Disturbance of suprachiasmatic nucleus function improves cardiac repair after myocardial infarction by IGF2-mediated macrophage transition.

Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in mammals functions as the master circadian pacemaker that coordinates temporal organization of physiological processes with the environmental light/dark cycles. But the causative links between SCN and cardiovascular diseases, specifically the reparative responses after myocardial infarction (MI), remain largely unknown. In this study we disrupted mouse SCN function to investigate the role of SCN in cardiac dysfunction post-MI. Bilateral ablation of the SCN (SCNx) was generated in mice by electrical lesion; myocardial infarction was induced via ligation of the mid-left anterior descending artery (LAD); cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography. We showed that SCN ablation significantly alleviated MI-induced cardiac dysfunction and cardiac fibrosis, and promoted angiogenesis. RNA sequencing revealed differentially expressed genes in the heart of SCNx mice from D0 to D3 post-MI, which were functionally associated with the inflammatory response and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Notably, the expression levels of insulin-like growth factor 2 (Igf2) in the heart and serum IGF2 concentration were significantly elevated in SCNx mice on D3 post-MI. Stimulation of murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro with serum isolated from SCNx mice on D3 post-MI accelerated the transition of anti-inflammatory macrophages, while antibody-mediated neutralization of IGF2 receptor blocked the macrophage transition toward the anti-inflammatory phenotype in vitro as well as the corresponding cardioprotective effects observed in SCNx mice post-MI. In addition, disruption of mouse SCN function by exposure to a desynchronizing condition (constant light) caused similar protective effects accompanied by elevated IGF2 expression on D3 post-MI. Finally, mice deficient in the circadian core clock genes (Ckm-cre; Bmal1f/f mice or Per1/2 double knockout) did not lead to increased serum IGF2 concentration and showed no protective roles in post-MI, suggesting that the cardioprotective effect observed in this study was mediated particularly by the SCN itself, but not by self-sustained molecular clock. Together, we demonstrate that inhibition of SCN function promotes Igf2 expression, which leads to macrophage transition and improves cardiac repair post-MI.

Evaluation of a Novel Left Ventricular Assist Device for Resuscitation in an Animal Model of Ventricular Fibrillation Cardiac Arrest.

We evaluated an independently developed novel percutaneous implantable left ventricular assist device for resuscitation in a pig model of ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest. The model was established in 10 domestic pigs by blocking the anterior descending coronary artery with a balloon after anesthesia. With ventilator-assisted ventilation, the independently developed percutaneous implantable left ventricular assist device was inserted via the femoral artery to assist circulation. According to whether effective circulatory support was achieved, the pigs were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group was subjected to insertion of the assist device and received continuous circulatory support. The control group underwent insertion of the assist device; however, it did not start it within 15 minutes. For all animals, if successful rescue was achieved (sinus rhythm restoration within 15 minutes and maintenance for over 5 minutes), circulatory support was stopped, and the arterial blockage was removed. If sinus rhythm was not restored within 15 minutes, electric defibrillation, adrenaline injection, and removal of the arterial blockage were performed, and circulatory support was provided until sinus rhythm recovered. A determination of failed rescue was made when sinus rhythm was not restored after 1 hour. All successfully rescued animals were fed for 1 week. There were no significant differences in baseline data between the groups. All animals underwent successful novel left ventricular assist device implantation through the femoral artery. The rescue rate was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (80% vs. 0%, [Formula: see text]). All successfully rescued animals survived after 1 week of feeding, and no eating or movement abnormalities were observed. We conclude that this independently developed percutaneous implantable left ventricular assist device can be conveniently and rapidly implanted through the femoral artery and can maintain basic circulatory perfusion during resuscitation in an animal model of cardiac arrest.

