Metal-based nanoparticles in antibacterial application in biomedical field: Current development and potential mechanisms.

The rise in drug resistance in pathogenic bacteria greatly endangers public health in the post-antibiotic era, and drug-resistant bacteria currently pose a great challenge not only to the community but also to clinical procedures, including surgery, stent implantation, organ transplantation, and other medical procedures involving any open wound and compromised human immunity. Biofilm-associated drug failure, as well as rapid resistance to last-resort antibiotics, necessitates the search for novel treatments against bacterial infection. In recent years, the flourishing development of nanotechnology has provided new insights for exploiting promising alternative therapeutics for drug-resistant bacteria. Metallic agents have been applied in antibacterial usage for several centuries, and the functional modification of metal-based biomaterials using nanotechnology has now attracted great interest in the antibacterial field, not only for their intrinsic antibacterial nature but also for their ready on-demand functionalization and enhanced interaction with bacteria, rendering them with good potential in further translation. However, the possible toxicity of MNPs to the host cells and tissue still hinders its application, and current knowledge on their interaction with cellular pathways is not enough. This review will focus on recent advances in developing metallic nanoparticles (MNPs), including silver, gold, copper, and other metallic nanoparticles, for antibacterial applications, and their potential mechanisms of interaction with pathogenic bacteria as well as hosts.

Cysteine-induced growth of jagged gold bipyramids from penta-twinned nanorod seeds.

The understanding on the growth mechanism of complex gold nanostructures both experimentally and theoretically can guide their design and fabrication toward various applications. In this work, we report a cysteine-directed overgrowth of penta-twinned nanorod seeds into jagged gold bipyramids with discontinuous stepped {hhk} facets. By monitoring the growth process, we find that {hhk} facets with large k/h values (∼7) are formed first at two ends of the nanorods, followed by the protrusion of the middle section exposing {hhk} facets with smaller indices (k/h ∼ 2-3). Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the strong adsorption of cysteine molecules on {110} facets is likely responsible for the formation of stepped {hhk} facets, and the stronger adsorption of cysteine molecules on {hhk} facets with smaller k/h compared to that on {hhk} facets with larger k/h is a possible cause of the discontinuity of {hhk} facets at the middle of gold bipyramids. The obtained jagged gold bipyramids display large field enhancement under illumination due to their sharp nanostructures, demonstrating their application potentials in surface-enhanced spectroscopy and catalysis.

Overexpression of sweetpotato glutamylcysteine synthetase (IbGCS) in Arabidopsis confers tolerance to drought and salt stresses.

Various environmental stresses induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have deleterious effects on plant cells. Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant used to counteract reactive oxygen species. Glutathione is produced by glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS) and glutathione synthetase (GS). However, evidence for the GCS gene in sweetpotato remains scarce. In this study, the full-length cDNA sequence of IbGCS isolated from sweetpotato cultivar Xu18 was 1566 bp in length, which encodes 521 amino acids. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed a significantly higher expression of the IbGCS in sweetpotato flowers, and the gene was induced by salinity, abscisic acid (ABA), drought, extreme temperature and heavy metal stresses. The seed germination rate, root elongation and fresh weight were promoted in T3 Arabidopsis IbGCS-overexpressing lines (OEs) in contrast to wild type (WT) plants under mannitol and salt stresses. In addition, the soil drought and salt stress experiment results indicated that IbGCS overexpression in Arabidopsis reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, enhanced the levels of GCS activity, GSH and AsA content, and antioxidant enzyme activity. In summary, overexpressing IbGCS in Arabidopsis showed improved salt and drought tolerance.

