Novel insights into the kinetics and mechanism of arsenopyrite bio-dissolution enhanced by pyrite.

Arsenopyrite and pyrite often coexist in metal deposits and tailings, thus simultaneous bioleaching of both sulfides has economic (as well as environmental) significance. Important targets in bio-oxidation operations are high solubilization rates and minimized accumulation of Fe(III)/As-bearing secondary products. This study investigated the role of pyrite bioleaching in the enhancement of arsenopyrite dissolution. At a pyrite to arsenopyrite mass ratio of 1:1, 93.6% of As and 93.0% of Fe were solubilized. The results show that pyrite bio-oxidation can promote arsenopyrite dissolution, enhance S0 bio-oxidation, and inhibit the formation of jarosites, tooeleite, and amorphous ferric arsenate. The dry weight of the pyrite & arsenopyrite residue was reduced by 95.1% after bioleaching, compared to the initial load, while only 5% weight loss was observed when pyrite was absent. A biofilm was formed on the arsenopyrite surface in the presence of pyrite, while a dense passivation layer was observed in the absence of pyrite. As(III) (as As2O3) was a dominant As species in the pyrite & arsenopyrite residue. Novel and detailed findings are presented on arsenopyrite bio-dissolution in the presence of pyrite, and the presented approach could contribute to the development of novel cost-effective extractive bioprocesses. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: The oxidation of arsenopyrite presents significant environmental hazards, as it can contribute to acid mine drainage generation and arsenic mobilization from sulfidic mine wastes. Bioleaching is a proven cost-effective and environmentally friendly extractive technology, which has been applied for decades in metal recovery from minerals or tailings. In this work, efficient extraction of arsenic from arsenopyrite bioleaching was presented through coupling the process with bio-oxidation of pyrite, resulting in lowered accumulation of hazardous and metastable Fe(III)/As-bearing secondary phases. The results could help improve current biomining operations and/or contribute to the development of novel cost-effective bioprocesses for metal extraction.

Natural compound library screening to identify berberine as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) play a critical role on the exacerbation and deterioration of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Aberrant activation of FLS pyroptosis signaling is responsible for the hyperplasia of synovium and destruction of cartilage of RA. This study investigated the screened traditional Chinese medicine berberine (BBR), an active alkaloid extracted from the Coptis chinensis plant, that regulates the pyroptosis of FLS and secretion of inflammatory factors in rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: First, BBR was screened using a high-throughput drug screening strategy, and its inhibitory effect on RA-FLS was verified by in vivo and in vitro experiments. Second, BBR was intraperitoneally administrated into the collagen-induced arthritis rat model, and the clinical scores, arthritis index, and joint HE staining were evaluated. Third, synovial tissues of CIA mice were collected, and the expression of NLRP3, cleaved-caspase-1, GSDMD-N, Mst1, and YAP was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The administration of BBR dramatically alleviated the severity of collagen-induced arthritis rat model with a decreased clinical score and inflammation reduction. In addition, BBR intervention significantly attenuates several pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, interleukin-17, and interleukin-18). Moreover, BBR can reduce the pyroptosis response (caspase-1, NLR family pyrin domain containing 3, and gasdermin D) of the RA-FLS in vitro, activating the Hippo signaling pathway (Mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1, yes-associated protein, and transcriptional enhanced associate domains) so as to inhibit the pro-inflammatory effect of RA-FLS. CONCLUSION: These results support the role of BBR in RA and may have therapeutic implications by directly repressing the activation, migration of RA-FLS, which contributing to the attenuation of the progress of CIA. Therefore, targeting PU.1 might be a potential therapeutic approach for RA. Besides, BBR inhibited RA-FLS pyroptosis by downregulating of NLRP3 inflammasomes (NLRP3, caspase-1) and eased the pro-inflammatory activities via activating the Hippo signaling pathway, thereby improving the symptom of CIA.

Trends in the application of "omics" to Alzheimer's disease: a bibliometric and visualized study.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with an insidious onset. The widespread application of omics techniques in AD has attracted considerable attention. We aimed to make a comprehensive analysis of published omics articles on AD in order to determine the research profile and application trends of omics techniques in AD. METHODS: This study utilizes bibliometric and visual methods including a map collaboration map, co-citations, and keywords to identify knowledge structures, hot topics, and research trends based on 6,828 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that 5654 institutions from 91 countries published articles in this field. The USA, China, and the UK played a leading role in publishing numerous articles in relevant journals as well as prolific institutions and authors, respectively. This paper collects a large number of literatures on the application of AD omics technology from the WoSCC database and found the omics technology applied to AD is mainly based on genomics technology. The application of transcriptomics technology has shown an increasing trend in recent years, and the application of multi-omics technology will be the general trend in the future. CONCLUSION: The development status, frontier hotspots, and general trends of omics application technologies are reviewed. This article will provide intelligence support to researchers and institutions in the field of Alzheimer's omics research and applications from a practical perspective.

