Bacterial diversity of middle ear cholesteatoma by 16S rRNA gene sequencing in China.

In this study, the bacterial diversity of acquired middle ear cholesteatoma (MEC) was evaluated to reveal its pathogenesis and provides a guide for the use of antibiotics. Twenty-nine cases of acquired MEC and eight cases of healthy middle ears undergoing cochlear implantation (CI) were evaluated. Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to profile the bacterial communities in lesions and healthy tissues of the middle ear. ACE (P = 0.043) and Chao1 (P = 0.039) indices showed significant differences in alpha diversity (P < 0.05). Analysis of PERMANOVA/Anosim using the Bray-Curtis distance matrix results suggested that the between-group differences were greater than the within-group differences (R = 0.238, P < 0.05, R2 = 0.066, P < 0.05). Bacterial community analysis revealed that Alphaproteobacteria at the class level and Caulobacterales and Sphingomonadales at the order level were significantly different (P < 0.05). In the LefSe (Linear discriminant analysis effect size) analysis, Porphyromonas bennonis was elevated, and Bryum argenteum and unclassified Cyanobacteriales were reduced at the species level in MEC (P < 0.05). Fifteen metabolic pathways were found to be significantly different between the two groups by analysing the abundance of metabolic pathways in level 2 of the Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Seven and eight metabolic pathways were significantly elevated in the MEC and control groups, respectively (P < 0.05). The role of bacteria in the pathogenesis of acquired MEC was further refined through analysis of metabolic pathways. These findings indicate that the acquired MEC and healthy middle ear contain more diverse microbial communities than previously thought.

HCG11 up-regulation induced by ELK4 suppressed proliferation in vestibular schwannoma by targeting miR-620/ELK4.

BACKGROUND: Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a kind of benign tumor deriving from the acoustic nerve sheath. Substantial long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were illustrated to have crucial roles in multiple cancers. However, few lncRNAs were elucidated in VS. METHODS: HCG11, miR-620 and ELK4 expression were tested by RT-qPCR. Gain-of-function experiments were conducted to confirm the effect of HCG11 on VS. RESULTS: HCG11 possessed a low expression in VS cell lines. Overexpression of HCG11 repressed cell proliferation but accelerated apoptosis of VS cells. Moreover, we identified ELK4 stimulated the transcription of HCG11 and their affinity was verified by ChIP assays. MiR-620 was chosen to be a target of HCG11 and it was tested to have a high expression in VS cell lines. Moreover, depletion of miR-620 could inhibit cell proliferative ability while fostering apoptosis rate of VS cells. ELK4 was low expressed in VS cell lines and knockdown of ELK4 could rescue the effects made by HCG11 overexpression on progression of VS. CONCLUSIONS: HCG11 could inhibit the growth of VS by targeting miR-620/ELK4 in VS cells. HCG11 was a novel therapeutic target for VS treatment.

Correction to: One-pot fabrication of dual-emission and single-emission biomass carbon dots for Cu2+ and tetracycline sensing and multicolor cellular imaging.

The authors would like to call the reader's attention to the fact that unfortunately the wrong file was published as Fig. 2.

One-pot fabrication of dual-emission and single-emission biomass carbon dots for Cu2+ and tetracycline sensing and multicolor cellular imaging.

Dual-emission and single-emission carbon dots (DCDs and SCDs) have been simultaneously synthesized by one-pot solvothermal treatment of leek. Different graphitization and surface functionalization were responsible for their distinction in fluorescence characteristics. DCDs with an average size of 5.6 nm exhibited two emissions at 489 and 676 nm under 420-nm excitation. Complexation between DCDs' surface porphyrins and Cu2+ led to quenching of the 676-nm emission, which resulted in the ratiometric determination of Cu2+ with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.085 µM. SCDs, containing additional sulfur element (0.50%) with an average size of 7.7 nm, presented a single emission at 440 nm under 365-nm excitation. The static quenching and inner filter effects between SCDs and tetracyclines (TCs) made SCDs a fluorescence nanoprobe for TCs' determination with LODs of 0.26-0.48 µM. Applications of DCDs and SCDs for respective determination of Cu2+ and TCs in milk and pig liver samples were successfully demonstrated. Moreover, good photostability, low toxicity, and outstanding biocompatibility made DCDs and SCDs suitable for multicolor cellular imaging. Results indicate that natural products are excellent raw materials to controllably synthesize CDs with prominent physicochemical and fluorescence properties.Graphical abstract.