2019 Global NAFLD Prevalence: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The increasing rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus may lead to increased prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to determine the current and recent trends on the global and regional prevalence of NAFLD. METHODS: Systematic search from inception to March 26, 2020 was performed without language restrictions. Two authors independently performed screening and data extraction. We performed meta-regression to determine trends in NAFLD prevalence. RESULTS: We identified 17,244 articles from literature search and included 245 eligible studies involving 5,399,254 individuals. The pooled global prevalence of NAFLD was 29.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.6%-31.1%); of these, 82.5% of included articles used ultrasound to diagnose NAFLD, with prevalence of 30.6% (95% CI, 29.2%-32.0%). South America (3 studies, 5716 individuals) and North America (4 studies, 18,236 individuals) had the highest NAFLD prevalence at 35.7% (95% CI, 34.0%-37.5%) and 35.3% (95% CI, 25.4%-45.9%), respectively. From 1991 to 2019, trend analysis showed NAFLD increased from 21.9% to 37.3% (yearly increase of 0.7%, P < .0001), with South America showing the most rapid change of 2.7% per year, followed by Europe at 1.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Despite regional variation, the global prevalence of NAFLD is increasing overall. Policy makers must work toward reversing the current trends by increasing awareness of NAFLD and promoting healthy lifestyle environments.

CXADR-like membrane protein protects against heart injury by preventing excessive pyroptosis after myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) results in cardiomyocyte death and ultimately leads to heart failure. Pyroptosis is a type of the inflammatory programmed cell death that has been found in various diseased tissues. However, the role of pyroptosis in MI heart remains unknown. Here, we showed that CXADR-like membrane protein (CLMP) was involved in pyroptosis in the mouse MI heart. Our data showed that CLMP was strongly expressed in fibroblasts of the infarcted mouse hearts. The Clmp+/- mice showed more serious myocardial fibrosis and ventricular dysfunction post-MI than wild-type (Clmp+/+ ) mice, indicating a protective effect of the fibroblast-expressed CLMP against MI-induced heart damage. Transcriptome analyses by RNA sequencing indicated that Il-1ß mRNA was significantly increased in the MI heart of Clmp+/- mouse, which indicated a more serious inflammatory response. Meanwhile, cleaved caspase-1 and Gasdermin D were significantly increased in the Clmp+/- MI heart, which demonstrated enhanced pyroptosis in the Clmp knockdown heart. Further analysis revealed that the pyroptosis mainly occurred in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). Compared to wild-type fibroblasts, Clmp+/- CFs showed more serious pyroptosis and inflammatory after LPS plus nigericin treatment. Collectively, our results indicate that CLMP participates in the pyroptotic and inflammatory response of CFs in MI heart. We have provided a novel pyroptotic insight into the ischaemic heart, which might hold substantial potential for the treatment of MI.

LncRNA-Safe contributes to cardiac fibrosis through Safe-Sfrp2-HuR complex in mouse myocardial infarction.

Rationale: As a hallmark of various heart diseases, cardiac fibrosis ultimately leads to end-stage heart failure. Anti-fibrosis is a potential therapeutic strategy for heart failure. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of heart diseases that promise to serve as therapeutic targets. However, few lncRNAs have been directly implicated in cardiac fibrosis. Methods: The lncRNA expression profiles were assessed by microarray in cardiac fibrotic and remote ventricular tissues in mice with myocardial infarction. The mechanisms and functional significance of lncRNA-AK137033 in cardiac fibrosis were further investigated with both in vitro and in vivo models. Results: We identified 389 differentially expressed lncRNAs in cardiac fibrotic and remote ventricular tissues in mice with myocardial infarction. Among them, a lncRNA (AK137033) we named Safe was enriched in the nuclei of fibroblasts, and elevated in both myocardial infarction and TGF-ß-induced cardiac fibrosis. Knockdown of Safe prevented TGF-ß-induced fibroblast-myofibroblast transition, aberrant cell proliferation and secretion of extracellular matrix proteins in vitro, and mended the impaired cardiac function in mice suffering myocardial infarction. In vitro studies indicated that knockdown of Safe significantly inhibited the expression of its neighboring gene Sfrp2, and vice versa. The Sfrp2 overexpression obviously disturbed the regulatory effects of Safe shRNAs in both the in vitro cultured cardiac fibroblasts and myocardial infarction-induced fibrosis. Dual-Luciferase assay demonstrated that Safe and Sfrp2 mRNA stabilized each other via their complementary binding at the 3'-end. RNA electrophoretic mobility shift assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay indicated that RNA binding protein HuR could bind to Safe-Sfrp2 RNA duplex, whereas the knockdown of HuR dramatically reduced the stabilization of Safe and Sfrp2 mRNAs, down-regulated their expression in cardiac fibroblasts, and thus inhibited TGF-ß-induced fibrosis. The Safe overexpression partially restrained the phenotype change of cardiac fibroblasts induced by Sfrp2 shRNAs, but not that induced by HuR shRNAs. Conclusions: Our study identifies Safe as a critical regulator of cardiac fibrosis, and demonstrates Safe-Sfrp2-HuR complex-mediated Sfrp2 mRNA stability is the underlying mechanism of Safe-regulated cardiac fibrosis. Fibroblast-enriched Safe could represent a novel target for anti-fibrotic therapy in heart diseases.

