Avellanin A Has an Antiproliferative Effect on TP-Induced RWPE-1 Cells via the PI3K-Akt Signalling Pathway.

Cyclic pentapeptide compounds have garnered much attention as a drug discovery resource. This study focused on the characterization and anti-benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) properties of avellanin A from Aspergillus fumigatus fungus in marine sediment samples collected in the Beibu Gulf of Guangxi Province in China. The antiproliferative effect and molecular mechanism of avellanin A were explored in testosterone propionate (TP)-induced RWPE-1 cells. The transcriptome results showed that avellanin A significantly blocked the ECM-receptor interaction and suppressed the downstream PI3K-Akt signalling pathway. Molecular docking revealed that avellanin A has a good affinity for the cathepsin L protein, which is involved in the terminal degradation of extracellular matrix components. Subsequently, qRT-PCR analysis revealed that the expression of the genes COL1A1, COL1A2, COL5A2, COL6A3, MMP2, MMP9, ITGA2, and ITGB3 was significantly downregulated after avellanin A intervention. The Western blot results also confirmed that it not only reduced ITGB3 and FAK/p-FAK protein expression but also inhibited PI3K/p-PI3K and Akt/p-Akt protein expression in the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway. Furthermore, avellanin A downregulated Cyclin D1 protein expression and upregulated Bax, p21WAF1/Cip1, and p53 proapoptotic protein expression in TP-induced RWPE-1 cells, leading to cell cycle arrest and inhibition of cell proliferation. The results of this study support the use of avellanin A as a potential new drug for the treatment of BPH.

New Cyclic Pentapeptides from the Mangrove-Derived Aspergillus fumigatus GXIMD 03099.

Four new cyclic pentapeptides, avellanins D-G (1-4), together with four known compounds (5-8), were isolated from a mangrove-derived Aspergillus fumigatus GXIMD 03099 fungus from Acanthus ilicifolius L. Their structures were elucidated by analysis of HRESIMS, NMR, and ESI-MS/MS data. Their absolute configurations were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis and Marfey's method. Compounds 1-8 were screened for insecticidal and antibacterial activities. Compound 2 showed insecticidal activity against newly hatched larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus with an LC50 value of 86.6 µM; compound 4 had weak activity against Vibrio harveyi with an MIC value of 5.85 µM.

New Polyene Macrolide Compounds from Mangrove-Derived Strain Streptomyces hiroshimensis GXIMD 06359: Isolation, Antifungal Activity, and Mechanism against Talaromyces marneffei.

Mangrove-derived actinomycetes represent a rich source of novel bioactive natural products in drug discovery. In this study, four new polyene macrolide antibiotics antifungalmycin B-E (1-4), along with seven known analogs (5-11), were isolated from the fermentation broth of the mangrove strain Streptomyces hiroshimensis GXIMD 06359. All compounds from this strain were purified using semi-preparative HPLC and Sephadex LH-20 gel filtration while following an antifungal activity-guided fractionation. Their structures were elucidated through spectroscopic techniques including UV, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR. These compounds exhibited broad-spectrum antifungal activity against Talaromyces marneffei with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values being in the range of 2-128 µg/mL except compound 2. This is the first report of polyene derivatives produced by S. hiroshimensis as bioactive compounds against T. marneffei. In vitro studies showed that compound 1 exerted a significantly stronger antifungal activity against T. marneffei than other new compounds, and the antifungal mechanism of compound 1 may be related to the disrupted cell membrane, which causes mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in leakage of intracellular biological components, and subsequently, cell death. Taken together, this study provides a basis for compound 1 preventing and controlling talaromycosis.

New Alkaloids and Steroids from Hydranth of Goniopora columna Corals and Their Inhibiting Lung Cancer Cell Activities.

A new alkaloids, aplysingoniopora A (1), and new configuration pregnane type steroid compound, 9,17-α-pregn-1,4,20-en-3-one (2), and two known pregnane type steroid compounds (3 and 4) were isolated from hydranth of Goniopora columna corals. The compounds structures and absolute configurations were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis, MS data, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and quantum chemical calculation. The anticancer effect of the compounds were explored in human non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cell lines. As the results, the compound 3 and 4 induces toxicity and has proliferation inhibitory effects on A549 cells (IC50=58.99 µM and 58.77 µM, respectively) in vitro.