Determination of the activity of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and of its inhibitors by using the inner filter effect on the fluorescence of nitrogen-doped carbon dots.

A fluorescence (FL) probe for determination of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) activity and evaluation of inhibitors was developed based on the inner filter effect (IFE) of nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs). Bright green emissive N-CDs were synthesized by one-step hydrothermal technique with catechol and ethylenediamine. The excitation and emission wavelengths for N-CDs were 408 and 510 nm, respectively. γ-L-Glutamyl-4-nitroanilide (γ-G4NA) was employed as the substrate of GGT. The absorption spectrum of GGT catalytic product (4-nitroaniline, 4-NA) overlapped greatly with the excitation spectrum of N-CDs. 4-NA acted as the absorber in IFE to quench the FL of N-CDs. Thus, the FL quenching of N-CDs was closely related to GGT activity. The established FL method offered good linear relationship within 2.0-10.0 U L-1 (R2, 0.982) and 10.0-110.0 U L-1 (R2, 0.998) with a low detection limit of 0.6 U L-1. The method was successfully applied to investigate GGT activity in human serum samples with acceptable recoveries (99.1-105.0%). The approach was also employed for screening GGT inhibitors from different polar extracts of Schisandra chinensis. Results indicated that this strategy presents superior characteristics for GGT sensing. This method has great potential as a candidate for diagnosis of GGT-related diseases and high-throughput drug discovery. Graphical abstract.

Dual-emissive carbon dots for dual-channel ratiometric fluorometric determination of pH and mercury ion and intracellular imaging.

Dual-emissive carbon dots (CDs) were fabricated for dual-channel ratiometric fluorometric determination of pH and mercury ion (Hg2+) and intracellular imaging. Dual-emissive CDs were synthesized by one-pot solvothermal treatment of cabbage. The CDs exhibited two distinctive fluorescence emissions at 500 and 678 nm under single excitation at 410 nm. The green emission (500 nm) had reversible linear response to pH (7.0-12.0) due to deprotonation and protonation of surface functional groups and their non-covalent interactions. On the other hand, the red emission (678 nm) had efficient and selective fluorescence response to Hg2+ by formation of non-emission complex between CDs and Hg2+. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for Hg2+ were 6.25 and 20.63 nM, respectively. The CDs have been successfully applied for label-free ratiometric fluorometric determination of pH and Hg2+ in fish and human serum samples with good recoveries (92.0-108.3%). In addition, the CDs had excellent photostability, low cytotoxicity, and good biocompatibility for intracellular imaging. All in all, the system was multi-functional in determination, high in sensitivity, and excellent in selectivity, which demonstrated wide and promising applicability for biosensing and bioimaging in the future. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of dual-emission carbon dots (CDs) synthesized by solvothermal treatment of cabbage for dual-channel determination of pH and Hg2+.

Cetyltrimethyl ammonium mediated enhancement of the red emission of carbon dots and an advanced method for fluorometric determination of iron(III).

Red-emissive carbon dots (CDs) were synthesized by one-step hydrothermal technique using citric acid (CA), and urea in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. The CDs has an average diameter of 2.3 nm, excitation/emission maxima at 553/606 nm, and a low photoluminescence quantum yield (4%). Fluorescence is weakly quenched by the ions Fe3+, Hg2+, Cu2+, Co2+, Zn2+, Ca2+, Ni2+, and Pb2+. After addition of cetyltrimethyl ammonium ion (CTAB), electrostatic interaction between negatively charged CDs and CTAB causes the CDs to self-aggregate. The formation of CD/CTAB increases the average particle diameter to around 13 nm and enhances the quantum yield to 24%. The hydrophobic segments of CTAB twined into a network structure can selectively trap Fe3+ and then interact with surface groups of the CDs to cause quenching. The CD/CTAB nanoprobe enables fluorometric determination of Fe3+ with a linear response in the 0.10-10 µM concentration range and a 0.03 µM limit of detection. The probe was utilized for determination of Fe3+ in human serum samples, and satisfactory results were obtained. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of fluorometric analysis of Fe(III) ion by cetyltrimethyl ammonium ion (CTAB) mediated red emission carbon dots (CDs). The hydrophobic segments of CTAB twined into a network structure can selectively trap Fe(III) and then interact with surface groups of the CDs to cause quenching.