Dicyanamide Bridged Cu(II)36-Metallacrown-6 Complex with 1,4,7-Triisopropyl-1,4,7-Triazacyclononane and Binding Properties with DNA.

A novel 36-metallacrown-6 complex [CuL(N(CN)2)(PF6)]6∙0.5H2O 1 was achieved using a tridendate ligand, 1,4,7-triisopropyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (L), and a flexible ligand, dicyanamide in MeOH. The µ1,5 bridging models of the dicyanamide ligand linked the macrocycle to form in a specific size with the chair conformation. The anion was important to form this 36-metallacrown-6 complex, as change was obtained with the larger anion BPh4-, binuclear copper compound 2. The magnetic property indicates that slightly ferromagnetic interactions resulted from a superexchange mechanism. DNA binding properties were also studied. UV and fluorescence spectra showed that complex 1 could bind with DNA.

Three series of heterometallic NiII-LnIII Schiff base complexes: synthesis, crystal structures and magnetic characterization.

Three series of NiII-LnIII complexes were synthesized with the general formulae [(µ3-CO3)2{Ni(HL)(CH3-CH2OH)Ln(CH3COO)}2]·2CH3CH2OH (1-6) (Ln = Tb (1), Dy (2), Ho (3), Er (4), Tm (5), Yb (6); H3L = N,N'-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)-1,3-diamino-2-prop-anol), [Ni(HL)Ln(dbm)3]·CH3OH2·2CH2Cl2 (7-10) (Ln = Tb (7), Eu (8), Gd (9), Ho (10); Hdbm = 1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanedione) and [Ni(HL)(H2O)(tfa)Ln(hfac)2] (11-15) (Ln = Tb (11), Dy (12), Eu (13), Gd (14), Ho (15); Hhfac = 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoropentane-2,4-dione, tfa- = trifluoroacetate) using compartmental Schiff base ligands in conjunction with auxiliary ligands. For the NiLn series, the tetranuclear structure could be considered as two NiII-LnIII dinuclear subunits bridged by two carbonates derived from atmospheric carbon dioxide. The LnIII ions of complexes 1-6 were octa-coordinated with distorted triangular dodecahedral geometry, while the LnIII ions of the dinuclear complexes 7-15 were nona-coordinated with distorted muffin geometry. The magnetic properties of the three series complexes were studied using dc and ac magnetic measurements. For the NiII-GdIII complexes, the dc magnetic susceptibility measurements suggested the existence of the anticipated ferromagnetic interaction between NiII and GdIII ions. The fitting of the χMT vs. T data processed by PHI software provided the parameters g = 2.08 (J = +0.87 cm-1) for 9 and g = 2.02 (J = +1.83 cm-1) for 14. The interaction exchange was magneto-structurally correlated to the Ni-O-Gd angle (α) and Ni(µ-O)Gd dihedral angle (ß). With an applied dc field, complexes 1 (Tb), 2 (Dy), 7 (Tb) and 12 (Dy) exhibited single magnetic relaxation with SMM parameters of Ueff/k = 13.60 K, 11.52 K, 7.69 K and 5.14 K, respectively. Analysis of the Cole-Cole plots for complexes 2 and 7 suggested that a single relaxation process was mainly involved in the relaxation process, with α values in the range of 0.37-0.17 and 0.14-0.11, respectively.

