Expanding the Hydrophobic Cavity Surface of Azocalix[4]arene to Enable Biotin/Avidin Affinity with Controlled Release.

The development of artificial receptors that combine ultrahigh-affinity binding and controllable release for active guests holds significant importance in biomedical applications. On one hand, a complex with an exceedingly high binding affinity can resist unwanted dissociation induced by dilution effect and complex interferents within physiological environments. On the other hand, stimulus-responsive release of the guest is essential for precisely activating its function. In this context, we expanded hydrophobic cavity surface of a hypoxia-responsive azocalix[4]arene, affording Naph-SAC4A. This modification significantly enhanced its aqueous binding affinity to 1013 M-1, akin to the naturally occurring strongest recognition pair, biotin/(strept-)avidin. Consequently, Naph-SAC4A emerges as the first artificial receptor to simultaneously integrate ultrahigh recognition affinity and actively controllable release. The markedly enhanced affinity not only improved Naph-SAC4A's sensitivity in detecting rocuronium bromide in serum, but also refined the precision of hypoxia-responsive doxorubicin delivery at the cellular level, demonstrating its immense potential for diverse practical applications.

Cytosolic DNA initiates a vicious circle of aging-related endothelial inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction via STING: the inhibitory effect of Cilostazol.

Endothelial senescence, aging-related inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction are prominent features of vascular aging and contribute to the development of aging-associated vascular disease. Accumulating evidence indicates that DNA damage occurs in aging vascular cells, especially in endothelial cells (ECs). However, the mechanism of EC senescence has not been completely elucidated, and so far, there is no specific drug in the clinic to treat EC senescence and vascular aging. Here we show that various aging stimuli induce nuclear DNA and mitochondrial damage in ECs, thus facilitating the release of cytoplasmic free DNA (cfDNA), which activates the DNA-sensing adapter protein STING. STING activation led to a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), thereby releasing pro-aging cytokines and cfDNA to further exacerbate mitochondrial damage and EC senescence, thus forming a vicious circle, all of which can be suppressed by STING knockdown or inhibition. Using next-generation RNA sequencing, we demonstrate that STING activation stimulates, whereas STING inhibition disrupts pathways associated with cell senescence and SASP. In vivo studies unravel that endothelial-specific Sting deficiency alleviates aging-related endothelial inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction and prevents the development of atherosclerosis in mice. By screening FDA-approved vasoprotective drugs, we identified Cilostazol as a new STING inhibitor that attenuates aging-related endothelial inflammation both in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that Cilostazol significantly inhibited STING translocation from the ER to the Golgi apparatus during STING activation by targeting S162 and S243 residues of STING. These results disclose the deleterious effects of a cfDNA-STING-SASP-cfDNA vicious circle on EC senescence and atherogenesis and suggest that the STING pathway is a promising therapeutic target for vascular aging-related diseases. A proposed model illustrates the central role of STING in mediating a vicious circle of cfDNA-STING-SASP-cfDNA to aggravate age-related endothelial inflammation and mitochondrial damage.

Elucidating the intricacies of the H2S signaling pathway in gasotransmitters: Highlighting the regulation of plant thiocyanate detoxification pathways.

In recent decades, there has been increasing interest in elucidating the role of sulfur-containing compounds in plant metabolism, particularly emphasizing their function as signaling molecules. Among these, thiocyanate (SCN-), a compound imbued with sulfur and nitrogen, has emerged as a significant environmental contaminant frequently detected in irrigation water. This compound is known for its potential to adversely impact plant growth and agricultural yield. Although adopting exogenous SCN- as a nitrogen source in plant cells has been the subject of thorough investigation, the fate of sulfur resulting from the assimilation of exogenous SCN- has not been fully explored. There is burgeoning curiosity in probing the fate of SCN- within plant systems, especially considering the possible generation of the gaseous signaling molecule, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) during the metabolism of SCN-. Notably, the endogenous synthesis of H2S occurs predominantly within chloroplasts, the cytosol, and mitochondria. In contrast, the production of H2S following the assimilation of exogenous SCN- is explicitly confined to chloroplasts and mitochondria. This phenomenon indicates complex interplay and communication among various subcellular organelles, influencing signal transduction and other vital physiological processes. This review, augmented by a small-scale experimental study, endeavors to provide insights into the functional characteristics of H2S signaling in plants subjected to SCN--stress. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the occurrence and trajectory of endogenous H2S and H2S derived from SCN--assimilation within plant organisms was performed, providing a focused lens for a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted roles of H2S in rice plants. By delving into these dimensions, our objective is to enhance the understanding of the regulatory mechanisms employed by the gasotransmitter H2S in plant adaptations and responses to SCN--stress, yielding invaluable insights into strategies for plant resilience and adaptive capabilities.