Application of Kirschner wire placement guided technology in paediatric supracondylar humerus fractures.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the clinical efficacy of K-wire placement guided technology in paediatric supracondylar humerus fractures. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in 105 patients who underwent closed reduction and percutaneous pinning surgeries in our hospital from June 2019 to August 2022. 54 patients treated with a assisted reduction fixation device to assist in closed reduction and percutaneous K-wire cross-fixation were allocated into the Non-guided group, and 51 patients with K-wire placement guided technology to guide K-wire placement were assigned into the Guided group. The operation duration, number of disposable K-wire placement, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, Baumann angle, carrying angle, fracture healing time and Flynn score of elbow joint function at the final follow-up were compared between two groups. The postoperative complications of two groups were recorded. RESULTS: There were significant differences between two groups in terms of operation duration, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, and disposable K-wire placement rate (p < 0. 05), while no significant differences of Baumann angle, carrying angle and the fracture healing time between two groups were observed (p > 0. 05). In the control group, ulnar nerve injury in 2 case, pin site infection in 4 cases, mild cubitus varus in 2 cases and loss of reduction in 4 cases were detected. In the study group, ulnar nerve injury in 1 case, pin site infection in 2 cases and loss of reduction in 1 case was observed. There was no significant difference in Flynn scores between two groups. CONCLUSION: K-wire placement guided technology is simple and convenient. The application of K-wire placement guided technology could relatively improved disposable K-wire placement rate, shorten the intraoperative fluoroscopy frequencies and reduce complication rates.

All-Arthroscopic Glenoid Bone Augmentation Using Iliac Crest Autograft Procedure for Recurrent Anterior Shoulder Instability: Button Fixation Is a Feasible and Satisfactory Alternative to Screw Fixation.

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy of all-arthroscopic glenoid bone augmentation surgery using the iliac crest autograft procedure. Furthermore, we sought to compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of using screw versus button fixation, in patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability. METHODS: Between 2015 and 2019, 134 shoulders with persistent instability were surgically treated with an arthroscopically placed autologous iliac crest bone graft transfer procedure. Preoperative and postoperative clinical follow-up data were evaluated using the range of motion, and the Walch-Duplay, American Shoulder and Elbow Society, and Rowe scores. Radiologic assessment on 3-dimensional computed tomography scans was performed preoperatively, immediately after surgery, as well as postoperatively, at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and at the final follow-up stage. Graft positions, healing, and resorption were evaluated from postoperative images. RESULTS: This study included 102 patients who underwent arthroscopic iliac crest bone grafting procedure with 2 screws fixation (n = 37; group 1) and 2 button fixation (n = 65; group 2). The mean follow-up period was 37 months. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of clinical scores, shoulder motion range, graft healing, or graft positions on computed tomography scans (P>.05). In group 1, 1 patient showed mechanical irritation and persistent pain around the screw insertion site, being treated through the arthroscopic removal of the screws. The average postoperative bony resorption percentages were 20.3% and 11.2% at 6 months, and 32.4% and 19.3% at 12 months, in group 1 and group 2, respectively. A statistically significant difference was detected between the two groups (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the arthroscopic iliac crest bone grafting procedure for the treatment of chronic osseous anterior shoulder instability, excellent functional results were obtained after both button fixation and screw fixation techniques. In addition, less graft resorption and no hardware-related complications were detected with suture button fixation technique. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective comparative therapeutic trial.

Association of admission neutrophil serine proteinases levels with the outcomes of acute ischemic stroke: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil serine proteinases (NSPs), released by activated neutrophils, are key proteins involved in the pathophysiologic processes of stroke. NSPs are also implicated in the process and response of thrombolysis. This study aimed to analyze three NSPs (neutrophil elastase, cathepsin G, and proteinase 3) in relation to acute ischemic stroke (AIS) outcomes and in relation to the outcomes of patients treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV-rtPA). METHODS: Among 736 patients prospectively recruited at the stroke center from 2018 to 2019, 342 patients diagnosed with confirmed AIS were included. Plasma neutrophil elastase (NE), cathepsin G (CTSG), and proteinase 3 (PR3) concentrations were measured on admission. The primary endpoint was unfavorable outcome defined as modified Rankin Scale score 3-6 at 3 months, and the secondary endpoints were symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) within 48 h, and mortality within 3 months. In the subgroup of patients who received IV-rtPA, post-thrombolysis early neurological improvement (ENI) (defined as National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score = 0 or decrease of ≥ 4 within 24 h after thrombolysis) was also included as the secondary endpoint. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between NSPs levels and AIS outcomes. RESULTS: Higher NE and PR3 plasma levels were associated with the 3-month mortality and 3-month unfavorable outcome. Higher NE plasma levels were also associated with the risk of sICH after AIS. After adjusting for potential confounders, plasma NE level > 229.56 ng/mL (odds ratio [OR] = 4.478 [2.344-8.554]) and PR3 > 388.77 ng/mL (OR = 2.805 [1.504-5.231]) independently predicted the 3-month unfavorable outcome. Regarding rtPA treatment, patients with NE plasma concentration > 177.22 ng/mL (OR = 8.931 [2.330-34.238]) or PR3 > 388.77 ng/mL (OR = 4.275 [1.045-17.491]) were over 4 times more likely to suffer unfavorable outcomes after rtPA treatment. The addition of NE and PR3 to clinical predictors of unfavorable functional outcome after AIS and the outcome after rtPA treatment improved discrimination as well as reclassification (integrated discrimination improvement = 8.2% and 18.1%, continuous net reclassification improvement = 100.0% and 91.8%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma NE and PR3 are novel and independent predictors of 3-month functional outcomes after AIS. Plasma NE and PR3 also possess predictive value to identify patients with unfavorable outcomes after rtPA treatment. NE is probably an important mediator of the effects of neutrophils on stroke outcomes, which worth further investigation.

