A randomized comparison of two paclitaxel-coated balloons for the treatment of in-stent restenosis: The LONGTY ISR China randomized trial (LONGTY DCB vs. SeQuent Please DCB).

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to compare the efficacy and clinical safety of the LONGTY drug-coated balloon (DCB) with those of SeQuent Please DCB in patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR). BACKGROUND: Although DCB technologies have evolved, little is known about the clinical efficacy of the new-generation LONGTY DCB. METHODS: This was a prospective, multicenter, randomized, noninferiority trial comparing LONGTY DCB with SeQuent Please DCB in patients with ISR. The primary endpoint was target lesion late lumen loss at 9 months' follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 211 patients with ISR from 13 Chinese sites were included (LONGTY DCB, n = 105; SeQuent Please DCB, n = 106). Device success was achieved in all patients. At the 9 month angiographic follow-up, target lesion late lumen loss was 0.35 ± 0.42 mm with LONGTY and 0.38 ± 0.45 mm with SeQuent Please (p for noninferiority <.001). The target lesion revascularization rates at 1 year were similar in both DCB groups (15.24 vs. 13.21%; p = .673). Over an extended follow-up of 2 years, the clinical endpoints, including cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and thrombus rate, were extremely low and similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter, head-to-head, randomized trial, the new-generation LONGTY DCB was noninferior to the SeQuent Please DCB for the primary endpoint of target lesion late lumen loss at 9 months.

Historic changes of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in juvenile and adult cetaceans from the Pearl River estuary from 2003 to 2020.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as a type of legacy persistent organic pollutants, pose significant health threats to wildlife. However, long-term residue changes and profiles of PCBs in cetaceans have not been extensively studied in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), an important marine mammal area in China. Here, the body burdens, spatiotemporal trends, and health risks of 21 chlorobiphenyl congeners (∑21CBs) were analyzed in blubber samples collected from twelve cetacean species (n = 172) in the PRE from 2003 to 2020. Our results revealed medium levels of PCBs (316-96,233 ng g-1 lipid) compared to those reported for cetaceans elsewhere (70-370,000 ng g-1 lipid). Clear differences in PCB distribution patterns between inshore and offshore cetaceans and between odontocetes and mysticetes were also found. Both the coastal Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) and Indo-Pacific finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) displayed similarly fine-scale spatial distribution patterns of PCBs, suggesting that the two cetaceans could serve as bioindicators of PCB pollution in the PRE. Additionally, both cetaceans exhibited decreasing trends in their blubber PCB concentrations over the past 20 years, likely reflecting the effective regulation of PCBs in the PRE Delta. Nevertheless, the relatively high and stable PCB-toxic equivalent (TEQ) levels detected in calf humpback dolphins during the sampling period suggested that the calves are still under the stresses of high PCB-related health risks. Our results highlight the need for more efforts to eliminate PCB contamination to prevent these cetaceans from continuous population decline and further extinction.

PEG-nanolized ultrasmall selenium nanoparticles overcome drug resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells through induction of mitochondria dysfunction.

Gray selenium (Se) is one of the most widely used Se sources with very limited biocompatibility and bioactivity. In the present study, a simple method for the preparation of ultrasmall selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) through direct nanolization of gray selenium by polyethylene glycol (PEG) was demonstrated. Monodisperse and homogeneous PEG-SeNPs with ultrasmall diameters were successfully prepared under optimized conditions. The products were characterized using various microscopic and spectroscopic methods, and the results suggest that the amphoteric properties of PEG and the coordination between oxygen and selenium atoms contributed to the formation of ultrasmall nanoparticles. PEG-SeNPs exhibited stronger growth inhibition on drug-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma (R-HepG2) cells than on normal HepG2 cells. Dose-dependent apoptosis was induced by PEG-SeNPs in R-HepG2 cells, as evidenced by an increase in the sub-G1 cell population. Further investigation on the underlying molecular mechanisms revealed that depletion of mitochondrial membrane potential and generation of superoxide anions contributed to PEG-SeNPs-induced apoptotic cell death in R-HepG2 cells. Our results suggest that PEG-SeNPs may be a candidate for further evaluation as a chemotherapeutic agent for drug-resistant liver cancer, and the strategy to use PEG200 as a surface decorator could be a highly efficient way to enhance the anticancer efficacy of nanomaterials.