Boron deficiency decreased the root activity of Ga-exposed rice seedlings by reducing iron accumulation and increasing Ga in iron plaque.

Gallium (Ga) is an emerging chemical pollutant chiefly associated with high-tech industries. Boron (B) alleviates the negative effects of toxic elements on plant growth. Thereby, the effects of B fertilization on Ga toxicity in rice seedlings was studied to clarify the role of iron plaque in the distribution of Ga, Fe, and B in Ga-treated rice seedlings in the presence or absence of B. Gallium exposure significantly reduced the biomass of rice seedlings. Boron deficiency induced a significant change in the distribution of B in Ga-treated rice seedlings compared with "Ga+B" treatments. Accumulation of Ga in roots, dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB) extracts, and shoots showed a dose-dependent manner from both +B and -B rice seedlings. Boron nutrition levels affect the distribution of Fe in roots, DCB extracts, and shoots, in which DCB-extractable Fe was significantly decreased from "Ga-B" treatments compared with "Ga+B" treatments. Root activity was significantly decreased in both Ga-exposed rice seedlings; however, B-deficient seedlings showed a severe reduction than +B rice seedlings. These results reveal that Fe plaque might be a temporary sink for B accumulation when plants are grown with proper B, wherein the re-utilization of DCB-extractable B stored in Fe plaque is mandatory for plant growth under B deficiency. Correlation analysis revealed that B deficiency decreased the root activity of Ga-exposed rice seedlings by reducing DCB-extractable Fe and increasing DCB-extractable Ga in Fe plaque. This study enhances our understanding of how B nutritional levels affect Ga toxicity in rice plants.

Boron deficiency energizes cyanide uptake and assimilation through activating plasma membrane H+-ATPase in rice plants.

The effect of boron (B) deficiency on mediating the contribution of H+-ATPase in the uptake and assimilation of exogenous cyanide (CN-) is investigated. Under CN- treatments, rice seedlings with B-deficient (-B) conditions exhibited significantly higher CN- uptake and assimilation rates than B-supplemented (+B) seedlings, whereas NH4+ uptake and assimilation rates were slightly higher in -B rice seedlings than in +B. In this connection, the expression pattern of genes encoding ß-CAS, ST, and H+-ATPase was assessed to unravel their role in the current scenario. The abundances of three ß-CAS isogenes (OsCYS-D1, OsCYS-D2, and OsCYS-C1) in rice tissues are upregulated from both "CN--B" and "CN-+B" treatments, however, only OsCYS-C1 in roots from the "CN--B" treatments was significantly upregulated than "CN-+B" treatments. Expression patterns of ST-related genes (OsStr9, OsStr22, and OsStr23) are tissue specific, in which significantly higher upregulation of ST-related genes was observed in shoots from "CN--B" treatments than "CN-+B" treatments. Expression pattern of 7 selected H+-ATPase isogenes, OsA1, OSA2, OsA3, OsA4, OsA7, OsA8, and OsA9 are quite tissue specific between "CN-+B" and "CN--B" treatments. Among these, OsA4 and OsA7 genes were highly activated in the uptake and assimilation of exogenous CN- in -B nutrient solution. These results indicated that B deficiency disturbs the pattern of N cycles in CN--treated rice seedlings, where activation of ST during CN- assimilation decreases the flux of the innate pool of NH4+ produced from CN- assimilation by the ß-CAS pathway in plants. Collectively, the B deficiency increased the uptake and assimilation of exogenous CN- through activating H+-ATPase.

