The anti-inflammatory effect of microRNA-383-3p interacting with IL1R2 against homocysteine-induced endothelial injury in rat coronary arteries.

MicroRNAs (miRs) are widely reported to be novel biomarkers involved in the process of coronary atherosclerosis (CAS). Hence, this study aims to explore the function of miR-383-3p targeting IL1R2 on inflammatory injury of coronary artery endothelial cells (CAECs) in CAS. The underlying regulatory mechanisms of miR-383-3p were analyzed in concert with the treatment of miR-383-3p mimics, miR-383-3p inhibitors, and the combination of miR-383-3p inhibitors and siRNA against IL1R2 in homocysteine (HCY)-induced CAECs. MTT, Hoechst 33258 staining, and tube formation assay were employed in order to measure cell viability, apoptosis, and tube formation, respectively. The levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-18 were determined by ELISA. IL1R2 was verified as the target gene of miR-383-3p by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. MiR-383-3p was down-regulated in myocardial tissues of AS rats while IL1R2 was the reciprocal. The up-regulation of miR-383-3p decreased the levels of IL1R2, caspase-1, IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-18 expressions, as well as cell apoptosis rate in the HCY-induced CAECs, while IL-10 expression, cell viability, and tube formation ability were increased. These results were contraindicated in the HCY-induced CAECs treated by miR-383-3p inhibitors. In conclusion, miR-383-3p mediating IL1R2 prevents HCY-induced apoptosis and inflammation injury in CAECs through the inhibition of the activation of inflammasome signaling pathway. These findings highly indicate that miR-383-3p may be beneficial in the prevention of CAS and other cardiovascular diseases.

[Prevalence and significance of immunoglobulin G-anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies in primary Sjogren's syndrome patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and significance of IgG-anti-cyclic citrullinated peptides (CCP) antibody in PSS patients. METHODS: A total of 120 patients diagnosed with PSS were investigated in the first affiliated hospital of Baotou Medical College from March 2006 to December 2009. IgG-anti-CCP antibody was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), also anti-Sjogren's syndrome type A (SSA) and Sjogren's syndrome type B (SSB) antibody were assayed by immunoblotting. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was assayed by westergren in serum, and C reactive protein (CRP), IgA, IgM, IgG and IgM-RF were detected by immune turbidimetric. At the same time, clinical symptoms and involvement of important organs were observed. Following up the patients above 3 years, the primary Sjogren's syndrome (PSS) patients who had progressed to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were evaluated. RESULTS: The positive rate of anti-CCP antibody in the PSS patients was 19.17%; After 3 years, more patients who were positive for anti-CCP antibody had progressed to RA (χ² = 5.015,P=0.022) than the patients in negative group; The patients in anti-CCP antibody positive group were more prone to joint involvement (χ² = 8.058,P<0.05), more swollen joints (U=152.00, P<0.05) and longer morning stiffness (U=100.00, P<0.05) than the patients with negative anti-CCP antibody, but the involvement of vital organs in the two groups had no significant difference (χ² = 0.208,0.099,0.000 and 0.122, P>0.05); The positive rate of anti-SSA and SSB antibody in anti-CCP antibody positive group and negative group had no significant difference (χ² = 0.008 and 0.56, P>0.05); Multiple linear regression showed that the level of anti-CCP antibody was positively correlated with IgM-RF levels in the PSS patients (B=0.61, 95% CI=0.36-0.86, P<0.05), but had no significant correlation with ESR, CRP, IgA, IgM and IgG levels (P>0.05).There were no significant differences in the level of ESR, CRP, IgA, IgM and IgG between anti-CCP antibody positive group and negative group (P>0.05), but the level of IgM-RF in anti-CCP antibody positive group was significantly higher than that in the negative group (U=623.50, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Positive rate of IgG-anti-CCP antibody in PSS is 19.17%, also it is associated with joint involvement and more prone to progressing to RA.

Microemulsions of N-alkylimidazolium ionic liquid and their performance as microreactors for the photocycloaddition of 9-substituted anthracenes.