Preparation and application of magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers for the isolation of chelerythrine from Macleaya cordata.

A novel type of magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer was prepared for the selective enrichment and isolation of chelerythrine from Macleaya cordata (Willd) R. Br. The magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared using functional Fe3 O4 @SiO2 as a magnetic support, chelerythrine as template, methacrylic acid as functional monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker. Density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G (d, p) level with Gaussian 09 software was applied to calculate the interaction energies of chelerythrine, methacrylic acid and the complexes formed from chelerythrine and methacrylic acid in different ratios. The structural features and morphology of the synthesized polymers were characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and vibration sample magnetometry. Adsorption experiments revealed that the magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers possessed rapid kinetics, high selectivity, and a higher binding capacity (7.96 mg/g) to chelerythrine than magnetic molecularly non-imprinted polymers (2.36 mg/g). The adsorption process was in good agreement with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics models. Furthermore, the magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers were successfully employed as adsorbents for the extraction and enrichment of chelerythrine from Macleaya cordata (Willd) R. Br. The results indicated that the magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers were suitable for the selective adsorption of chelerythrine from complex samples such as natural medical plants.

Magnetic Porous Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Based on Surface Precipitation Polymerization and Mesoporous SiO2 Layer as Sacrificial Support for Efficient and Selective Extraction and Determination of Chlorogenic Acid in Duzhong Brick Tea.

Magnetic porous molecularly imprinted polymers (MPMIPs) for rapid and efficient selective recognition of chlorogenic acid (CGA) were effectively prepared based on surface precipitation polymerization using CGA as template, 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) as functional monomer, and mesoporous SiO2 (mSiO2) layer as sacrificial support. A computational simulation by evaluation of electronic binding energy is used to optimize the stoichiometric ratio between CGA and 4-VP (1:5), which reduced the duration of laboratory trials. The porous MIP shell and the rid of solid MIPs by magnet gave MPMIPs high binding capacity (42.22 mg/g) and fast kinetic binding (35 min). Adsorption behavior between CGA and MPMIPs followed Langmuir equation and pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics. Furthermore, the obtained MPMIPs as solid phase adsorbents coupled with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were employed for selective extraction and determination of CGA (2.93 ± 0.11 mg/g) in Duzhong brick tea. The recoveries from 91.8% to 104.2%, and the limit of detection (LOD) at 0.8 µg/mL were obtained. The linear range (2.0⁻150.0 µg/mL) was wide with R² > 0.999. Overall, this study provided an efficient approach for fabrication of well-constructed MPMIPs for fast and selective recognition and determination of CGA from complex samples.

[Consistency analysis of pepsin immunohistochemistry and pepsin test box in the diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux].