Synthesis, magnetism and spectral studies of six defective dicubane tetranuclear {M4O6} (M = Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II)) and three trinuclear Cd(II) complexes with polydentate Schiff base ligands.

A series of Ni(II), Co(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes with polytopic Schiff base ligands have been synthesized. The single-crystal X-ray crystallography results show that tetranuclear complexes have common face-shared defective dicubane cores, whereas trinuclear Cd(II) complexes are almost linear entities. Synthesis methods (solvent evaporation and hydrothermal synthesis), reaction conditions (pH, solvents and dosage) and coligands (azide, methanol, chloride and acetate) play vital roles in determining the final structure of the complexes and therefore their magnetic properties. In complexes , the terminal and central M(2+) ions are connected through mixed bridges, µ-phenoxido/µ1,1,1-X and µ-Oalphatic/µ1,1,1-X, while central two M(2+) ions are linked by double bridges, µ1,1,1-X (X = azido and methoxido groups for and respectively). For complex , two central Ni(II) ions are connected through two µ1,1,1-N3(-) which is relatively less reported. For complexes , there are two kinds of Cd(II), the centre Cd(II) ions are eight-coordinated with triangle dodecahedral geometries, while the two side Cd(II) ions are six-coordinated with trigonal prism geometries using chlorides or acetates as terminal ligands. Magnetic susceptibility measurements (χM) for compounds have been performed, and they reveal predominant ferromagnetic exchange interactions in Co(II) and Ni(II) tetramers. The photoluminescence studies show that the Zn(II) complex and three Cd(II) complexes have strong fluorescence, and the lifetimes are measured to be in the 10(2) nanosecond timescale.

Copper complexes based on chiral Schiff-base ligands: DNA/BSA binding ability, DNA cleavage activity, cytotoxicity and mechanism of apoptosis.

Four copper(II) complexes with chiral Schiff-base ligands, [Cu(R-L(1))2]·EtOAc (1) and [Cu(S-L(1))2]·EtOAc (2), [Cu(R-L(2))2]·EtOAc (3) and [Cu(S-L(2))2]·EtOAc (4), (R/S-HL(1) = (R/S)-(1-naththyl)-salicylaldimine, R/S-HL(2) = (R/S)-(1-naththyl)-3-methoxysalicylaldimine, EtOAc = ethyl acetate) were synthesized to serve as artificial nucleases and anticancer drugs. All complexes and R/S-HL(1) ligands were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. The interaction of these complexes with CT-DNA was researched via several spectroscopy methods, which indicates that complexes bind to CT-DNA by moderate intercalation binding mode. Moreover, DNA cleavage experiments revealed that the complexes exhibited remarkable DNA cleavage activities in the presence of H2O2via the generation of hydroxyl radical. Particularly, complex 4 also could nick DNA with the production of (1)O2. And all complexes exhibited excellent cytotoxicity to MDA-MB-231, A549 and Hela human cancer cells in micromole magnitude. Furthermore, complex 4 exhibited comparable cytotoxic effect to cisplatin against the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 and A549 cancer cells, as well as showed better anticancer ability to the three cancer cells than the other complexes. The results of cell cycle analysis indicated that complexes 3-4 could induce G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, MDA-MB-231 cells treated with 3 and 4 were subjected to apoptosis and death by generation of ROS and the activation of caspase-3. Interestingly, the chiral complexes 3 and 4 may induce cell apoptosis through extrinsic and mitochondrial intrinsic pathway, respectively.

[The Simulation Experiment of Control System for Left Ventricular Assist Device].