Individual and mutual effects of elevated carbon dioxide and temperature on salt and cadmium uptake and translocation by rice seedlings.

Plant kingdoms are facing increasingly harsh environmental challenges marked by the coexposure of salinity and pollution in the pedosphere and elevated CO2 and temperature in the atmosphere due to the rapid acceleration of industrialization and global climate change. In this study, we deployed a hydroponics-based experiment to explore the individual and mutual effects of different temperatures (low temperature, T1: 23°C; high temperature, T2: 27°C) and CO2 concentrations (ambient CO2: 360 ppm; medium CO2: 450 ppm; high CO2: 700 ppm) on the uptake and translocation of sodium chloride (NaCl, 0.0, 0.2, 0.6, and 1.1 g Na/L) and cadmium nitrate (Cd(NO3)2·4H2O, 0.0, 0.2, 1.8, and 5.4 mg Cd/L) by rice seedlings. The results indicated that Cd and Na exposure significantly (P< 0.05) inhibited plant growth, but T2 and medium/high CO2 alleviated the effects of Cd and Na on plant growth. Neither significant synergistic nor antagonistic effects of Cd and Na were observed, particularly not at T1 or high CO2. At increasing temperatures, relative growth rates increased despite higher concentrations of Cd and Na in both rice roots and shoots. Similarly, higher CO2 stimulated the growth rate but resulted in significantly lower concentrations of Na, while the Cd concentration was highest at medium CO2. Coexposure experiments suggested that the concentration of Cd in roots slightly declined with additional Na and more at T2. Overall, our preliminary study suggested that global climate change may alter the distribution of mineral and toxic elements in rice plants as well as the tolerance of the plants.

Spatial-temporal variations of proline and related amino acids reveal distinct nitrogenous utilization strategies in rice during detoxification of exogenous cyanide.

Cyanide (CN-) pollution in agricultural systems impairs amino acid metabolism in rice plants, hence decreasing their quality and yield. Meanwhile, little is known about the effects of CN- assimilation on the innate pool of proline (Pro) and its synthesis-related amino acids (Pro-AAs) in rice plants. In this study, a hydroponic experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of exogenous KCN on indigenous levels of Pro-AAs, i.e., Pro, glutamate (Glu), arginine (Arg), and ornithine (Orn) in rice seedlings fertilized with either nitrate (NO3-) or ammonium (NH4+) through the biochemical and RT-qPCR analysis. At the same KCN treatment concentration, the relative growth rate of NH4+-fed rice seedlings was considerably higher than that of NO3--fed rice seedlings, but the residual concentration of CN- in NH4+-fed rice tissues was lower than that of NO3--fed rice tissues. Based on the UPLC and stoichiometry molar ratio calculations, it is evident that the Glu pathway contributed significantly to Pro synthesis in rice under KCN + NO3- treatments; whereas the Orn pathway governed the synthesis of Pro in rice under KCN + NH4+ treatments. Moreover, transcriptional and bioinformatics analysis revealed that NH4+ fertilization resulted in spatial-temporal differences in the genetic response in rice tissue during detoxification of CN- compared with KCN + NO3- treatments. These findings suggested that the innate level of Pro serves as "a fishing float" to balance the flux between Pro and Pro-AAs in exogenous KCN-treated rice plants under different nitrogenous nutritional conditions.

Evaluating the significance of amino acids (AAs) in cyanide-treated rice plants under different nitrogen fertilization using the relative importance index of AA.