[Urinary protein and renal pathological features in children with immunoglobulin A vasculitis with nephritis and hypercoagulability]. / 儿童IgAè¡€ç®¡ç‚Žè‚¾ç‚Žä¼´é«˜å‡çŠ¶æ€çš„å°¿è›‹ç™½å’Œè‚¾è„ç— ç†ç‰¹å¾åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To study the association of hypercoagulability with urinary protein and renal pathological damage in children with immunoglobulin A vasculitis with nephritis (IgAVN). METHODS: Based on the results of coagulation function, 349 children with IgAVN were divided into a hypercoagulability group consisting of 52 children and a non-hypercoagulability group consisting of 297 children. Urinary protein and renal pathological features were compared between the two groups, and the factors influencing the formation of hypercoagulability in children with IgAVN were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the non-hypercoagulability group, the hypercoagulability group had significantly higher levels of urinary erythrocyte count, 24-hour urinary protein, urinary protein/creatinine, urinary immunoglobulin G/creatinine, and urinary N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminidase (P<0.05). The hypercoagulability group also had a significantly higher proportion of children with a renal pathological grade of III-IV, diffuse mesangial proliferation, capillary endothelial cell proliferation, or >25% crescent formation (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that capillary endothelial cell proliferation and glomerular crescent formation >25% were associated with the formation of hypercoagulability in children with IgAVN (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The renal injury in IgAVN children with hypercoagulability is more severe, with greater than 25% crescent formation and increased proliferation of glomerular endothelial cells being important contributing factors that exacerbate the hypercoagulable state in IgAVN.

Nitrogen removal enhancement reinforced by nitritation/anammox in an anaerobic/oxic/anoxic system with integrated fixed biofilm activated sludge.

The enhancement of nitrogen removal was reinforced by nitritation/anammox in an anaerobic/oxic/anoxic (AOA) system of integrated fixed biofilm activated sludge. Nitritation was first attained by the method of free nitrous acid (FNA) inhibition with ammonia residues, and anaerobic ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) were then added into the system, which enabled the occurrence of nitritation coupled with anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox). The results indicated that nitrogen removal was enhanced by the nitritation/anammox pathway with an efficiency of 88.9%. A microbial analysis showed that the ammonia oxidizing bacterium (AOB) Nitrosomonas was enriched on the biofilm (5.98%) and in the activated sludge (2.40%), and the AnAOB Candidatus Brocadia was detected on the biofilm with a proportion of 0.27%. Nitritation/anammox was attained and maintained due to the accumulation of functional bacteria.

Research advances of ammonia oxidation microorganisms in wastewater: metabolic characteristics, microbial community, influencing factors and process applications.

Ammonia oxidation carried out by ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms (AOMs) is a central step in the global nitrogen cycle. Aerobic AOMs comprise conventional ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), novel ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), which could exist in complex and extreme conditions, and complete ammonia oxidizers (comammox), which directly oxidize ammonia to nitrate within a single cell. Anaerobic AOMs mainly comprise anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB), which can transform NH4+-N and NO2--N into N2 under anaerobic conditions. In this review, the unique metabolic characteristics, microbial community of AOMs and the influencing factors are discussed. Process applications of nitrification/denitrification, nitritation/denitrification, nitritation/anammox and partial denitrification/anammox in wastewater treatment systems are emphasized. The future development of nitrogen removal processes using AOMs is expected, enrichment of comammox facilitates the complete nitrification performance, inhibiting the activity of comammox and NOB could achieve stable nitritation, and additionally, AnAOB conducting the anammox process in municipal wastewater is a promising development direction.

Current Progress of Platelet-Rich Derivatives in Cartilage and Joint Repairs.