Broadband photonic-assisted microwave receiver with high cross-channel interference suppression and image rejection.

A broadband photonic-assisted microwave receiver with high cross-channel interference suppression and image rejection is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. At the input of the microwave receiver, a microwave signal is injected into an optoelectronic oscillator (OEO), which functions as a local oscillator (LO) to generate a low-phase noise LO signal as well as a photonic-assisted mixer to down-convert the input microwave signal to the intermediate frequency (IF). A microwave photonic filter (MPF), realized by the joint operation of a phase modulator (PM) in the OEO and a Fabry-Perot laser diode (FPLD), is used as a narrowband filter to select the IF signal. Thanks to the wide bandwidth of the photonic-assisted mixer and the wide frequency tunable range of the OEO, the microwave receiver can support broadband operation. The high cross-channel interference suppression and image rejection are enabled by the narrowband MPF. The system is evaluated experimentally. A broadband operation from 11.27 to 20.85 GHz is demonstrated. For a multi-channel microwave signal with a channel spacing of 2 GHz, a cross-channel interference suppression ratio of 21.95 dB and an image rejection ratio of 21.51 dB are realized. The spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) of the receiver is also measured to be 98.25 dB·Hz2/3. The performance of the microwave receiver for multi-channel communications is also experimentally evaluated.

Targeting glutaminase is therapeutically effective in ibrutinib-resistant mantle cell lymphoma.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an incurable B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by frequent relapses. The development of resistance to ibrutinib therapy remains a major challenge in MCL. We previously showed that glutaminolysis is associated with resistance to ibrutinib. In this study, we confirmed that glutaminase (GLS), the first enzyme in glutaminolysis, is overexpressed in ibrutinib-resistant MCL cells, and that its expression correlates well with elevated glutamine dependency and glutaminolysis. Furthermore, we discovered that GLS expression correlates with MYC expression and the functioning of the glutamine transporter ASCT2. Depletion of glutamine or GLS significantly reduced cell growth, while GLS overexpression enhanced glutamine dependency and ibrutinib resistance. Consistent with this, GLS inhibition by its specific inhibitor telaglenastat suppressed MCL cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, telaglenastat showed anti-MCL synergy when combined with ibrutinib or venetoclax in vitro, which was confirmed using an MCL patient-derived xenograft model. Our study provides the first evidence that targeting GLS with telaglenastat, alone or in combination with ibrutinib or venetoclax, is a promising strategy to overcome ibrutinib resistance in MCL.

Network Analysis of Endovascular Treatment Strategies for Femoropopliteal Arterial Occlusive Disease.