The biosynthesis of amino acids (AAs) in plants is affected by different nitrogen (N) sources. The effects of exogenous cyanide (KCN) on the concentrations and profiles of AAs in rice seedlings were carried out in the presence of nitrate (+NO3-)/ammonium (+NH4+) or N deficiency (-N). Targeted metabolomics analysis indicated that the highest accumulation of AAs in CN--treated rice seedlings was detected in the "CN-+NH4+" treatments than in other treatments, wherein the doses of exogenous KCN did not significantly affect the total amount of AAs in rice seedlings at the same N fertilized condition. The total content of AAs in rice shoots under "CN-+NH4+" treatments was higher than other treatments, while the total content of AAs in rice roots under "CN-+NO3-" treatments was higher than other treatments. Also, the profiles of 21 AAs in CN--treated rice seedlings showed tissue-specific under different N fertilization. The relative importance index (RII) of AA was used to evaluate the importance of AAs in CN--treated rice seedlings under different N fertilization. The common AAs with higher RII values were compared between three different treatments of KCN (e.g., 0, 1, and 2 mg CN/L). Under "CN-+(-N)" treatments, Ala, Asp, Glu, Val, and Gly (Ala, Gly, Val, and Lys) were the common AAs in rice roots (shoots). Under "CN-+NO3-" treatments, Ala, Glu, Asp, Ser, and Thr (Asp, Ala, Thr, Ser, and Asn) were the common AAs with higher RII values in rice roots (shoots) between all CN- treatments. Under "CN-+NH4+" treatments, Asp, Gln, Asn, and Ala (Asp, Glu, and Thr) were the common AAs with higher RII values in rice roots (shoots) between all CN- treatments. These results suggested that using the RII to describe the change and fluctuation of AAs in rice plants may reflect the different N utilization strategies in response to exogenous CN- exposure.

Transcriptional analysis of heavy metal P1B-ATPases (HMAs) elucidates competitive interaction in metal transport between cadmium and mineral elements in rice plants.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution has become a major threat to crop production and quality globally. The heavy metal P1B-ATPases (HMAs) play a crucial role in metal transport in plants. In the present study, we investigated the interaction in metal transport by HMAs between Cd and mineral elements in rice plants. Rice seedlings were treated with cadmium nitrate either in the nutrient solution ("Cd+M") or in the ultrapure water ("Cd-M"). Result showed that phytotoxicity of Cd to rice seedlings was evident from both Cd treatments, judged by relative growth rate (RGR), where more severe repression (p < 0.05) of RGR was observed in the "Cd-M" treatments than the "Cd+M" treatments. More Cd (p < 0.05) was accumulated in rice tissues from the "Cd-M" treatments than the "Cd+M" treatments, while there is a significant difference (p < 0.05) in distribution and translocation of mineral elements in rice tissues between the "Cd+M" and the "Cd-M" treatments. RT-qPCR analysis displayed that the expression patterns of HMAs related genes were quite different between "Cd+M" and "Cd-M" treatments, suggesting their different regulatory effects during the transport of Cd and mineral elements within rice plants. The competition in metal transport by HMAs mainly occurs between Cd and micro-elements of Zn and Cu in rice tissues during Cd exposure. Overall, this study provides new evidence to clarify the different translocation mechanisms of HMAs in metal transport between Cd and mineral elements in rice seedlings during Cd exposure.

Transcriptome Analysis of Cyanide-Treated Rice Seedlings: Insights into Gene Functional Classifications.

Cyanide (CN-) pollution in agricultural systems can affect crop production. However, no data are available to describe the full picture of the responsive metabolic mechanisms of genes with known functions related to exogenous KCN exposure. In this study, we examined the transcriptome in rice seedlings exposed to potassium cyanide (KCN) using an Agilent 4×44K rice microarray to clarify the relationship between the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their function classifications. The number of DEGs (up-regulated genes/down-regulated genes) was 322/626 and 640/948 in the shoots and roots of CN--treated rice seedlings, respectively. Functional predication demonstrated that a total of 534 and 837 DEGs in shoots and roots were assigned to 22 COG categories. Four common categories listed on the top five COG classifications were detected in both rice tissues: signal transduction mechanisms, carbohydrate transport and metabolism, post-translational modification, protein turnover and chaperones, and transcription. A comparison of DEGs aligned to the same COG classification demonstrated that the majority of up-regulated/down-regulated DEGs in rice tissues were significantly different, suggesting that responsive and regulatory mechanisms are tissue specific in CN--treated rice seedlings. Additionally, fifteen DEGs were aligned to three different COG categories, implying their possible multiple functions in response to KCN stress. The results presented here provide insights into the novel responsive and regulatory mechanisms of KCN-responsive genes, and will serve as useful resources for further functional dissections of the physiological significance of specific genes activated in the exogenous KCN stress response in rice plants.

