sixty patients with laparoscopic intestinal resection were randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. TEAS at Zusanli (ST 36), Neiguan (PC 6) and Hegu (LI 4) was used in the observation group on the day of operation and within 3 days after surgery, 2 Hz, within 2 mA. The interventions in the control group were the same as those in the observation group, except opening the current source. Central venous blood was collected before TEAS and 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h after surgery. The level of the inflammatory indexes of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and intestinal mucosal barrier response indexes of endotoxin (LPS) and D-lactate were detected. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the levels of IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α decreased in the observation group 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after surgery (all P<0.05). The concentrations of D-lactate and LPS were not statistically different between the two groups (both P>0.05). CONCLUSION: TEAS can reduce the inflammatory reaction after laparoscopic radical surgery for colon cancer, but has no effect on the intestinal permeability.

Orientin Ameliorates LPS-Induced Inflammatory Responses through the Inhibitory of the NF-κB Pathway and NLRP3 Inflammasome.

Inflammation is a complex response to diverse pathological conditions, resulting in negative rather than protective effects when uncontrolled. Orientin (Ori), a flavonoid component isolated from natural plants, possesses abundant properties. Thus, we aimed to discover the potential therapeutic effects of orientin on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced inflammation in RAW 264.7 cells and the underlying mechanisms. In our studies, we evaluated the effects of Ori on proinflammatory mediator production stimulated by LPS, including tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α, interleukin- (IL-) 6, IL-18, and IL-1ß, along with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and NO. Our data indicated that orientin dramatically inhibited the levels of these mediators. Consistent with these results, the expression levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were also reduced. Further study demonstrated that such inhibitory effects of Ori were due to suppression of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway and nucleotide-binding domain- (NOD-) like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, which may contribute to its anti-inflammatory effects. Together, these findings show that Ori may be an effective candidate for ameliorating LPS-induced inflammatory responses.

Berberine-sonodynamic therapy induces autophagy and lipid unloading in macrophage.

Impaired autophagy in macrophages accompanies the progression of atherosclerosis and contributes to lipid loading in plaques and ineffective lipid degradation. Therefore, evoking autophagy and its associated cholesterol efflux may provide a therapeutic treatment for atherosclerosis. In the present study, berberine-mediated sonodynamic therapy (BBR-SDT) was used to induce autophagy and cholesterol efflux in THP-1 macrophages and derived foam cells. Following BBR-SDT, autophagy was increased in the macrophages, autophagy resistance in the foam cells was prevented, and cholesterol efflux was induced. The first two effects were blocked by the reactive oxygen species scavenger, N-acetyl cysteine. BBR-SDT also reduced the phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR, two key molecules in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, which is responsible for inducing autophagy. Correspondingly, treatment with the autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine, or the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, abolished the autophagy-induced effects of BBR-SDT. Furthermore, induction of cholesterol efflux by BBR-SDT was reversed by an inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine or by a small interfering RNA targeting Atg5. Taken together, these results demonstrate that BBR-SDT effectively promotes cholesterol efflux by increasing reactive oxygen species generation, and this subsequently induces autophagy via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in both 'normal' macrophages and lipid-loaded macrophages (foam cells). Thus, BBR-SDT may be a promising atheroprotective therapy to inhibit the progression of atherosclerosis and should be further studied.

Determinants of Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Patients in Shanghai, China.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association of social support status, health insurance and clinical factors with the quality of life of Chinese women with breast cancer. METHODS: Information on demographics, clinical characteristics, and social support status was collected from 1,160 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer in Shanghai, China. The Perceived Social Support Scale was used to assess different sources of social support for breast cancer patients. The quality of life was evaluated using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer that consisted of five domains: breast cancer-specific, emotional, functional, physical, and social & family well-being. Multivariate linear regression models were used to evaluate the associations of demographic variables, clinical characteristics, and social support status with the quality of life measures. RESULTS: Adequate social support from family members, friends and neighbors, and higher scores of Perceived Social Support Scale were associated with significantly improved quality of life of breast cancer patients. Higher household income, medical insurance plans with low copayment, and treatment with traditional Chinese medicine for breast cancer all were associated with higher (better) scores of quality of life measures whereas patients receiving chemotherapy had significantly lower scores of quality of life. CONCLUSION: Social support and financial aids may significantly improve the quality of life of breast cancer survivors.