PURPOSE: Endovascular treatment of femoropopliteal arterial diseases remains controversial. We conducted a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials aiming to investigate the efficacy differences between paclitaxel- or sirolimus-eluting stents, covered stents, drug-coated balloons, bare metal stents, and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. METHOD: MEDLINE, Embase, Ovid, and other relevant online material were searched up to October 21, 2020. Primary endpoints were primary patency and target lesion revascularization at 6, 12, and more than 24 months. RESULTS: Thirty-eight eligible trials included 6026 patients. In terms of primary patency, drug eluting stents were ranked as the most effective treatment based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve values at 6 (80.6), 12 (78.4), and more than 24 months (96.5) of follow-ups. In terms of target lesion revascularization, drug eluting stents were ranked as the most effective treatment based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve values at 6 (90.3), 12 (71.3), and more than 24 months (82.1) of follow-ups. Covered stents and bare metal stents had higher ranks in target lesion revascularization than those in primary patency. Sirolimus stents had a higher rank than paclitaxel stents. CONCLUSION: Drug eluting stents showed encouraging results in primary patency rates and freedom from target lesion revascularization at all phases of follow-up for femoropopliteal arterial diseases. Sirolimus stents appear to be more effective in femoropopliteal segment than paclitaxel stent.

Decreased medial posterior tibial slope is associated with an increased risk of posterior cruciate ligament rupture.

PURPOSE: It remains unclear whether there is an association between posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) rupture and the medial posterior tibial slope (MTS) or lateral posterior tibial slope (LTS). The present case-control study aimed to investigate a possible association between primary PCL rupture and MTS or LTS measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted. Patients with primary PCL ruptures but not with anterior cruciate ligament injuries, were 1:1 matched by age and sex to a control group with no evidence of knee ligament injuries. Knee MRI was used to measure the MTS and LTS. In addition, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify an optimal cut-off value of the MTS and/or LTS. RESULTS: In total, 46 patients with PCL ruptures (32 males, 14 females) and 46 controls (32 males, 14 females) were included in this study. The MTS was significantly lower in the patients with PCL ruptures (3.0° ± 2.2°) than in the control group (5.1° ± 2.3°, p < 0.001). The mean LTS/MTS ratio was significantly higher in patients with PCL ruptures (2.6 ± 2.5) than in the control group (1.3 ± 1.3, p = 0.001). However, the LTS was not significantly different between patients with PCL ruptures and the controls (4.4° ± 2.3° vs. 5.3° ± 2.6°, n.s.). After the MTS was determined to be a significant predictor, the ROC analysis was performed. The ROC analysis revealed the most accurate MTS cut-off of < 3.9°, with a sensitivity of 76.1% and a specificity of 73.9%. CONCLUSION: A decreased MTS and an increased LTS/MTS ratio are associated with an increased risk of primary PCL rupture. People with MTS < 3.9° are particularly at risk for PCL ruptures, and prevention and intervention programs for PCL ruptures should be developed and targeted towards them. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

The Empty-Nest Power User Management Based on Data Mining Technology.

With the aging of the social population structure, the number of empty-nesters is also increasing. Therefore, it is necessary to manage empty-nesters with data mining technology. This paper proposed an empty-nest power user identification and power consumption management method based on data mining. Firstly, an empty-nest user identification algorithm based on weighted random forest was proposed. Compared with similar algorithms, the results indicate that the performance of the algorithm is the best, and the identification accuracy of empty-nest users is 74.2%. Then a method for analyzing the electricity consumption behavior of empty-nest users based on fusion clustering index adaptive cosine K-means was proposed, which can adaptively select the optimal number of clusters. Compared with similar algorithms, the algorithm has the shortest running time, the smallest Sum of the Squared Error (SSE), and the largest mean distance between clusters (MDC), which are 3.4281 s, 31.6591 and 13.9513, respectively. Finally, an anomaly detection model with an Auto-regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) algorithm and an isolated forest algorithm was established. The case analysis shows that the recognition accuracy of abnormal electricity consumption for empty-nest users was 86%. The results indicate that the model can effectively detect the abnormal behavior of empty-nest power users and help the power department to better serve empty-nest users.

Isolation and structure elucidation of antioxidant compounds from stem and root barks of Daphne giraldii.

Two new compounds, aphegiractin A1/A2 (1a/1b), and seven known compounds were isolated by phytochemical work on EtOAc-soluble ingredients extracted from stem and root barks of Daphne giraldii. Their structures were established based on extensive spectroscopic methods, including HRESIMS, CD experiments, 1D and 2D NMR. All compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant activity to DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging activity and inhibitory activity on tyrosinase. Of these compounds, compound 3 exhibited significant antioxidant activities.