Implications of the fate of hydrogen sulfide derived from assimilation of thiocyanate in rice plants.

Thiocyanate (SCN-) is a sulfur-containing pollutant, which is frequently detected in irrigation water and has negative effects on plant growth and crop yields. Uptake and assimilation of exogenous SCN- in rice plants was evident, in which two metabolic pathways, carbonyl sulfide (COS) and cyanate (CNO), are activated. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an important concomitant derived from detoxification of exogenous SCN- in rice plants, which may cause coupling action on the endogenous source of H2S from sulfur metabolism. Since H2S has dual regulatory effects, the fate of H2S derived from assimilation of SCN- in plants is critical for clarifying the inclusiveness of H2S in various physiological activities. In fact, application of exogenous H2S not only positively changed the root phenotype traits of SCN--treated seedlings, but also effectively mitigated the toxic effects of SCN- in rice seedlings by stimulating the process of the PSII repair cycle. In this study, it is tempting to analyze and clarify the flux of the concomitant production of H2S from assimilation of exogenous SCN- into the innate pool, which may function in signaling regulation and other physiological processes in rice plants. This study would update our understanding of the fate of H2S derived from assimilation of SCN- in plants and provide new insights into the affirmative actions of H2S in direct proximity to SCN- exposure.

Involvement of ß-cyanoalanine synthase (ß-CAS) and sulfurtransferase (ST) in cyanide (CN-) assimilation in rice seedlings.

In spite of available information demonstrating the assimilation of cyanide (CN-) by ß-cyanoalanine synthase (ß-CAS) in plants, involvement of sulfurtransferase (ST) in CN- assimilation in rice plants is still undefined. In this study, a microcosmic hydroponic system was used to investigate the involvement of ß-cyanoalanine synthase (ß-CAS) and sulfurtransferase (ST) in the CN- assimilation in rice seedlings under the exposure of potassium cyanide (KCN) in presence or absence of 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC). Our results indicated that the measurable thiocyanate (SCN-) was detected in both rice roots and shoots under KCN exposure, and the abundances of ST-related transcripts were up-regulated significantly (p < 0.05), suggesting that the ST pathway is involved in CN- assimilation in the rice plants. The application of exogenous ACC significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the accumulation of CN- and SCN- in rice tissues after KCN exposures, and also up-regulated the expression of ß-CAS and ST genes and their enzymatic activities, suggesting a positive interaction between aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACO), ß-CAS and ST in rice plants during the CN- assimilation. This is the first attempt to experimentally clarify the involvement of ST in CN- assimilation in rice seedlings.

Integration of RT-qPCR analysis and grey situation decision-making model for evaluating the effects of plant growth regulators on the gene expression in rice seedlings under thiocyanate exposure.

Thiocyanate (SCN-) present in irrigation water can have negative effects on plant growth and crop yields. Addition of plant growth regulators (PGRs) can alleviate toxic stress to plants. In the current study, we established a grey situation decision-making model (GSDM) to integrate the data of RT-qPCR analysis for screening the optimal addition of PGRs to minimise pollution stress. The effects of PGRs (i.e., jasmonic acid [JA], indole-3-acetic acid [IAA] and sodium hydrosulfide [NaHS]) on the abundance of IAA oxidation and conjugation-related genes in rice seedlings under potassium thiocyanate (KSCN) exposure was examined. The results obtained from RT-qPCR analysis can roughly present the mitigating effects of IAA, JA, and NaHS on rice seedlings under KSCN stress. Integration of RT-qPCR analysis and GSDM further quantified the regulatory effects of PGRs. Simulation results showed that the effect of NaHS on the gene expression at KSCN exposure is apparently better than that of JA and IAA. Our study provides a new simple, efficient, and cheap approach to identify the optimal plant growth regulators under the stress of environmental pollution.