Objective:To analyze the consistency of pepsin assay kit, pepsin IHC, reflux symptom index（RSI） and reflux finding score（RFS） in the diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease（LPRD）. Methods:The clinical data of 61 inpatients with laryngeal diseases who were admitted to the Department of Otolaryngology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from May 2020 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The RSI and RFS scores, the Formwitz score of pepsin immunohistochemistry, and the results of pepsin detection kit were recorded. ICC group correlation coefficient and Kappa consistency analysis was used for three detection methods. Results:Among 61 patients, 30 cases were positive and 31 cases were negative for the pepsin test kit, with a positive rate of 49.18%. The positive rate of pepsin immunohistochemistry was 45.90%（28/61）, and the diagnostic agreement rate between the two was 70.49%. The consistency between them was high（κ=0.409）. The positive rate of RSI and RFS in diagnosing LPRD was 62.30%（38/61）, and the consistency rate was 73.77% with pepsin detection kit. The consistency between them was high（κ=0.486）. Taking pepsin IHC as the reference standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of pepsin detection kit were 71.43%（20/28）, 69.70%（23/33）, 66.67%（20/30） and 74.19%（23/31）, respectively. Using RSI and RFS scales as reference criteria, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of pepsin detection kit were 89.29%（25/28）, 60.61%（20/33）, 65.79%（25/38） and 86.96%（20/23）, respectively. Analysis of correlation coefficient within ICC group: ICC value was 0.628, 95% confidence interval（0.497-0.741）, the three methods have good consistency. Conclusion:The RSI and RFS scale scores were in good agreement with the pepsin test kit, and the pepsin test kit was also in good agreement with pepsin immunohistochemistry. As a non-invasive diagnostic technique, the pepsin test kit can be widely used in the diagnosis of pharyngeal reflux in combination with pepsin immunohistochemistry and RSI and RFS scale.

[Evaluation of cross-sectional area and morphological value of external auditory meatus in concha plasty with I shaped incision].

Objective:To evaluate the preliminary value of the cross-sectional area and morphological changes of the external ear canal opening after the two-flap auriculoplasty through the I shaped posterior incision. Methods:One hundred and thirty-seven patients（a total of 155 ears） who received open radical mastoidectomy in the department of otolaryngology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University were treated with I shaped incision and two-flap auriculoplasty. Vertical diameter（D1） and horizontal diameter（D2） of the external ear canal were measured at the completion of surgery, 1 month and 6 months post-operation, respectively. The cross-sectional area（S=1/4πD1×D2） of the external ear canal was calculated according to the two diameters. The dry ear time and intraoperative lumen epithelialization time were observed after operation. At 6 months after operation, the morphology of the external ear canal opening was analyzed. Results:The postoperative dry ear duration was 18-61 days（27.32±7.52） days. The time to complete epithelialization of the operative cavity was 24-70 days（32.18±10.36） days. Six months after the operation, the morphological classification of 155 outer ear meatal openings was as follows: 117 ears（ 75.48%） were round（the difference between vertical diameter and horizontal diameter was within 2 mm）; Oval（oval appearance, difference between vertical diameter and horizontal diameter greater than 2 mm） 35 ears（22.58%）, triangle 3 ears（1.94%）; Irregular ear canal orifice was not observed in all cases. During the operation, and at 1 month and 6 months after the operation, the cross-sectional area of the external ear canal was（2.51±0.48） cm², （2.45±0.35） cm², （2.41±0.43） cm², respectively. And no significant differences were observed. （P>0.05）. Conclusion:The I shaped posterior auricular incision and two-flap auricular lumenoplasty is not compex and easy to perform. The morphology of the external ear opening is regular after the operation, which can effectively match the ventilation of the operative cavity.

Highly specific esterase activated AIE plus ESIPT probe for sensitive ratiometric detection of carbaryl.

Fabrication of facile, sensitive, and accurate pesticide detection strategies plays crucial roles in food safety, environmental protection, and human health. Here, a novel esterase activatable aggregation-induced emission (AIE) plus excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) probe, kaempferol tetraacetate, was designed and synthesized from purified natural kaempferol for ratiometric sensing of carbaryl. Acetate groups are introduced as the esterase reactive sites and AIE plus ESIPT initiator. Kaempferol tetraacetate is an aggregation-caused quenching compound that shows fluorescent (FL) emission at 415 nm. Esterase specifically hydrolyzes kaempferol tetraacetate to kaempferol with AIE plus ESIPT characteristics (distinct FL emission, 530 nm; a large Stokes shift, 165 nm within a short time (8 min). Molecular docking and kinetics performance indicate the high affinity and specific hydrolysis of esterase and kaempferol tetraacetate. Carbaryl inhibits the activity of esterase to efficiently suppress the production of kaempferol. Thus, a facile ratiometric assay strategy is constructed for carbaryl detection. By measuring the FL intensity ratio, the proposed strategy presents high selectivity and reliability with a wide linear range from 0.02 to 2.00 µg L-1 and a very low limit of detection at 0.007 µg L-1. Furthermore, appropriate recovery from 93.75% to 108.67% with a relative standard deviation less than 5.66% for real sample analysis indicates good accuracy and precision. All results indicate that the fabricated strategy offers a new way for facile, sensitive, and accurate detection of carbaryl in real complex samples.