Outcomes of physeal-sparing posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction for adolescents with an open physis.

PURPOSE: The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) rupture rarely occurs, especially in skeletally immature adolescents, and poses a dilemma in appropriately managing the open physis with its vast growth potential. However, although many epiphyseal-protecting techniques for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction have been reported, a similar problem in PCL reconstruction has received scant attention and needs more relevant research. So, this study aims to evaluate the short-term clinical and imaging results of the arthroscopic physeal-sparing reconstruction program. METHOD: All the 13 patients we reviewed in this study have accepted the arthroscopic physeal-sparing PCL reconstruction from January 2019 to December 2022 in our Department of Orthopedics. Primary demographic data collected include gender (8 males and 5 females), age (11-15 years, average 13.3 years), follow-up period (15-35 months, average 25.2 months), injury mechanism (nine non-contact injuries and four contact injuries), and days following injury (1-10 days, average 5.3 days). The assessment of clinical outcomes included pre- and postoperative physical examination, knee functional scores, and imaging data. RESULT: All patients in this study were followed up with an average 25.2-month (range 15-35 months) follow-up period. All the cases preoperatively had a positive posterior drawer test and turned negative at the final follow-up. The average ROM improved from 103.6° ± 11.4° to 132.6° ± 3.6° at the last follow-up (p < 0.05). The VAS score decreased from 5.8 ± 1.6 to 0.9 ± 0.5 (p < 0.05); the average KT-1000 healthy-side to affected-side difference decreased from 11.3 ± 1.6 to1.8 ± 0.5 mm. The comparison of all the knee functional scores (IKDC, Tegner scores, and Lysholm) at preoperative and last follow-up showed a significant difference (p < 0.05). None of the cases had operation-related complications, and all recovered to sports well. CONCLUSION: The arthroscopic physeal-sparing posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is a dependable and recommended treatment for posterior cruciate ligament rupture in adolescents with open physis, showing a striking improvement in knee function without growth arrest and angular deformity of the affected limb in the short-term follow-up.

Effects of continuous renal replacement therapy on Apache-II score, creatinine, and urea nitrogen Levels in patients with acute kidney injury.

Objective: To analyze the effects of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) on acute physiology and chronic health scoring system II (APACHE-II) score, creatinine, and urea nitrogen levels in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Methods: Medical records of 79 patients with AKI treated in Shandong Provincial Third Hospital from January 2019 to January 2021 were retrospectively divided into two groups based on the received treatment. Of them 37 patients received intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) treatment (control group) and 42 patients received CRRT (observation group). Clinical efficacy, survival rate, severity of disease, renal function and serum electrolytels and fluid balance were analyzed. Results: After the treatment, the total efficacy of the observation group was 95.24%, and the 6-month survival rate was 97.62%, which was higher than 81.08% and 83.78% in the control group, respectively (P<0.05). The Apache-II score of the observation group was (15.76±4.29), which was lower than that of the control group (23.62±5.37). Levels of creatinine, urea nitrogen, and serum levels of potassium (K+), chlorine (Cl-) and sodium (Na+) in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: CRRT can achieve significant results in the treatment of patients with AKI, help to improve the curative effect, survival rate, alleviate the severity of the disease, recovery of renal functions, the recovery of serum electrolytels and fluid balance.

Single-mode narrow-linewidth fiber ring laser with SBS-assisted parity-time symmetry for mode selection.

A single-longitudinal-mode narrow-linewidth fiber ring laser with stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) assisted parity-time (PT) symmetry for mode selection in a single fiber loop is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. When an optical pump is launched into the fiber loop along one direction, an SBS gain for the Stokes light along the opposite direction is produced. For two light waves at the Stokes frequency propagating along the two opposite directions, one will have a net gain and the other will have a net loss. By incorporating a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with partial reflection in the loop, mutual coupling between the two counterpropagating Stokes light waves is achieved. The SBS gain can be controlled by tuning the angle between the polarization directions of the pump and the Stokes light waves through a polarization controller (PC). Once the gain and loss coefficients between the two counterpropagating light waves are controlled to be identical in magnitude, and that the gain coefficient is greater than the coupling coefficient caused by the FBG, PT symmetry breaking is achieved, making the mainmode to sidemode ratio highly enhanced, single mode lasing is thus achieved. The approach is evaluated experimentally. For a fiber ring laser with a cavity length of 8.02 km, single-mode lasing with a narrow 3-dB linewidth of 368 Hz and a sidemode suppression ratio of around 33 dB is demonstrated. The wavelength tunable range from 1550.02 to 1550.18 nm is also demonstrated.