In recent years, several types of platelet concentrates have been investigated and applied in many fields, particularly in the musculoskeletal system. Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is an autologous biomaterial, a second-generation platelet concentrate containing platelets and growth factors in the form of fibrin membranes prepared from the blood of patients without additives. During tissue regeneration, platelet concentrates contain a higher percentage of leukocytes and a flexible fibrin net as a scaffold to improve cell migration in angiogenic, osteogenic, and antibacterial capacities during tissue regeneration. PRF enables the release of molecules over a longer period, which promotes tissue healing and regeneration. The potential of PRF to simulate the physiology and immunology of wound healing is also due to the high concentrations of released growth factors and anti-inflammatory cytokines that stimulate vessel formation, cell proliferation, and differentiation. These products have been used safely in clinical applications because of their autologous origin and minimally invasive nature. We focused on a narrative review of PRF therapy and its effects on musculoskeletal, oral, and maxillofacial surgeries and dermatology. We explored the components leading to the biological activity and the published preclinical and clinical research that supports its application in musculoskeletal therapy. The research generally supports the use of PRF as an adjuvant for various chronic muscle, cartilage, and tendon injuries. Further clinical trials are needed to prove the benefits of utilizing the potential of PRF.

Cytological, physiological and transcriptomic analysis of variegated Leaves in Primulina pungentisepala offspring.

BACKGROUND: Primulina pungentisepala is suitable for use as a potted plant because of its beautiful leaf variegation, which is significantly different in its selfed offspring. However, the mechanism of P. pungentisepala leaf variegation is unclear. In this study, two types of offspring showing the greatest differences were compared in terms of leaf structure, chlorophyll contents, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and transcriptomes to provide a reference for studying the molecular mechanism of structural leaf variegation. RESULTS: Air spaces were found between water storage tissue, and the palisade tissue cells were spherical in the white type. The content of chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll (chlorophyll a + b) was significantly lower in the white type, but there were no significant differences in the content of chlorophyll b, chlorophyll a/b or chlorophyll fluorescence parameters between the white and green types. We performed transcriptomic sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in cell division and differentiation, chlorophyll metabolism and photosynthesis. Among these genes, the expression of the cell division- and differentiation-related leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs), xyloglucan endotransglycosylase/hydrolase (XET/H), pectinesterase (PE), expansin (EXP), cellulose synthase-like (CSL), VARIEGATED 3 (VAR3), and ZAT10 genes were downregulated in the white type, which might have promoted the development air spaces and variant palisade cells. Chlorophyll biosynthesis-related hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HEMC) and the H subunit of magnesium chelatase (CHLH) were downregulated, while chlorophyll degradation-related chlorophyllase-2 (CHL2) was upregulated in the white type, which might have led to lower chlorophyll accumulation. CONCLUSION: Leaf variegation in P. pungentisepala was caused by a combination of mechanisms involving structural variegation and low chlorophyll levels. Our research provides significant insights into the molecular mechanisms of structural leaf variegation.

Improvement of macrolactins production by the genetic adaptation of Bacillus siamensis A72 to saline stress via adaptive laboratory evolution.

BACKGROUND: Macrolactins, a type of macrolide antibiotic, are toxic to the producer strains. As such, its level is usually maintained below the lethal concentration during the fermentation process. To improve the production of macrolactins, we applied adaptive laboratory evolution technology to engineer a saline-resistant mutant strain. The hypothesis that strains with saline resistance show improved macrolactins production was investigated. RESULTS: Using saline stress as a selective pressure, we engineered a mutant strain with saline resistance coupled with enhanced macrolactins production within 60 days using a self-made device. As compared with the parental strain, the evolved strain produced macrolactins with 11.93% improvement in non-saline stress fermentation medium containing 50 g/L glucose, when the glucose concentration increased to 70 g/L, the evolved strain produced macrolactins with 71.04% improvement. RNA sequencing and metabolomics results revealed that amino acid metabolism was involved in the production of macrolactins in the evolved strain. Furthermore, genome sequencing of the evolved strain revealed a candidate mutation, hisDD41Y, that was causal for the improved MLNs production, it was 3.42 times higher than the control in the overexpression hisDD41Y strain. Results revealed that saline resistance protected the producer strain from feedback inhibition of end-product (macrolide antibiotic), resulting in enhanced MLNs production. CONCLUSIONS: In the present work, we successfully engineered a mutant strain with enhanced macrolactins production by adaptive laboratory evolution using saline stress as a selective pressure. Based on physiological, transcriptomic and genetic analysis, amino acid metabolism was found to benefit macrolactins production improvement. Our strategy might be applicable to improve the production of other kinds of macrolide antibiotics and other toxic compounds. The identification of the hisD mutation will allow for the deduction of metabolic engineering strategies in future research.