Simultaneous sensing γ-glutamyl transpeptidase and alkaline phosphatase by robust dual-emission carbon dots.

Rapid, convenient, sensitive and simultaneous detection of distinct enzymes is urgently needed for diagnosis, therapeutics and prognostic of related diseases. Here, a new strategy for simultaneous monitoring γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity has been fabricated based on dual-emission carbon dots (CDs). CDs were prepared by solvothermal treatment of Actinidia chinensis, which presents two fluorescent emissions at 471 nm (blue channel) and 671 nm (red channel). GGT and ALP activity can be detected based on inner filter effect (IFE) and static quenching effect (SQE) of blue and red channels of CDs, respectively. Linear ranges were 2.5-90 U L-1 and 5-200 U L-1, and limit of detection (LOD) were 0.71 U L-1 and 1.2 U L-1 for GGT and ALP, respectively. Developed CDs can monitor GGT and ALP activity in human serum samples with satisfied recoveries (99.3%-108.6% for GGT, 98.4%-105.4% for ALP). Furthermore, the combination of CDs to sense GGT and ALP activity with OR logic gate can predict human health status. The design and application of dual-emission CDs can also be extended as promising tools to detect multianalytes using different channel signals.

Downregulation of miR­29b­3p promotes α­tubulin deacetylation by targeting the interaction of matrix metalloproteinase­9 with integrin ß1 in nasal polyps.

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)­9 is a key enzyme responsible for extracellular matrix degradation and contributes to the progressive histological changes observed in lower respiratory tract infections. Integrin ß1 and α­tubulin are potential MMP­9­interacting proteins, and microRNA (miR)­29b­3p can regulate MMP­9 expression. MMP­9 is highly expressed in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNPs), regardless of its effects on miR­29b­3p, integrin ß1 and α­tubulin expression. In the present study, samples from 100 patients with CRSwNPs were examined via reverse transcription­quantitative PCR to assess the mRNA expression of miR­29b­3p, and western blotting was performed to assess the protein expression of MMP­2, MMP­9, acetyl­α­tubulin, integrin ß1 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP­1). A dual­luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the direct binding of miR­29b­3p and MMP­2/MMP­9. Co­immunoprecipitation (Co­IP) and GST pull­down assays showed that integrin ß1 and α­tubulin were MMP­9­interacting proteins. Cell viability, apoptosis and inflammatory cytokine levels were determined via a Cell Counting Kit­8 assay, flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively. miR­29b­3p expression was found to be positively correlated with MMP­2 and MMP­9 expression. Whereas, TIMP­1 expression was negatively correlated with MMP­2 and MMP­9 expression. The dual­luciferase assay revealed that miR­29b­3p targeted the 3' untranslated region of MMP­2/MMP­9. The Co­IP and GST pull­down assays showed that MMP­9 could directly bind to integrin ß1 and indirectly bind to α­tubulin. Finally, the overexpression of miR­29b­3p decreased the expression of MMP­9 and increased the levels of acetyl­α­tubulin. By contrast, the knockdown of miR­29b­3p increased the expression of MMP­9 and decreased the levels of acetyl­α­tubulin. Additionally, MMP­9 expression was found to be negatively correlated with acetyl­α­tubulin expression. Of note, the expression of integrin ß1 did not change following the overexpression and knockdown of MMP­9. Finally, the overexpression of miR­29b­3p not only decreased MMP­9 expression, but also alleviated lipopolysaccharide­induced inflammation in NP69 cells. The results showed that the downregulation of miR­29b­3p promoted α­tubulin deacetylation by increasing the number of MMP­9­integrin ß1 complexes in CRSwNPs, thus targeting miR­29b­3p/MMP­9 may be a potential novel strategy for the clinical treatment of CRSwNPs.