Optoelectronic oscillator with improved sidemode suppression by joint use of spectral Vernier effect and parity-time symmetry.

An optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) with improved sideband suppression by joint use of the spectral Vernier effect and parity-time (PT) symmetry is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The spectral Vernier effect is implemented using two mutually coupled loops with different loop lengths, to increase the effective free spectral range (FSR). To further increase the mode selection capability to ensure stable single-frequency oscillation with an increased sidemode suppression ratio (SMSR), PT symmetry is implemented, in which the two mutually coupled loops are controlled with balanced gain and loss. Thanks to the combined effects, stable single-mode oscillation with a significantly increased SMSR is achieved. The proposed OEO is studied theoretically and evaluated experimentally. The results show that for a generated microwave signal at 10 GHz, the SMSR is 67.68 dB, which is increased by 11.20 dB or 26.05 dB, when using only the spectral Vernier effect or only the PT symmetry. Thanks to the long length of the longer loop, good phase noise performance is still maintained. The measurement shows that a phase noise as low as -124.5 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 10 kHz is achieved.

Folate deficiency enhances the in vitro genotoxicity of bile acids in human colon and liver cells.

Obese subjects have a high baseline of genotoxic stress, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Given that obesity is associated with high bile acids (BA) and low folate, we aimed to determine the interactive effect of folate deficient or supplementation to the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of BA in human colon and liver cells. NCM460 and L-02 cells were cultured in folate-deficient (22.6 nM) and replete (2260 nM) Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI)-1640 medium with or without 50 µM deoxycholic acid (DCA) or lithocholic acid (LCA) for 7 days. Moreover, these cells were cultured in folate supplemented (5.65, 11.3 and 22.6 µM) and standard (2.26 µM) medium with 200 µM DCA or LCA for 7 days. Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity were measured using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay. Our results showed that under folate-replete condition, 50 µM DCA or LCA significantly increased the rate of micronuclei (MN) in NCM460 and L-02 cells. Significantly, the MN-inducing effect of 50 µM DCA or LCA was further enhanced by folate deficiency. Interestingly, folate supplementation exerted a dose-dependent manner to significantly decrease the rates of MN, nucleoplasmic bridges, nuclear buds, apoptosis, and necrosis induced by 200 µM DCA or LCA in NCM460 and L-02 cells. In conclusion, the genotoxicity of moderate BA (50 µM) was exacerbated by folate deficiency and folate supplementation could efficiently protect cells against the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of high BA (200 µM).

Selective EZH2 inhibitor zld1039 alleviates inflammation in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury partially by enhancing RKIP and suppressing NF-κB p65 pathway.

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a component of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), is a histone lysine methyltransferase mediating trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3), which is a repressive marker at the transcriptional level. EZH2 sustains normal renal function and its overexpression has bad properties. Inhibition of EZH2 overexpression exerts protective effect against acute kidney injury (AKI). A small-molecule compound zld1039 has been developed as an efficient and selective EZH2 inhibitor. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of zld1039 in the treatment of cisplatin-induced AKI in mice. Before injection of cisplatin (20 mg/kg, i.p.), mice were administered zld1039 (100, 200 mg/kg, i.g.) once, then in the following 3 days. We found that cisplatin-treated mice displayed serious AKI symptoms, evidenced by kidney dysfunction and kidney histological injury, accompanied by EZH2 upregulation in the nucleus of renal tubular epithelial cells. Administration of zld1039 dose-dependently alleviated renal dysfunction as well as the histological injury, inflammation and cell apoptosis in cisplatin-treated mice. We revealed that zld1039 administration exerted an anti-inflammatory effect in kidney of cisplatin-treated mice via H3K27me3 inhibition, raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) upregulation and NF-κB p65 repression. In the cisplatin-treated mouse renal tubular epithelial (TCMK-1) cells, silencing of RKIP with siRNA did not abolish the anti-inflammatory effect of EZH2 inhibition, suggesting that RKIP was partially involved in the anti-inflammatory effect of zld1039. Collectively, EZH2 inhibition alleviates inflammation in cisplatin-induced mouse AKI via upregulating RKIP and blocking NF-κB p65 signaling in cisplatin-induced AKI. The potent and selective EZH2 inhibitor zld1039 has the potential as a promising agent for the treatment of AKI.

