Sodium thiosulfate: A donor or carrier signaling molecule for hydrogen sulfide?

Sodium thiosulfate has been used for decades in the treatment of calciphylaxis and cyanide detoxification, and has recently shown initial therapeutic promise in critical diseases such as neuronal ischemia, diabetes mellitus, heart failure and acute lung injury. However, the precise mechanism of sodium thiosulfate remains incompletely defined and sometimes contradictory. Although sodium thiosulfate has been widely accepted as a donor of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), emerging findings suggest that it is the executive signaling molecule for H2S and that its effects may not be dependent on H2S. This article presents an overview of the current understanding of sodium thiosulfate, including its synthesis, biological characteristics, and clinical applications of sodium thiosulfate, as well as the underlying mechanisms in vivo. We also discussed the interplay of sodium thiosulfate and H2S. Our review highlights sodium thiosulfate as a key player in sulfide signaling with the broad clinical potential for the future.

Clinical features and mortality-related factors of extensive burns among young adults: the Kunshan disaster experience.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to identify the clinical features and the factors associated with burn induced mortality among young adults after exposure to indoor explosion and fire. METHODS: This is an observational study which included burn patients who were admitted to eighteen ICUs after a fire disaster. Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics, as well as therapy were recorded. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality. The mortality-related factors were also analyzed. RESULTS: There were 167 burn patients enrolled in the study, the median age was 38 years, 62 (37.1%) patients died within 90 days. Seventy-one percent of patients had a burn size ≥90% TBSA, and 73.7% of patients had a full-thickness burn area above 50% TBSA. The survivors had lower Baux scores, and received earlier escharectomy and autologous skin grafts. The 50% mortality rates (LA50s) for burn size and full-thickness burn area were 95.8% and 88.6% TBSA, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that full-thickness burn area over 50% TBSA and residual burned surface area (RBSA)/TBSA at 28 days were strong predictors of mortality among burn patients (odds ratio 2.55; 95% CI, 1.01 to 6.44, P=0.047; odds ratio 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.09, P<0.001). The ROC curve-based cut-off values of RBSA/TBSA at 28 days for predicting 90-day mortality were 62.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Burn size and full-thickness burn area were the main risk factors for poor outcome in patients with extensive burns. Earlier escharectomy and autologous skin grafts may improve outcomes.

Fusarium sinensis sp. nov., a new species from wheat in China.

Two strains of Fusarium sinensis sp. nov. were isolated from the seeds and roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Shandong Province, China. They are superficially similar to F. dlaminii in producing fusiform-to-reniform and napiform microconidia and chlamydospores in almost the same size range as F. dlaminii. However the colonies and chlamydospores of F. sinensis resemble those of species in sections Roseum, Gibbosum and Discolor. Phylogenetic analysis of partial translation elongation factor 1alpha (EF-1alpha) sequence data indicates that F. sinensis is closely related to but distinct from the F. avenaceum/F. tricinctum/F. acuminatum species complex.

Construction of serum resistant micelles based on heparosan for targeted cancer therapy.

A novel micelle based on heparosan and deoxycholic acid (DOCA) conjugate (HD) as drug carrier was reported here. As the surface was negatively charged, this micelle could resist serum adsorption, showing favorable stability. Moreover, fluorescence observation confirmed that it was able to deliver model hydrophobic drug doxorubicin (DOX) into HeLa cells efficiently. The DOX-loaded micelles showed sustained release behavior at pH 7.4, and accelerated release behavior at pH 5.0 or in the presence of ß-glucuronidase, which over-expressed in tumor cells. In vitro cytotoxicity assay demonstrated that the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of DOX-loaded micelles against HeLa cells was much lower than that of COS7 cells, showing significant therapeutic distinction between tumor cells and normal cells. Combining with the good biocompatibility and biodegradability of heparosan, this micelle may be promising in clinical application for targeted drug delivery.

[Effect of salvia miltiorrhiza and Ligustrazine injection on the early myocardial damage of patients with severe burn].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of salvia miltiorrhiza and ligustrazine injection on the early myocardial damage of severely burned patients. METHODS: Twenty severely burned patients hospitalized from January 2010 to August 2011, with burn area equal to or more than 50% TBSA, were divided into two groups following hospitalization sequence, with odd number patients entering treatment group (T, n = 10) and even number patients entering control group (C, n = 10). Patients in C group were treated with routine methods, including fluid resuscitation based on the Third Military Medical University formula, anti-infection treatment, support treatment, and organ-protection treatment, etc. In addition to routine treatment methods, patients in T group received intravenous infusion of 250 mL glucose injection (50 g/L) containing 10 mL salvia miltiorrhiza and ligustrazine concoction, once a day, and continued for three days. Venous blood of patients was drawn at post burn hour (PBH) 12, 24, 48, and 72 to determine the plasma levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase isozyme MB (CK-MB), and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). Data were processed with t test. RESULTS: At each time point, levels of cTnI, CK-MB, and ANP were lower in T group than in C group. Differences in contents of these parameters between two groups were statistically significant at most time points, with t values from 2.136 to 2.918, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01. Plasma levels of cTnI, CK-MB, and ANP in both groups peaked at PBH 12, which were respectively (28 ± 10) ng/mL, (76 ± 13) U/L, (430 ± 87) pg/mL in T group, and (38 ± 11) ng/mL, (87 ± 10) U/L, (453 ± 91) pg/mL in C group. From PBH 24 to 72, contents of above-mentioned parameters decreased gradually in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Early use of salvia miltiorrhiza and ligustrazine injection in severely burned patients can effectively reduce myocardial damage, thus protect the myocardium from injury.

[An experimental study on the in vivo intermingled culture of rat autologous and allogeneic epithelial cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore a method for in vivo skin reconstruction. METHODS: Thirty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into two paired groups, i.e. in vivo culture (A group, 10 pairs) and in vitro grafting (B group, 5 pairs). Skin samples were harvested from the rats of the two groups for the isolation of epithelial cells which were then mixed cultured in vitro in 1:1 ratio. Mixed cellular suspension in A group was harvested 4 days after culture. The mixed cellular sheets were harvested 14 days after culture. The cultured cells and sheets were then transplanted onto total skin loss wounds of donor rats for further cultivation. The wounds in A group were covered with allogeneic full-thickness skin. While the wounds in B group were covered by collagen membrane and gauze. Wound repair was observed and compared between the two groups at 2 - 3 post-operative weeks. RESULTS: Most of the wounds in A group healed after 2 - 3 weeks with smooth surface, and the peithelium connected closely and tightly with the subcutaneous tissue. In the wounds in B group on 5 post-operative day, some of the cellular sheets survived and some fell off. Even the healed wounds in B group would be injured again resulting in protracted small wounds. CONCLUSION: In vivo in situ epithelial culture might be an optional method of skin reconstruction for wound healing.