Assessment of Polyethylene Glycol-Coated Gold Nanoparticle Toxicity and Inflammation In Vivo Using NF-κB Reporter Mice.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) coating of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) improves AuNP distribution via blood circulation. The use of PEG-coated AuNPs was shown to result in acute injuries to the liver, kidney, and spleen, but long-term toxicity has not been well studied. In this study, we investigated reporter induction for up to 90 days in NF-κB transgenic reporter mice following intravenous injection of PEG-coated AuNPs. The results of different doses (1 and 4 µg AuNPs per gram of body weight), particle sizes (13 nm and 30 nm), and PEG surfaces (methoxyl- or carboxymethyl-PEG 5 kDa) were compared. The data showed up to 7-fold NF-κB reporter induction in mouse liver from 3 h to 7 d post PEG-AuNP injection compared to saline-injected control mice, and gradual reduction to a level similar to control by 90 days. Agglomerates of PEG-AuNPs were detected in liver Kupffer cells, but neither gross pathological abnormality in liver sections nor increased activity of liver enzymes were found at 90 days. Injection of PEG-AuNPs led to an increase in collagen in liver sections and elevated total serum cholesterol, although still within the normal range, suggesting that inflammation resulted in mild fibrosis and affected hepatic function. Administrating PEG-AuNPs inevitably results in nanoparticles entrapped in the liver; thus, further investigation is required to fully assess the long-term impacts by PEG-AuNPs on liver health.

[Survey on the recessive infection of pathogen to hand-foot-mouth disease among healthy adults and children in Guangdong province].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the pathogen-carrying status of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) among healthy people in Guangdong province. METHODS: Stool specimens were collected randomly on 7 age groups from 7 cities in Guangdong province. Real-time RT-PCR was used to detect enterovirus (EV), enterovirus 71 (EV71) and coxsackie virus A16 (CA16). RESULTS: Altogether, 1285 stool specimens were collected. The positive rates of EV71, CA16 and other enterovirus were 0.39% (5/1285), 0.23% (3/1285) and 7.00% (90/1285), respectively. The highest EV71 positive rate (1.79%) was among the 4-6-year-old group, followed by the age group 0 - 3 with positive rate as 0.67%. EV71 was not found among the rest age groups. The highest CA16 positive rate (1.35%) was among the 4 - 6 year-olds group, but the CA16 was not found among the rest age groups. EV71 was only found among native population, with the positive-rate as 0.47%. CA16-positive rate was 0.19% among the native population and 0.85% among floating population, with no significant difference found (P > 0.05). The EV71 positive rate was 0.36% among rural residents and 0.54% among urban residents, but with no significant difference (P > 0.05). All CA16 was found among the urban residents. CONCLUSION: Recessive infection of EV71 and CA16 were only found among 0-6 year-old group but not found among other groups, which suggested that the approaches on prevention and control should be targeted to all children especially on pre-school children.

An enterovirus 71 epidemic in Guangdong Province of China, 2008: epidemiological, clinical, and virogenic manifestations.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is shown to be a major causative agent in outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) reported in Guangdong (GD) Province of China in 2008. A total of 48,876 HFMD cases (131 severe and 21 fatal) were reported to the GD HFMD web-based surveillance system, which covers 871 clinics. The main causes of death included central nervous system damage, heart failure, and pulmonary edema. The incidence rate was 52 per 100,000, and the epidemic peak appeared in May and June. EV71 was found in 59% and coxsackievirus A16 in 26% of 936 laboratory-confirmed cases. Other viruses are likely to be responsible for the remaining 15% of cases. Of the 185 EV71 cases collected, 62% were mild, 27% were severe, and the remaining 11% were fatal. A total of 17 EV71 isolates were subjected to nucleotide sequencing of the entire VP1 gene. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the GD EV71 strains belonged to the C4 subgenotype and that EV71 circulates at a national rather than a regional level. A Comparison with the VP1 gene from a different clinical case showed that there was no obvious virulence determinant in this locus. Furthermore, this study found that most deaths occurred in rural areas, thereby indicating that delayed diagnosis and incorrect treatment may play an important role.