Long non-coding RNA NEAT1 contributes to lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation and apoptosis of human middle ear epithelial cells via regulating the miR-301b-3p/TLR4 axis.

Acute otitis media (AOM) is a common infectious disease in children that is accompanied by signs and symptoms of middle ear inflammation and infection. Previous studies have shown that the long non-coding (lnc)RNA nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1(NEAT1) participates in various inflammatory conditions and plays an important regulatory role. The focus of the present study was the biological function of NEAT1 and underlying molecular mechanism in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced human middle ear epithelial cells (HMEECs). The expression of NEAT1, miR-301b-3p and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) protein were determined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot assays, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to investigate the combination of miR-301b-3p and NEAT1 or TLR4. In addition, cell viability, apoptosis and the levels of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-6) were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively. Cell viability was significantly decreased, whereas apoptosis and inflammation were increased in LPS-stimulated HMEECs. Functional analyses demonstrated that NEAT1 was upregulated following LPS treatment, whereas knockdown of NEAT1 significantly increased cell viability and alleviated apoptosis and inflammation. Mechanistically, NEAT1 directly bound to and negatively regulated miR-301b-3p expression, whereas miR-301b-3p inhibitors abolished the inhibitory effect of NEAT1 knockdown on cell apoptosis and inflammation. As a target of miR-301b-3p, TLR4 was regulated by NEAT1 and miR-301b-3p. TLR4 overexpression alleviated NEAT1 silencing-induced inflammatory suppression. Rescue experiments demonstrated that NEAT1 promoted TLR4 expression by inhibiting miR-301b-3p. Collectively, the results of the present study suggested that NEAT1 may attenuate LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis in HMEECs by modulating the miR-301b-3p/TLR4 axis, and may provide a new therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of AOM.

White pepper-derived ratiometric carbon dots for highly selective detection and imaging of coenzyme A.

A new-style white pepper derived dual-emission carbon dots (CDs) with a quantum yield of 10.4% was designed and facile constructed with one-pot solvothermal method. The green emission (520 nm) had an efficient and special "turn-on" fluorescence sensing of coenzyme A (CoA) with the aid of Cu2+, while red emission (668 nm) barely changed and worked as reference. In the concentration range (0-150 µM), relative fluorescence intensity ratios (F520/F668) showed excellent linear correlation with concentrations of CoA, and detection limit was as low as 8.75 nm. Moreover, the strategy has been successfully applied for label-free detection of CoA in real pig liver samples with good recoveries (93.3-108.0%). Notably, the synthesized CDs had durable fluorescence, low cytotoxicity, and good biocompatibility for cellular imaging, which demonstrated wide and promising applicability for biosensing and bioimaging in the future.

COL6A6 interacted with P4HA3 to suppress the growth and metastasis of pituitary adenoma via blocking PI3K-Akt pathway.

The role and mechanism of collagen type VI alpha 6 (COL6A6) on tumor growth and metastasis in pituitary adenoma (PA) was determined. COL6A6 was downregulated in PA tissues and cell lines, which was negatively associated with the expression of prolyl-4-hydroxylase alpha polypeptide III (P4HA3) in the progression of PA. Overexpression of COL6A6 significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis capacity in PA. In addition, P4HA3 worked as the upstream of the PI3K-Akt pathway to alleviate the antitumor activity of COL6A6 on the growth and metastasis of both AtT-20 and HP75 cells. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of COL6A6 on cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was reversed by P4HA3 overexpression or activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway induced by IGF-1 addition, which provided a new biomarker for clinical PA treatment.

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers-Coated CdTe Quantum Dots for Highly Sensitive and Selective Fluorescent Determination of Ferulic Acid.