Objective: To test the accuracy, the reliability and the stability of flow-controlling method of a new percutaneous left ventricular assist device. Methods: With the AMEsim to set up a simulation model, analysis the variations of motor speed, flow and pressure by adjusting the size of valve. and we test the improved-theoretical model with outside experiment. Results: In the simulation experiment, with the variations of pressure from A, the system can regulate the motor speed to maintain the pump outlet pressure 1.1×105 Pa~1.2×105 Pa and control the flow. With the B valve size changes, the flow-controlling by the system identify and change the motor speed, to maintain the pump inlet pressure from-0.25×105 Pa to-0.10×105 Pa. In outside experiment, with the variations of the size of valve A and valve B, the pump can change the voltage by self-regulation, maintain the entrance and exit of pressure is relatively stable and control the flow. Conclusions: It is a fast-responding and better robust way, by adding the pressure sensor to adjust the speed of motor, to control the flow accurately.

Efficacy and safety of anticoagulation therapy with different doses of enoxaparin for portal vein thrombosis in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis B.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cirrhosis have a high incidence of portal vein thrombosis (PVT), and optimal management of PVT in cirrhotic patients remains unclear. Currently, there is no paper on optimal doses of enoxaparin for the management of PVT with cirrhosis. AIMS: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of anticoagulation therapy with different doses of enoxaparin for PVT in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis B. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-five patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis and acute PVT were treated by different doses of enoxaparin. All the patients were assigned randomly to two groups: one group received enoxaparin 1 mg/kg subcutaneously every 12 h and the other group received enoxaparin 1.5 mg/kg subcutaneously every 24 h. Clinical, biochemical evaluation, Doppler ultrasound, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography were performed during the anticoagulation treatment. RESULTS: Of the 65 patients, 51 patients (78.5%) achieved complete/partial recanalization of PVT after 6 months of anticoagulation therapy. Child-Pugh scores were lower in the 51 patients who achieved complete/partial recanalization than those of the 14 nonresponders (P<0.01). No patients showed variceal bleeding during anticoagulation therapy in the two groups. The rates of nonvariceal bleeding with the use of 1.5 mg/kg every 24 h (23.5%) were higher than those with the use of 1 mg/kg every 12 h (6.4%). CONCLUSION: Anticoagulation therapy with different doses of enoxaparin for PVT in hepatitis B patients with cirrhosis is efficient and safe, and 1 mg/kg enoxaparin subcutaneously every 12 h is a better anticoagulation regimen in the treatment of PVT in cirrhotic patients.

Synthesis, characterization, DNA/BSA interactions and anticancer activity of achiral and chiral copper complexes.

Six novel copper(ii) complexes of [CuCl]ClO4 (), [Cu(acac)]PF6 (), [CuCl]2(PF6)2 (), [CuCl]2(PF6)2 (), [Cu(acac)]PF6 () and [Cu(acac)]PF6 (), ( = 1-naphthyl-N,N-[bis(2-pyridyl)methyl]amine, = R/S-1-naphthyl-N,N-[bis(2-pyridyl)methyl]ethanamine, acac = diacetone) were synthesized to serve as artificial nucleases. All complexes were structurally characterized using X-ray crystallography. The crystal structures showed the presence of distorted square-planar CuLCl (, and ) and distorted tetragonal-pyramidal CuL(acac) (, and ) geometry. The interaction of these complexes with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) was researched by means of several spectroscopy methods, which indicated that the complexes were bound to CT-DNA by an intercalation binding mode. DNA cleavage experiments revealed that the complexes exhibited remarkable DNA cleavage activities in the presence of H2O2, and single oxygen ((1)O2) or hydroxyl radicals may serve as the major cleavage active species. In particular, the in vitro cytotoxicity of the complexes on four human cancer cell lines (HeLa, MCF-7, Bel-7404 and HepG-2) demonstrated that the six compounds had broad-spectrum anti-cancer activity with low IC50 values. The stronger cytotoxicity and DNA cleavage activity of the chiral enantiomers compared with chiral analogues verified the influence of chirality on the antitumor activity of complexes. Meanwhile, the protein binding ability was revealed by quenching of tryptophan emission with the addition of complexes using BSA as a model protein. The results indicated that the quenching mechanism of BSA by the complexes was a static process.