Toxoplasma gondii tkl1 Deletion Mutant Is a Promising Vaccine against Acute, Chronic, and Congenital Toxoplasmosis in Mice.

In this study, we generated a tkl1 deletion mutant in the Toxoplasma gondii type 1 RH (RHΔtkl1) strain and tested the protective efficacies of vaccination using RHΔtkl1 tachyzoites against acute, chronic, and congenital T. gondii infections in Kunming mice. Mice vaccinated with RHΔtkl1 mounted a strong humoral and cellular response as shown by elevated levels of anti-T. gondii-specific IgG, IL-2, IL-12, IFN-γ, and IL-10. All RHΔtkl1-vaccinated mice survived a lethal challenge with 1 × 103 tachyzoites of type 1 RH or ToxoDB#9 (PYS or TgC7) strain as well as 100 cysts or oocysts of Prugniuad strain. All mock-vaccinated plus infected mice have died. Vaccination also protected against cyst- or oocyst-caused chronic infection, reduced vertical transmission caused by oocysts, increased litter size, and maintained body weight of pups born to dams challenged with 10 oocysts on day 5 of gestation. In contrast, all mock-vaccinated plus oocysts-infected dams had aborted, and no fetus has survived. Vaccinated dams remained healthy postinfection, and their brain cyst burden was significantly reduced compared with mock-vaccinated dams infected with oocysts. In vivo depletion of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and B cells revealed that CD8+ T cells are involved in the protection of mice against T. gondii infection. Additionally, adoptive transfer of CD8+ T cells from RHΔtkl1-vaccinated mice significantly enhanced the survival of naive mice infected with the pathogenic strain. Together, these data reaffirm the importance of CD8+ T cell responses in future vaccine design for toxoplasmosis and present T. gondii tkl1 gene as a promising vaccine candidate.

The effects of different parity and delivery mode on wheezing disorders in the children-a retrospective cohort study in Fujian, China.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between childbirth delivery methods and the risk of wheezing in children remains controversial. Few studies have explored it under different maternal conditions. OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of childbirth delivery method on the onset of wheezing in children of different parity. METHODS: A total of 21716 patients were included in this retrospective observational study. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between childbirth delivery method and wheezing in children under 18 years of age in Fujian Province. RESULTS: Wheezing differed statistically based on the child's sex, age, season of onset, parity, jaundice history, and feeding patterns (P < 0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, in cases of parity greater than two, the risk of wheezing in cesarean section deliveries was higher than that in vaginal deliveries (OR: 1.107; 95% CI 1.010-1.214). In girls with parity greater than two (OR: 1.179; 95% CI 1.003-1.387) and normal-weight infants with parity greater than two (OR: 1.106; 95% CI 1.003-1.220), the risk of wheezing in cesarean section deliveries was higher. The interaction term between the mode of childbirth and parity was significant in girls (P = 0.014). CONCLUSION: The method of childbirth delivery and parity are related to the risk of wheezing and may be relevant to gender and birth weight. Parity and gender have synergistic effects on wheezing.

Biological Secondary Metabolites from the Lumnitzera littorea-Derived Fungus Penicillium oxalicum HLLG-13

Five new compounds, including two cyclopiane diterpenes conidiogenones J and K (1-2), a steroid andrastin H (5), an alkaloid (Z)-4-(5-acetoxy-N-hydroxy-3-methylpent-2-enamido) butanoate (6), and an aliphatic acid (Z)-5-acetoxy-3-methylpent-2-enoic acid (7), together with ten known compounds (3-4 and 8-15) were isolated from the EtOAc extract of the fermentation broth of the Lumnitzera littorea-derived fungus Penicillium oxalicum HLLG-13. Their structures were elucidated by 1D, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS spectral analyses. The absolute configurations of 1, 2, 5, and 8 were determined by quantum chemical electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and the absolute configuration of 8 was determined for the first time. Compound 15 was a new natural product, and its NMR data were reported for the first time. Compounds 5 and 9-14 exhibited antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Candida albicans, with MIC values ranging from 6.25 to 25 µg/ mL. Compounds 1-6 and 9-14 showed significant growth inhibition activities against newly hatched Helicoverpa armigera Hubner larvae, with IC50 values ranging from 50 to 200 µg/mL.