Assimilation of exogenous cyanide cross talk in Oryza sativa L. to the key nodes in nitrogen metabolism.

Exogenous cyanide (CN-) effects on nitrogen (N) uptake, transport, and assimilation in rice seedlings were investigated at the biochemical and molecular levels. Seedlings were treated with either a 2-d or 4-d supply of potassium cyanide (KCN) in the nutrient solution containing nitrate (NO3-) or ammonium (NH4+). Although a KCN-induced increase was recorded in the activity of ß-cyanoalanine synthase (ß-CAS) in rice tissues of both NH4+-fed and NO3--fed seedlings, the former showed a significantly greater assimilation rate for CN- than the latter. The addition of KCN decreased NO3- uptake and assimilation, whereas a negligible impact was observed in NH4+ treatments. Enzymatic assays showed a marked activities enhancement of glutamine synthetase (GS), glutamate synthase (GOGAT), and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) in NH4+-fed seedlings after KCN exposure. Similarly, the rises occurring in nitrate reductase (NR) and GDH activity in NO3--fed seedlings were also detected after 2-d exposure to KCN, whereas a significant reduction of GS and GOGAT activities was determined. The results suggest that although exogenous KCN at moderate or high concentrations caused repressively effects on biomass growth of both NH4+-fed and NO3--fed rice seedlings, the nontoxic concentration of KCN supplied can serve as a supplemental N source in plant nutrition and N metabolism.

[Establishment of a SD rat model of vulvar lichen simplex chronicus and detection of the expression of protease activated receptor 2].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a SD rat model of vulvar lichen simplex chronicus (LSC) and investigate the expression of protease activated receptor 2 (PAR2) in the genital skin. METHODS: Seventy female SD rats were randomly divided into group A (blank control group, n=10), group B (with application of acetone solution 3 times per week for 10 weeks, n=10), group C (with chronic mechanical irritation 3 times per week for 10 weeks, n=10), and group D (with topical treatment with 0.5= 7,12-Dimethylbenzanthracene [DMBA] in acetone solution and chronic mechanical irritation 3 times per week for 10 weeks, n=40). The changes of the genital skin changes were observed regularly and the expression of PAR2 in groups A and D was detected with immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and qRT-PCR. RESULTS: In group D, LSC occurred in 23 rats (57.5=) at 8 weeks and in 38 rats (95=) at 10 weeks; 8 rats (20=) showed papilloma at 12 weeks. Acetone treatment or chronic mechanical irritation did not cause LSC in the rats. Immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and qRT-PCR showed significantly increased expressions of PAR2 in group D at both the protein and mRNA levels as compared with those in group A (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: 0.5= DMBA in acetone solution along with chronic mechanical irritation can induce LSC in female SD rats, and PAR2 is closely related with the occurrence and progression of LSC.

[Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound promotes repair of cyclophosphamide?induced ovarian injury in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of low?intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) in promoting repair of cyclophosphamide (CTX)?induced ovarian injury in female rats. METHODS: Fifty female SD rats were subjected to intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide at 30 mg/kg for 5 consecutive days to induce premature ovarian failure. Successful modeling was achieved in 43 rats, which were then randomized into model group (21 rats) and treatment group (22 rats), with another 13 rats without any injections serving as the normal control group. The rats in the treatment group received low?intensity pulsed ultrasound treatment, and those in the other two groups received no interventions. The estrous cycle of the rats was monitored during the experiment, and all the rats were sacrificed 7 days after the treatment for analysis of serum estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), anti?Mullerian hormone (AMH), morphological changes of the ovary and the number of follicles. RESULTS: Compared with those in the normal control group, the rats in the model group showed disorders in the estrous cycle, reduced number of follicles at all levels, significantly decreased serum E2 and AMH, and increased serum FSH following CTX injection (P=0.01). Ultrasound treatment obviously promoted the recovery of estrous cycle, significantly increased the number of follicles and serum E2 (P=0.01), and decreased FSH (P=0.01) in the rats with CTX?induced ovarian injury, but AMH showed no significant changes after ultrasound treatment (P=0.50). CONCLUSION: Low?intensity pulsed ultrasound can promote the repair of the CTX?induced ovarian injury in SD rats.