Ferulic acid (FA), an important phenolic acid, is widely distributed in higher plants and presents many pharmacological effects. Therefore, sensitive determination of FA in complex matrix is necessary. Molecularly imprinted polymers-coated CdTe quantum dots (CdTe-QDs@MIPs) exhibited incomparable advantages because of their combination of excellent selectivity of MIPs and high sensitivity of QDs. Here, a fluorescent probe based on CdTe-QDs@MIPs was successfully fabricated for selective and sensitive determination of FA. MIPs shell was obtained by the reverse microemulsion method using FA, 3-(aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES), and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), as template, functional monomer, and crosslinker. In optimal conditions, the fluorescence CdTe-QDs@MIPs sensor exhibited fast response (within only 3 min), high sensitivity (limit of detection, LOD at 0.85 µg/l), excellent linear ranges (2-100 µg/l) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9996, and distinguished selectivity for FA. Satisfactory recoveries from 91.8% to 110.3% were achieved with precisions below 6.6% for FA analysis in real pineapple juice and apple juice by developed CdTe-QDs@MIPs. The fluorescence results coincided well with those obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). It could be concluded that the resultant CdTe-QDs@MIPs offered a new way for rapid and sensitive analysis of FA in the complex matrix.

Molecularly imprinted polymers coated CdTe quantum dots with controllable particle size for fluorescent determination of p-coumaric acid.

A facile and sensitive fluorescent sensor based on coating molecularly imprinted polymers onto the surface of CdTe quantum dots (CdTe-QDs@MIPs) was successfully fabricated for selective determination of p-coumaric acid (pCA) for the first time by the strategy of charge transfer principle. MIPs layer was synthesized by one-pot sol-gel reaction using 3-(aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) as functional monomer and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as crosslinker. Controllable particle size of CdTe-QDs@MIPs was formed by simply adjusting the polymerization time. Smaller particle size (about 56 nm) at polymerization time of 5 min reduced embedded sites, and then resulted in fast response (within only 4 min), and high sensitivity (limit of detection, LOD low to 6.74 µg L-1) for pCA. Different parameters during synthesis and determination procedures affecting the fluorescent probe were optimized. The fluorescent intensity of CdTe-QDs@MIPs was remarkably quenched by pCA compared to CdTe-QDs@NIPs with an imprinting factor of 27.0. Finally, the fluorescence quenching analysis showed excellent linear ranges from 20 to 1000 µg L-1 (R2, 0.9964) with distinguished selectivity, and batch-to-batch relative standard deviation (RSD) was 3.8%. The proposed method was applied successfully for the determination of pCA in pineapple juice and kiwi juice with satisfactory recoveries from 92.7% to 106.0%, and precisions below 8.1%. The proposed fluorescent sensor exhibited simple and rapid preparation and detection procedures, high sensitivity and excellent selectivity. It is envisioned that the resultant CdTe-QDs@MIPs offered a new way of rapid and sensitive analysis of pCA in real complex samples.

Shell thickness controlled hydrophilic magnetic molecularly imprinted resins for high-efficient extraction of benzoic acids in aqueous samples.

Hydrophilic magnetic molecular imprinted resins (MMIRs) were firstly fabricated by one-pot copolycondensation of resorcinol, melamine, and formaldehyde in the pores of Fe3O4 @mSiO2. The porous structure of mSiO2 limited copolycondensation. After the removal of mSiO2, controllable imprinting shell thickness (about 5 nm) was formed, reducing the probability of embedded sites, favoring the efficient adsorption. Moreover, the reaction time (3 h) was just 1/5-1/8 of those synthesized by conventional heating method. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), water contact angle analysis, and Brunauer‒Emmett‒Teller (BET) analysis indicated the successful preparation of MMIRs with excellent hydrophilic property, and magnetic separation characteristics. Steady-state adsorption studies showed that the resultant MMIRs had specific recognition for benzoic acids, GA, protocatechuic acid (PCA), vanillic acid (VA), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA), salicylic acid (SA), and benzoic acid (BA). MMIRs combination with high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) were then directly used for selective extraction and determination of benzoic acids in river water, fruit juices, and human serum. Obtained limits of detection (LOD) and recoveries were in the range of 0.02-1.0 µg/mL, and 81.8-108.7%, respectively, and the batch-to-batch relative standard deviation (RSD) was 5.9%. The proposed strategy showed excellent hydrophilicity and specificity, which was promising for detection of benzoic acids in real aqueous samples.