Identification, biogenesis and function prediction of novel circRNA during the chicken ALV-J infection.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a new non-coding RNA with a highly conserved and stable covalently closed loop structure, and it plays an important role in a variety of biological processes and the occurrence of diseases. Based on the sequencing results, circRNA_3079 had the most significant difference between the infected group and normal group, up to about 8 times. It has attracted our attention and was selected for further verification and analysis. Though the characteristics analysis of circRNA_3079 in chicken, we found circRNA_3079 is a stable, circular transcript, which mainly exists in the cytoplasm. And it is widely expressed in various tissues of chickens, and highly expressed in lung, spleen, lymph and bursa of fabricius. Bioinformatics analysis results showed that circRNA_3079 and the predicted target genes are enriched in many pathways related to immunity or tumors, such as p53 signaling pathway, Jak-STAT signaling pathway and NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, which revealed that circRNA_3079 may indirectly regulate the ALV-J infection process through the regulation of target genes.HIGHLIGHTSCircRNA_3079 is an abundant and stable circular RNA expressed in different tissues and cells in chicken.The circularization of circRNA_3079 does not depend on the reverse complementary repetitive sequence of the flanking sequence.CircRNA_3079 may indirectly regulate the ALV-J infection process.

Comprehensive analysis of pedicle screw implantation in the C7 vertebra using computed tomography-based three-dimensional models.

BACKGROUND: From a biomechanical point of view, pedicle screws (PS) are better than other kinds of screws for implantation in the seventh cervical vertebra (C7). However, the application of PS is limited because of the high risk of severe complications. It is essential to define the optimal entry point and trajectory. The aim of this study was to comprehensively analyze the starting point and trajectory for C7 PS insertion using three dimensional (3D) models. METHODS: Overall, 60 subjects aged 18 to 67 years old were included. All CT images were used to construct 3D computer models of the C7 vertebrae. A new coordinate system was established for the next evaluation. The pedicle axis was calculated with respect to the entire pedicle; then, the ideal entry point, screw diameter and length, sagittal angle and lateral angle were assessed. RESULTS: All the ideal entry points were located at the medial superior to lateral notch (LN), and the mean distance between the entry point and LN was 5.86 ± 1.67 mm in the horizontal direction and 3.47 ± 1.57 mm in the vertical direction. The mean distance between the entry point and the middle point of the inferior edge of the C6 articular process (MP) was 0.74 ± 1.83 mm in the horizontal direction. The mean sagittal angle of the pedicle axis was 90.42°, and the mean pedicle transverse angle was 30.70°. The average diameter and length of the PS were 6.51 ± 0.76 mm and 31.58 ± 4.40 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided a novel method to calculate the ideal starting point and trajectory for C7 PS insertion. These measurements may be helpful for preoperative planning. It is recommended that 3D CT imaging is used preoperatively to carefully evaluate the anatomy of each individual.

Caregiving stress among family caregivers of older adults living with disabilities in China.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe caregiving stress among family caregivers of Chinese older adults living with disabilities, and explore how care intensity, financial expenses, and care difficulties are associated with caregiving stress. METHODS: Data of 220 older adult-caregiver dyads were collected from 6 urban districts and 6 rural counties from Shandong province, China. Descriptive analyses and multivariate ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: Family caregivers providing nine or more hours of care per day reported higher caregiving stress than those who provided fewer than nine hours. Caregivers who experienced insufficient care abilities, economic hardships, or time conflicts were more likely to report caregiving stress. Financial support provided to older adults was not associated with caregiving stress. CONCLUSIONS: Family caregivers of Chinese older adults with disabilities are experiencing excessive caregiving stress. Social support groups and China's long-term care insurance system should be promoted to better assist family caregivers.

Novel roles of dense granule protein 12 (GRA12) in Toxoplasma gondii infection.