[Relationship between PMI and ATR-FTIR Spectral Changes in Swine Costal Cartilages and Ribs].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze postmortem chemical changes in Landrace costal cartilages and ribs using attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and to provide a novel technique for estimation of postmortem interval (PMI). METHODS: The swines were sacrificed by hemorrhage and their costal cartilages and ribs were kept in 20 degrees C. The chemical analysis of the costal cartilages and ribs were performed using ATR-FTIR every 72 h. The correlation between the certain spectral parameters and PMI was also analyzed. The time-dependent changes of costal cartilages were more significant than ribs. RESULTS: There were no obvious changes for the main absorbance bands position, and some absorbance band ratios showed time-dependent changes and significant correlations with the PMI. CONCLUSION: ATR-FTIR has the ability to analyze postmortem chemical changes of the swine costal cartilages and ribs, and it can be a new method to estimate PMI based on spectroscopy.

[Short and long-term efficacy of focused ultrasound therapy for vulva dystrophy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the short and long-term efficacy and complications, as well as the influential factors of focused ultrasound for the treatment of vulva dystrophy. METHODS: Seventy-six eligible patients with vulva dystrophy were randomized and treated with focused ultrasound between 1999 and 2002. Among them, 45 patients were with squamous hyperplasia (SH) and 31 patients were with lichen sclerosus (LS). Colposcopic examination and biopsies were used to monitor and evaluate the changes. Statistical analysis was performed using chi(2) (McNemar chi(2)) test. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 28.3 month (range 24 months to 60 months). Complete remission (CR) occurred in 39 of 76 patients (27 SH and 12 LS). The cure rate was 51% at four years. The response rate was 95% (72/76). Four of the 76 patients (2 SH and 2 LS) had slight skin burn and a few blisters around the labia 2-4 hours after treatment. Moreover, two patients (1 SH and 1 LS) had superficial ulcers on the treated vulva skin two weeks after ultrasound treatment, which were cured without any complications with local anti-inflammatory drugs for 2-3 weeks. No other long-term side effects were found after a follow up for 24-60 months. The total recurrence rate at four years was 36% (26/72), all of whom were treated again with ultrasound therapy with good results and no complications. There was no obvious difference among the different anaesthesia types and pathological types of the lesions (P > 0.05). However, the shorter the history of the disease, the better the efficacy of the treatment. The younger the patient was, the better the efficacy of the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Vulva dystrophy can be treated with focused ultrasound effectively and safely. This approach appears to be a new promising treatment method.

[Evaluation of white lesions of vulva treated with focused ultrasound].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and efficacy of focused ultrasound for the treatment of vulvar dystrophy, including squamous hyperplasia (SH) and lichen sclerosus (LS). METHODS: A total of 76 eligible patients with vulvar dystrophy (45 SH and 31 LS) were treated with focused ultrasound between 1999 and 2002. Before and after ultrasound therapy, both ultrasonography and biopsies of the lesions were performed to monitor and evaluate the changes of the lesion being treated. The positive expressions of CD34 (cluster of differentiation of endothelial cells), a marker of the epithelial cells of blood vessels and myelin basic protein (MBP), a marker of the oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells were tested using the streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemistry method before and after the ultrasound procedure to evaluate the effects of ultrasound treatment. RESULTS: In two years, follow-up, 49 of 76 cases (32 SH and 17 LS) were cured, 23 (11 SH and 12 LS) improved, and 4 (2 SH and 2 LS) persisted. The response rate was 94.7% (72/76). The positive expression of CD34 and MBP significantly increased at the treated region (P < 0.05). Grey-scale ultrasound imaging showed a localized hypoechoic region after the treatment, which recovered to normal appearance within 7 - 10 days. CONCLUSION: Vulvar dystrophy can be treated with focused ultrasound effectively and safely. This approach appears to be a new promising treatment method, although further studies are still needed.