von Willebrand factor as a novel noninvasive predictor of portal hypertension and esophageal varices in hepatitis B patients with cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: At present, there is no perfect noninvasive method to assess portal hypertension and esophageal varices. Early predicting esophageal varices can provide evidence for managing cirrhotic patients. We aimed to further investigate von Willebrand factor (vWF) as a noninvasive predictor of portal hypertension, especially of esophageal varices. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 60 hepatitis B patients with cirrhosis and 45 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Levels of six markers were examined. All patients underwent hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and esophagogastroduodenoscopy. We evaluated the performance of six factors for diagnosis of portal hypertension and esophageal varices. The vWF levels in liver tissues were observed by immunohistochemistry. Correlations between the level of vWF in liver tissues and HVPG and between levels of vWF in tissues and plasma were examined. RESULTS: Cutoff values of plasma vWF (1510.5 mU/mL and 1701 mU/mL) showed high positive predictive value (PPV, 90.2% and 87.5%) in predicting clinically significant portal hypertension and severe portal hypertension. Cutoff values of vWF (1414 mU/ml and 1990 mU/mL, PPV 90.3% and 86.3%, respectively) were provided to detect the presence and degree of esophageal varices. Linear correlations were observed between levels of vWF in liver tissues and HVPG (r(2) = 0.552, p < 0.001) and between the level of vWF in liver tissues and in plasma (r(2) = 0.461, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The vWF is a noninvasive predictor of portal hypertension and esophageal varices in hepatitis B patients with cirrhosis. Increased levels of vWF in liver tissues may induce the elevated plasma vWF levels, but molecular mechanism is needed for further study.

Solvent effects on the structures and magnetic properties of two doubly interpenetrated metal-organic frameworks.

Two doubly interpenetrated coordination polymers [Co2(BDC)2(bpt)2]·nSolvent based on dimeric secondary building units and crystallizing with distinct solvent molecules (-H2O and -MeOH for nSolvent = 2H2O and MeOH·H2O, respectively) were obtained by employing 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (BDC) and 1H-3,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole) (bpt) as linkers. The structures consist of a square grid of dimers bridged by BDC and pillared by bpt. Thermogravimetry and PXRD indicate that the frameworks are stable and are retained up to 400 °C, but the structures are modified irreversibly. -H2O, high-symmetry Pna21, exhibits antiferromagnetic coupling within the dimer, while -MeOH, low-symmetry P21/n, exhibits ferromagnetic coupling. Upon desolvation, the -de and -de couplings are antiferromagnetic but reduced. Subsequent resolvation to -H2O and -MeOH resulted in a slight increase of the antiferromagnetic coupling without attaining the virgin states. The interesting difference of magnetic properties between -H2O and -MeOH, the solvated/desolvated phases, particularly at low temperature, indicates that there is a prominent solvent effect.

A new model combining the liver/spleen volume ratio and classification of varices predicts HVPG in hepatitis B patients with cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Although the therapy of varices in liver cirrhosis has improved, the mortality during a variceal hemorrhage episode remains high. Patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) greater than 12 mmHg have been identified as being at a higher risk for the first hemorrhage episode. AIMS: The aim of this study was to find an accurate method to predict HVPG greater than 12 mmHg. METHODS: A total of 150 hepatitis B patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled and analyzed retrospectively. The patients were randomly divided into the experiment group and the validation group. The experiment group was used to construct a model to predict HVPG greater than 12 mmHg. The validation group was used to verify the predictive equation. RESULTS: The predictive model combined with the liver/spleen volume ratio and classification of varices was constructed to predict HVPG greater than 12 mmHg. The area under the curve of this predictive equation was 0.919. The values of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 92.9, 87.0, 89.7, and 90.9%, respectively. The following equation was used to calculate the HVPG score: HVPG score = 13.651 - 6.187×ln (liver/spleen volume)+2.755×[classification of varices score (classification of varices : small, 1; large; 2]. CONCLUSION: The new model combining the liver/spleen volume ratio and classification of varices can accurately predict HVPG in hepatitis B patients with cirrhosis.