Dense granule protein 12 (GRA12) is implicated in a range of processes related to the establishment of Toxoplasma gondii infection, such as the formation of the intravacuolar network (IVN) within the parasitophorous vacuole (PV). This protein is also thought to be important for T. gondii-host interaction, pathogenesis, and immune evasion, but their exact roles remain unknown. In this study, the contributions of GRA12 to the molecular pathogenesis of T. gondii infection were examined in vitro and in vivo. Deletion of GRA12 in type I RH and type II Pru T. gondii strains did not affect the parasite growth and replication in vitro, however, it caused a significant reduction in the parasite virulence and tissue cyst burden in vivo. T. gondii Δgra12 mutants were more vulnerable to be eliminated by host immunity, without the accumulation of immunity-related GTPase a6 (Irga6) onto the PV membrane. The ultrastructure of IVN in Δgra12 mutants appeared normal, suggesting that GRA12 is not required for biogenesis of the IVN. Combined deletion of GRA12 and ROP18 induced more severe attenuation of virulence compared to single Δgra12 or Δrop18 mutant strains. These data suggest a functional association between GRA12 and ROP18 that is revealed by the severe attenuation of virulence in a double mutant relative to the single individual mutations. Future studies are needed to define the molecular basis of this putative association. Collectively these findings indicate that although GRA12 is not essential for the parasite growth and replication in vitro, it contributes to the virulence and growth of T. gondii in mice.

Austins-Type Meroterpenoids from a Mangrove-Derived Penicillium sp.

Three unusual austins-type meroterpenoids penicianstinoids C-E (1-3) were obtained from the mangrove-derived fungus Penicillium sp. TGM112. The structures of 1-3 including absolute configurations were determined by detailed NMR, MS spectroscopic data, X-ray diffraction analysis, and calculated electronic circular dichroism data. Penicianstinoid C (1) was the first austins-type meroterpenoid with a unique 6/6/6/5 rearranged tetracyclic skeleton possessing two unusual spirocyclic moieties (2-oxaspiro[5.5]undeca-4,7-dien-3-one and 6-methylene-2-oxaspiro[4.5]decane-1,4-dione). Penicianstinoid D (2) was an unusual austins-type meroterpenoid with a 6/6/6/6 tetracyclic skeleton containing an octahydro-2H-chromen-2-one unit. Penicianstinoid E (3) possessed a 6/5/6/6/6/5 fused hexacyclic skeleton with an uncommon five-membered ether ring system. The plausible biosynthetic pathway of 1-3 is also proposed. Compounds 1 and 3 inhibited the growth of newly hatched Helicoverpa armigera Hubner larvae with IC50 values of 100 and 200 µg/mL, respectively.

Characterization of Novel Bacteriophage AhyVDH1 and Its Lytic Activity Against Aeromonas hydrophila.

Phage therapy is an alternative approach to overcome the problem of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Here, a novel bacteriophage AhyVDH1, which infects Aeromonas hydrophila 4572, was isolated and its morphology, one-step growth curve, lytic activity, stability under various conditions, and genome were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that AhyVDH1 has an icosahedral head 49 nm in diameter and a contractile tail 127 nm in length, suggesting that it belongs to the family Myoviridae. AhyVDH1 showed strong adsorption to the surface of A. hydrophila 4572 (90% in 10 min). The latent period of AhyVDH1 was shown to be 50 min, and the burst size was 274 plaque-forming unit/infected cell. AhyVDH1 was stable at 30 °C for 1 h and lost infectivity after20 min of heating at 60 °C. Infectivity remained unaffected at pH 6-7 for 1 h, while the bacteriophage was inactivated at pH < 4 or > 11. AhyVDH1 has a 39,175-bp genome, with a 58% G + C content and 59 open reading frames. BLAST analysis indicated that the genome sequence of phage AhyVDH1 was related to that of Aeromonas phage Ahp2. Both time and MOI-dependent in vitro A. hydrophila growth inhibition were observed with AhyVDH1.Re-growth of the host bacteria appeared about 12 h after treatment, suggesting its potential therapeutic value in treating A. hydrophila infections, but phage cocktails should be developed.

Progress and Principle of Drug Nanocrystals for Tumor Targeted Delivery.

Drugs are referred to as drug nanocrystals when they exist as nanoscale crystal structures. This kind of nanocarrier has been widely utilized to increase the solubility and absorption for poorly aqueous soluble drugs after oral administration, or prolong the drug circulation when intravenous administration. The systemic cytotoxicity caused by antitumor drugs usually come from the nonspecific drug distribution. To solve the disadvantage of poor targetability, drug nanocrystals for tumor targeted delivery have been developed in recent years. In this review, the targeting mechanisms of various surface modified drug nanocrystals are introduced with the focus on passive targeting, active targeting and stimuli-responsive targeting in details. Function and application of common surface modified materials are also discussed.