Singlet oxygen production of Zn-Ag-In-S quantum dots for photodynamic treatment of cancer cells and bacteria.

Zn-Ag-In-S (ZAIS) quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized with various Ag-to-In ratios and used as novel photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT) on cancer cell inhibition and bacterial sterilization, and their structural, optical, and photodynamic properties were investigated. The alloyed QDs displayed a photoluminescence quantum yield of 72% with a long fluorescence lifetime of 5.3 µs when the Ag-to-In ratio was 1:3, suggesting a good opportunity as a dual functional platform for fluorescence imaging and PDT. The ZAIS QDs were then coated with amphiphilic brush copolymer poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-octadecene) (PMAO) before application. The 1O2 quantum yield of the ZAIS/PMAO was measured to be 8%, which was higher than previously reported CdSe QDs and comparable to some organic photosensitizers. Moreover, the ZAIS QDs showed excellent stability in aqueous and biological media, unlike organic photosensitizers that tend to degrade over time. The in vitro PDT against human melanoma cell line (A2058) and Staphylococcus aureus shows about 30% inhibition rate upon 20 min light irradiation. Cell staining images clearly demonstrated that co-treatment with ZAIS QDs and light irradiation effectively killed A2058 cells, demonstrating the potential of ZAIS QDs as novel and versatile photosensitizers for PDT in cancer and bacterial treatment, and provides useful information for future designing of QD-based photosensitizers.

[Aspartic Acid Generated in the Process of Chlorination Disinfection By-product Dichloroacetonitrile].

In this study, a method was developed for the determination of dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) in drinking water by liquid- liquid micro-extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry ( LLE-GC/MS), which used 1,2-dibromopropane as the internal standard and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as the extractant for high accuracy. The aspartic acid was used as the precursor of the DCAN formation during chlorination and the influencing factors were evaluated. The formation mechanism of DCAN was also discussed. The results showed that the DCAN amount increased with the increase of pH value under the neutral and acidic conditions, however, the amount of DCAN decreased with the increase of pH value under the alkali condition. And the final amount of DCAN under the alkali condition was much less than that under the neutral and acidic conditions. It was also found that the DCAN amount increased with the increase of chlorine addition, while the temperature in the range of 10-30°C had little influence on the DCAN formation. The formation process of the DCAN from aspartic acid by chlorination included seven steps, such as substitution, decarboxylation, oxidation, etc and ultimately formed DCAN.

Capillary electrophoresis of human follicular fluid.

Some of the major serum proteins that are also found in follicular fluid, including transferrin, alpha-macroglobulin and albumin, are thought to play a role in oocyte maturation. This study set out to identify proteins in human follicular fluid by capillary zone electrophoresis and to investigate their relationship to follicular/oocyte maturity and fertility outcome. 176 individual follicular fluid samples, from 30 women undertaking in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI), were run using an optimized capillary zone electrophoresis method that gave a good separation of sixteen peaks in most samples. Nine of the peaks were identified and quantified but seven remain unknown and require further proteomic identification. Of the identified protein peaks, levels of each were corrected for follicular volume and total content calculated. No significant difference in protein levels was found with regard to oocyte recovery and fertilization. Protein concentrations tended to decrease as the follicular sphere increased whilst total content in follicular fluid increased in proportion to size. This is consistent with simple transudation across a sphere surface area which does not increase in proportion to the follicular fluid. This is not true of the concentration and content pattern of other proteins/biomolecules which are produced by follicular cells locally. In conclusion, neither concentration nor absolute levels of nine major proteins identified in follicular fluids correlated with oocyte presence and fertility outcome. Future work to remove more concentrated proteins (e.g. albumin) would enhance separation of smaller peaks and identification of the unknown molecules.

[Study on the association between gestational diabetes mellitus and tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphism].

OBJECTIVE: To study allelic frequency of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) of Han ethnicity in north China and to determine whether there is a specific allele of TNF-alpha associated with GDM susceptibility. METHODS: By using PCR-RFLP, we detected the distribution of TNF-alpha promoter alleles frequency in GDM women and control normal pregnant women. Plasma TNF-alpha levels and insulin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: (1) There was a significant increase of A alleles frequency of TNF-alpha promoter -308 gene in GDM women compared with control group (61.4% vs 30.0%, P < 0.05) and an increase of the AA + GA genotype was observed in GDM group (71.4% vs 37.1%, P < 0.05). (2) In GDM group, the patients carrying the AA + GA genotype had higher plasma TNF-alpha levels (52 +/- 13 vs 14 +/- 4, P < 0.05) and a lower insulin sensitivity (13.6 +/- 6.5 vs 1.9 +/- 0.2, P < 0.05) compared with those carrying the other genotype (GG). CONCLUSIONS: The 308 G-->A polymorphism of TNF-alpha promoter gene is involved in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance and gestational diabetes mellitus.

[Study on association between gestational diabetes mellitus and sulfonylurea receptor-1 gene polymorphism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate allelic frequency of sulfonylurea receptor-1 (SUR1) in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) women of Han nationality in north China in order to find out susceptible gene associated with GDM, and to assess the association between SUR1 allele and body mass index (BMI) and secretion of insulin. METHODS: Seventy cases of pregnant women were selected. It included 35 cases of pregnant women with GDM (GDM group), 35 cases of normal pregnant women (normal control group). Another 35 women patients with type 2 diabetes in the same period as T2DM group. By using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), we detected the distribution of SUR1 alleles frequency in all individuals of three groups. We also examined BMI, fasting insulin (INS(0)) and 2 h insulin levels (INS(120)). RESULTS: There was significantly increased c alleles frequency of SUR1 in GDM and T2DM women compared with normal pregnancy (70.0%, 71.4% and 52.9%, P < 0.05). Also significantly increased A alleles frequency of SUR1 in GDM and T2DM women was found compared with normal pregnancy (41.4%, 44.3% and 24.3%, P < 0.05). In GDM group, women carrying cc genotype had a higher BMI [(29.2 +/- 5.6) kg/m(2)], INS(0) [(14.9 +/- 8.7) mU/L] and INS(120) [(40.2 +/- 12.1) mU/L] as compared with those in carriers of other genotypes (ct and tt) (all P < 0.05). Also they had a lower insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR) (3.9 +/- 2.5) as compared with carriers of ct genotype. Women carrying AA genotype had a higher INS(0) as compared with carriers of other genotypes (AG and GG) [(15.4 +/- 3.2), (12.1 +/- 4.5) and (11.5 +/- 4.8) mU/L, both P < 0.05]. Logistic regression analysis showed there was relationship between SUR1 cc genotype and severity of GDM (P = 0.005, RR = 25.128). CONCLUSIONS: There are -3t-->c and A/G polymorphism of SUR1 gene in the Han nationality. Alleles c of SUR1 are significantly implicated in the susceptibility to GDM. It suggests that the defect in SUR1 gene (cc and AA) may contribute to insulin hypersecretion, which might be the cause of increased body weight and decreased insulin sensitivity and genotype cc of SUR1 is connected with severe type of GDM. It might be the predictable index of GDM conversion to type 2 diabetes.