Bio-relevant cobalt(II) complexes with compartmental polyquinoline ligand: synthesis, crystal structures and biological activities.

Three new Co(II) complexes, [Co4(L)2(µ3-CrO4)2](ClO4)2·2CH3CN (1), [Co2(L)(µ2-na)(H2O)](ClO4)2 (2) and [Co2(L)(µ2-ba)](ClO4)2·0.5CH3CN (3) (Hna=nicotinic acid, Hba=benzoic acid, HL=N,N,N',N'-tetrakis (2-quinolylmethyl)-1,3-diaminopropan-2-ol), have been synthesized and characterized by various physicochemical techniques. The Co(II) centers are connected by endogenous alkoxy bridge from L(-) and various extrinsic auxiliary linkers, some of which display coordination number asymmetry (5, 6-coordinated for 1 and 2; 5, 5-coordinated for 3). It is worth mentioning that complex 1 contains two rare reported µ3-η(1), η(1), η(1)-CrO4(2-) moieties. Susceptibility data of three complexes indicated intramolecular antiferromagnetic coupling of high-spin Co(II) atoms with exchange integral values (J) -14.94 cm(-1), -11.26 cm(-1) and -13.66 cm(-1) for 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Interaction of compounds with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) have been investigated by absorption spectral titration, ethidium bromide (EB) displacement assay and viscosity measurement, which revealed that compounds bound to CT-DNA with a moderate intercalative mode, accompanied the affinities order: 1>2≈3. Three complexes exhibit oxidative cleavage of pBR322 plasmid DNA including a reliance on H2O2 as the activator. Compound 1 demonstrates an increased DNA cleavage activity as compared with 2 and 3, which could degrade super coiled DNA (SC DNA) into nicked coiled DNA (NC DNA) in lower concentration (5 µM). Moreover, all compounds could quench the intrinsic fluorescence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in a static quenching process. Complex 1 also shows higher anticancer activity than cisplatin with lower IC50 value of incubation for both 24 h and 48 h.

A novel inflammatory regulator TIPE2 inhibits TLR4-mediated development of colon cancer via caspase-8.

AIMS: TIPE2 is a novel inflammation regulator, and the role of TIPE2 in colitis-induced colon cancer is not clear. The aim of this study was to test whether TIPE2 inhibits TLR4 pathway in colon cancer patients and to explore potential mechanism of TIPE2 in colon cancer by caspase-8. METHODS: Expression of TIPE2 and TLR4 in human colon cancer tissues and cell line HT-29 was detected by immunohistochemistry or real-time PCR. TIPE2 mRNA was suppressed by siRNA transfection and the transfection efficiency was proved by fluorescence microscopy and real-time PCR. TLR4 pathway was activated by treating the cells with 1 µg/ml LPS for 4 h. Caspase-8 activities were tested by colorimetric assay in four HT-29 cell groups. RESULTS: TIPE2 was expressed in the cytoplasm of colon cancer tissues and HT-29 cells. TIPE2 expression was more pronounced in colon cancer tissues compared to normal controls and it was related with lymph node metastasis and Dukes stage of colon cancer. TIPE2 expression was positively correlated with that of TLR4 in colon cancer (r=0.7354). TIPE2 expression was knocked down successfully by siRNA transfection. Caspase-8 activity was elevated both in TIPE2 knockdown cells and in TLR4 activated cells compared to wild-type cells (P< 0.05). And the caspase-8 activity was further increased in TIPE2 knockdown cells after TLR4 was activated (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: TIPE2 can inhibit caspase-8 activity in colon cancer cells. TIPE2 can regulate TLR4 inflammatory effect and inhibit further amplification of cascade reaction via caspase-8, which provides one new therapeutic target for clinical treatment schedule.