Single-stage arthroscopic-assisted treatment of anteromedial tibial plateau fracture with posterolateral corner injury: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Anteromedial tibial plateau fracture with posterolateral corner (PLC) injury is a relatively rare combined injury in the clinic. In addition, there is no unified treatment scheme for this combined injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and imaging results of single-stage arthroscopic-assisted surgery for anteromedial tibial plateau fracture with PLC injury, and to explore the advantages of this surgical technique. METHOD: In this retrospective study, a total of 9 patients (7 males and 2 females) were included, aged 24-64 years (average 40.7 years), treated in our Department of Orthopedics from January 2016 to January 2021. In the preoperative evaluations, there were 9 cases of anteromedial tibial plateau fractures with PLC injuries, 6 cases of concomitant PCL injuries, 6 cases of concomitant medial or lateral meniscus injuries, and 2 cases of concomitant fibular head avulsion fractures. All patients underwent single-stage arthroscopic-assisted surgery. RESULTS: All patients were followed up, and the average follow-up period was 15.2 months (range 12-18 months). The average operation time was 135.6 min (range 100-160 min), and the average surgical blood loss was 87.2 ml (range 60-110 ml). The anatomical reduction was achieved in 9 cases, and the anatomical reduction rate was 100%. The average fracture healing time was 13.1 weeks (range 12-16 weeks). At the last follow-up, the average VAS score was 1 (range 0-2); the average Lysholm function score was 90.7 (range 86-95), and the average IKDC score was 91.4 (range 88-95); the average knee extension angle of all patients was 0° and the average knee flexion angle was 128.3° (average 120-135°); The posterior drawer test, the Lachman test and the dial test were negative for all cases. None of the patients had operation-related complications. CONCLUSION: Single-stage arthroscopy-assisted surgery in the treatment of anteromedial tibial plateau fracture with PLC injury can achieve good clinical outcomes, restore the stability of the knee joint, and reduce the risk of severe lower extremity dysfunction.

Positive and negative effects of nanoscale zero-valent iron-enriched biochar on sulfamethoxazole remediation in contaminated soil.

This study prepared surface-modified biochar, including acid washing biochar (HBC) and biochar supported with nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI-HBC). The surface-modified biochar was added to sulfamethoxazole (SMX)-contaminated soil with and without earthworms to examine the effects of surface-modified biochar and/or earthworms (Eisenia fetida) on the levels of SMX and its relevant genes (sul1, sul2, and intI1) in the soil. Additionally, the joint toxicity of these exogenous substances on earthworms was investigated. The results showed that although earthworms significantly enhanced the dissipation of SMX in the soils with and without HBC, this effect was not observed in the soil with nZVI-HBC. Among all treatments, nZVI-HBC most effectively accelerated SMX dissipation in the soil, regardless of coexisting earthworms. However, the presence of earthworms significantly increased the total relative abundances of sul1, sul2, and intI1 in the soil. A reasonable explanation for this is the shift in the bacterial community composition rather than the residual level of SMX. When earthworms coexisted, the richness of Proteobacteria evidently increased, which was the main host of the above genes. Both HBC and nZVI-HBC decreased these genes in the soil with earthworms, which was mainly due to the decrease in host genera from Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes. Although there was toxicity of single-surface-modified biochar or SMX on earthworms, the synergistic interaction of surface-modified biochar and SMX resulted in the most serious histopathological changes in earthworms and their highest superoxide dismutase activity.