The phase behavior of the ternary system consisting of an ionic liquid (1-tetradecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide [C14mim]Br), p-xylene, and water were investigated. Depending on the composition of the ternary system, formation of hexagonal and lamellar liquid crystals as well as microemulsions was observed. 1H NMR spectroscopy study, 2D ROESY spectroscopic analysis, and rheological measurements of the microemulsions indicated that p-xylene is preferably located in the hydrophobic core and the palisade shells of the microemulsions. The sizes of the microemulsion droplets for the samples with water/[C14mim]Br ratio of 78:22 are measured by both dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy with the freeze-fracture technique (FF-TEM). Upon change of the mole ratio of the solubilized xylene to [C14mim]Br from 0 to 2.4, the diameters of the microemulsion droplets increase from ca. 20 to 90 nm and size distribution gets broad. These microemulsions can solubilize and preorientate anthracene derivatives with a polar 9-substituent, and thus may enhance the head-to-head cyclomers in the photocyclization of these substrates.

Enhanced stereoselectivity in photoelectrocyclization of tropolone ethers via confinement in chiral inductor-modified lyotropic liquid crystals.

Photochemistry of tropolone methyl ether ( 1) and optically pure ( S)-tropolone-2-methylbutyl ether ( 4) has been examined in lyotropic liquid crystals (LCs) in the presence of a chiral inductor. LCs significantly enhance the influence of chiral inductors during the photoelectrocyclization of the tropolone ethers. Chiral inductors that lead to 1:1 mixtures of enantiomers or diastereomers in solution give products in up to 40% enantiomeric excess for 1 and 35% diastereomeric excess for 4 in LCs.

Studies on the stability of the chloramphenicol in the microemulsion free of alcohols.

Microemulsion composed of Span20 + Tween20 isopropyl myristate (IPM) + H2O were investigated as potential drug delivery systems for eye drops. The system is important in that all its components are food grade so that the microemulsion is almost free of toxicity and irritation. The phase transition was investigated using the electrical conductivity measurements. The chloramphenicol is used to treat the eye diseases such as trachoma and keratitis. However, this drug in the common eye drops hydrolyzes easily. The main product of the hydrolysis is glycol. Here, the chloramphenicol was trapped into the oil-in-water (o/w) microemulsions free of alcohols. Its stability was investigated by the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assays in the accelerated experiments of 3 months. The location of the chloramphenicol molecules in the microemulsion formulations was determined by means of dynamic light scattering (DLS) and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The results of HPLC revealed that the content of the glycols in the microemulsion formulation was much lower than that in the commercial eye drops at the end of the accelerated experiments. It implied that the stability of the chloramphenicol in the microemulsion formulations was increased remarkably. The results of DLS and NMR confirmed that the chloramphenicol molecules should be trapped into the hydrophilic shells of the microemulsion drops, which were composed of many oxyethylene groups. The benzene rings of the chloramphenicol molecules were near the group of alpha2-CH2 and the oxyethylene groups of the surfactant molecules. It was this reason that enabled the chloramphenicol molecules in the microemulsions to be screened from the bulk water and its stability to be increased remarkably.

Phase behavior of the microemulsions and the stability of the chloramphenicol in the microemulsion-based ocular drug delivery system.

Microemulsion systems composed of Span20/80+Tween20/80+n-butanol+H2O+isopropyl palmitate (IPP)/isopropyl myristate (IPM) were investigated as model systems of drug carriers for eye drops. Effects of chloramphenicol, normal saline, sodium hyaluronate and various oils on the phase behavior were studied. The phase transition was investigated by the electrical conductivity measurements. The electrical conductivity of the microemulsion was affected by the encapsulation of the drug into the system, and the addition of normal saline and sodium hyaluronate. The chloramphenicol is used to treat the diseases such as trachoma and keratitis. However, this drug in the common eye drops hydrolyzes easily. The main product of the hydrolysis is glycols. Here, the chloramphenicol was trapped into the oil-in-water (o/w) microemulsions and its stability was investigated by the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assays in the accelerated experiments of 3 months. Its location in the microemulsion formulations was determined by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy. The results of HPLC revealed that the contents of the glycols in the microemulsion formulations were much lower than that in the commercial eye drops at the end of the accelerated experiments. It implied that the stability of the chloramphenicol in the microemulsion formulations was increased remarkably. The NMR experiments confirmed that the chloramphenicol molecules should be trapped into the hydrophilic shells of the microemulsion drops, which was composed of many oxyethylene groups. The nitro-groups of the chloramphenicol molecules were near the alpha2-CH2 of the surfactant molecules and the benzene rings of the chloramphenicol molecules were near the oxyethylene groups of the surfactant molecules. It was this reason that enabled the chloramphenicol molecules in the microemulsions to be screened from the bulk water and its stability to be increased remarkably.