Synthesis, characterization, and biological activities of two Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes with one polyquinoline ligand.

Two new complexes, [CuLCl]ClO4 (1) and [Zn2L2SO4(H2O)2](ClO4)2 (2) [L=N,N-bis(quinolin-2-ylmethyl)quinolin-8-amine], have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The interactions of two complexes with CT-DNA have been investigated by UV absorption, fluorescence spectroscopy, viscosity measurements and gel electrophoresis under physiological conditions. Results show that the complexes bind to CT-DNA with a moderate intercalative mode and exhibit efficient DNA cleavage activity on UV-A light of 365 nm. Furthermore, two complexes could quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA in a static quenching process based on BSA binding experiments. Notably, in vitro cytotoxicity study of two complexes on four human tumor cells lines (7404, HeLa, MCF-7, and HepG-2) indicate that both of them have the potential to act as effective anticancer drugs with low IC50 values.

Two water-soluble copper(II) complexes: synthesis, characterization, DNA cleavage, protein binding activities and in vitro anticancer activity studies.

Two water-soluble ternary copper(II) complexes of [Cu(L)Cl](ClO4) (1) and [Cu(L)Br2] (2) (L=(2-((quinolin-8-ylimino)methyl)pyridine)) were prepared and characterized by various physico-chemical techniques. Both 1 and 2 were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. The crystal structures show the presence of a distorted square-pyramidal CuN3Cl2 (1) or CuN3Br2 (2) geometry in which Schiff-base L acts as a neutral tridentate ligand. Both complexes present intermolecular π-π stacking interactions between quinoline and pyridine rings. The interaction of two complexes with CT-DNA (calf thymus-DNA) and BSA (bovine serum albumin) was studied by means of various spectroscopy methods, which revealed that 1 and 2 could interact with CT-DNA through intercalation mode, and could quench the intrinsic fluorescence of BSA in a static quenching process. Furthermore, the competition experiment using Hoechst 33258 indicated that two complexes may bind to CT-DNA by a minor groove. DNA cleavage experiments indicate that the complexes exhibit efficient DNA cleavage activities without any external agents, and hydroxyl radical (HO) and singlet oxygen ((1)O2) may serve as the major cleavage active species. Notably, the in vitro cytotoxicity of the complexes on three human tumor cells lines (HeLa, MCF-7, and A549) demonstrates that two compounds have broad-spectrum antitumor activity with quite low IC50 ranges of 0.43-1.85µM. Based on the cell cycle experiments, 1 and 2 could delay or inhibit cell cycle progression through the S phase.

Efficient single-strand cleavage of DNA mediated by a MnIIIMnIV-based artificial nuclease.

A water-soluble Mn(IV) 1,4,7-triazacyclononane complex, [Mn(IV)2L2(µ-O)2](ClO4)2·2H2O (1), was prepared to serve as a nuclease mimic (L = 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N-acetate). Complex 1 was readily synthesized from the highly water soluble ligand (L), with Mn(III) salt, [Mn3O(MeCO2)7]·3H2O in basic condition, and characterized by X-ray, IR, electronic spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and magnetic susceptibility as well as ESI-MS. The bond valence sum (BVS) analysis and magnetic data suggest that 1 is a Mn(IV)-µ-O2-Mn(IV) species. The electrospray mass spectrum and electronic spectrum of 1 in aqueous solution indicates that dinuclear Mn complex [Mn(III)Mn(IV)L2(µ-O)2](+) (2) is the active species. A predominantly hydrolytic cleavage mechanism was confirmed through experiments performed in the presence of various radical scavengers, T4 ligase and under anaerobic conditions. The kinetic aspects of DNA cleavage under pseudo- or true-Michaelis-Menten conditions were also detailed, kinetic parameters (kcat, KM, Vmax) were calculated to be 6.27 h(-1), 7.35 × 10(-5) M, 4.6 × 10(-4) M h(-1); 0.683 h(-1), 1.93 × 10(-5) M, 1.32 × 10(-5) M h(-1) for 2, respectively.