Apoptosis of THP-1 Macrophages Induced by Pseudohypericin-Mediated Sonodynamic Therapy Through the Mitochondria-Caspase Pathway.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pseudohypericin (P-HY) and its congener hypericin are the major hydroxylated phenanthroperylenediones present in Hypericum species. Our previous study indicated that hypericin was able to function as a sonosensitizer. The potential use of P-HY as a sonosensitizer for sonodynamic therapy (SDT) requires further exploration. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of P-HY-SDT on THP-1 macrophages. METHODS: THP-1 macrophages were incubated with P-HY, and cell viability was measured using a CCK-8 assay. Fluorescence microscopy assessed the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm ) and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening. Apoptotic and necrotic cell levels were measured by the flow cytometry analysis. Western blots were employed to assay BAX, Cytochrome C expression and apoptosis-related proteins. RESULTS: P-HY-SDT induced THP-1 macrophage apoptosis. The levels of ROS were significantly increased in the SDT group, resulting in both mPTP opening and ΔΨm loss, which led to apoptosis. In addition, the translocation of BAX, release of Cytochrome C and the upregulated expression of apoptosis-related proteins after P-HY-SDT were observed, all of which were reversed by N-acetyl cysteine (NAC). CONCLUSION: P-HY-SDT induced THP-1 macrophage apoptosis through the mitochondria-caspase pathway via ROS generation, the translocation of BAX and the release of Cytochrome C to regulate the mPTP opening.

Computational Study of Quasi-2D Liquid State in Free Standing Platinum, Silver, Gold, and Copper Monolayers.

Recently, freestanding atomically thick Fe metal patches up to 10 atoms wide have been fabricated experimentally in tiny pores in graphene. This concept can be extended conceptually to extended freestanding monolayers. We have therefore performed ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate the early melting stages of platinum, silver, gold, and copper freestanding metal monolayers. Our calculations show that all four freestanding monolayers will form quasi-2D liquid layers with significant out-of-plane motion and diffusion in the plane. Remarkably, we observe a 4% reduction in the Pt most likely bond length as the system enters the liquid state at 2400 K (and a lower effective spring constant), compared to the system at 1200 and 1800 K. We attribute this to the reduced average number of bonds per atom in the Pt liquid state. We used the highly accurate and reliable Density Functional Theory (DFT-D) method that includes dispersion corrections. These liquid states are found at temperatures of 2400 K, 1050 K, 1600 K, and 1400 K for platinum, silver, gold, and copper respectively. The pair correlation function drops in the liquid state, while the bond orientation order parameter is reduced to a lesser degree. Movies of the simulations can be viewed online (see Supplementary Material).

[Effects of hydroxyl acetylated curcumin induced sonodynamic therapy on viability, apoptosis and necrosis of THP-1 macrophages].

OBJECTIVE: We aim to investigate the sonodynamic effect induced by hydroxyl acetylated curcumin (HAC) on THP-1 macrophages. METHODS: THP-1 derived macrophages (1 x 10(5) per milliliter) were cultured with HAC at a concentration of 5 µg/mL for 4 h and then exposed to pulse ultrasound treatment (0.5 W/cm2) for 5 min. Six hours later, cell viability analysis was performed with CCK-8 assay, apoptosis and necrosis analysis were detected with Annexin V/PI staining by flow cytometery. RESULTS: The cell viability of THP-1 macrophage decreased significantly in the group treated with the combination of HAC and ultrasound (P < 0.01), and HAC-SDT induced both apoptosis and necrosis in THP-1 macrophages, the apoptotic rate was higher than the necrotic rate with appropriate conditions, the maximum apoptosis/necrosis ratio was detected in sonodynamic therapy (SDT) group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: hAC-SDT was effective to induce THP-1 macrophages apoptosis.