Correlation of Glucose Metabolism with Cancer and Intervention with Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Cancer is a complex disease with several distinct characteristics, referred to as "cancer markers" one of which is metabolic reprogramming, which is a common feature that drives cancer progression. Over the last ten years, researchers have focused on the reprogramming of glucose metabolism in cancer. In cancer, the oxidative phosphorylation metabolic pathway is converted into the glycolytic pathway in order to meet the growth requirements of cancer cells, thereby creating a microenvironment that promotes cancer progression. The precise mechanism of glucose metabolism in cancer cells is still unknown, but it is thought to involve the aberrant levels of metabolic enzymes, the influence of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and the activation of tumor-promoting signaling pathways. It is suggested that glucose metabolism is strongly linked to cancer progression because it provides energy to cancer cells and interferes with antitumor drug pharmacodynamics. Therefore, it is critical to unravel the mechanism of glucose metabolism in tumors in order to gain a better understanding of tumorigenesis and to lay the groundwork for future research into the identification of novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has the characteristics of multiple targets, multiple components, and less toxic side effects and has unique advantages in tumor treatment. In recent years, researchers have found that a variety of Chinese medicine monomers and compound recipes play an antitumor role by interfering with the reprogramming of tumor metabolism. The underlying mechanisms of metabolism reprogramming of tumor cells and the role of TCM in regulating glucose metabolism are reviewed in this study, so as to provide a new idea for antitumor research in Chinese medicine.

Efficient dealkalization of red mud and recovery of valuable metals by a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium.

Red mud (RM) is a highly alkaline polymetallic waste generated via the Bayer process during alumina production. It contains metals that are critical for a sustainable development of modern society. Due to a shortage of global resources of many metals, efficient large-scale processing of RM has been receiving increasing attention from both researchers and industry. This study investigated the solubilization of metals from RM, together with RM dealkalization, via sulfur (S0) oxidation catalyzed by the moderately thermophilic bacterium Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans. Optimization of the bioleaching process was conducted in shake flasks and 5-L bioreactors, with varying S0:RM mass ratios and aeration rates. The ICP analysis was used to monitor the concentrations of dissolved elements from RM, and solid residues were analyzed for surface morphology, phase composition, and Na distribution using the SEM, XRD, and STXM techniques, respectively. The results show that highest metal recoveries (89% of Al, 84% of Ce, and 91% of Y) were achieved with the S0:RM mass ratio of 2:1 and aeration rate of 1 L/min. Additionally, effective dealkalization of RM was achieved under the above conditions, based on the high rates (>95%) of Na, K, and Ca dissolution. This study proves the feasibility of using bacterially catalyzed S0 oxidation to simultaneously dealkalize RM and efficiently extract valuable metals from the amassing industrial waste.

Release and fate of As mobilized via bio-oxidation of arsenopyrite in acid mine drainage: Importance of As/Fe/S speciation and As(III) immobilization.

Mining activities expose sulfidic minerals including arsenopyrite (FeAsS) to acid mine drainage (AMD). The subsequent release of toxic arsenic (As) can have great negative implications for the environment and human health. This study investigated the evolution of secondary products and As speciation transformations during arsenopyrite bio-oxidation in AMD collected from a polymetallic mine. Immobilization of the As solubilized via arsenopyrite bio-oxidation using red mud (RM) was also studied. The results show that the high ionic strength (concentrations of dissolved Fe3+, SO42-, and Ca2+ reached values up to 0.75, 3.38, and 0.35 g/L, respectively) and redox potential (up to +621 mV) of AMD (caused primarily by Fe3+) enhanced the dissolution of arsenopyrite. A high [Fe]aq/[As]aq ratio in the AMD favored the precipitation of tooeleite during arsenopyrite bio-oxidation, and the formation of other poorly crystalline products such as schwertmannite and amorphous ferric arsenate also contributed to As immobilization. Bacterial cells served as important nucleation sites for the precipitation of mineral phases. Arsenopyrite completely dissolved after 12 days of bio-oxidation in AMD and the [As]aq (mainly present as As(III)) reached 1.92 g/L, while a greater [As]aq was observed in a basal salts medium (BSM) assay (reaching 3.02 g/L). An RM addition significantly promoted As(III) immobilization, with final [As(III)]aq decreasing to 0.16 and 1.43 g/L in AMD and BSM assays respectively. No oxidation of As(III) was detected during the immobilization process. These findings can help predict As release from arsenopyrite on contact with AMD and, on a broader scale, assist in designing remediation and treatment strategies to mitigate As contamination in mining.

Highly-efficient and sequential recovery of rare earth elements, alumina and silica from coal fly ash via a novel recyclable ZnO sinter method.

A novel sinter method using ZnO as the activator instead of the conventional Na2CO3/CaCO3, (NH4)2SO4, and K2S2O7 was developed to achieve efficient sequential extraction of rare earth elements (REEs), alumina (Al), and silica (Si) from coal fly ash (CFA). Up to 93.3% Si, 87.1% REEs (70.7% Ce, 82.5% La, 83.2% Gd, 87.1% Nd, 62.3% Dy, and 81.7% Y), and 92.9% Al were extracted from CFA, respectively. Moreover, 93.1% of the ZnO activator was efficiently recycled, and the yield of red mud was only 14.9%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) results showed that the speciation transformation of Al/Si during CFA/ZnO roasting was as follows: mullite, quartz, amorphous Al2O3, and SiO2 → Zn0.75Al1.5Si1.5O6, kyanite and willemite → gahnite and quartz/cristobalite solid solutions. The change in the REEs occurrence mode hinted at the migration of most REEs in aluminosilicates forms with Si during roasting, and disassociation with Si into the acid-soluble form after alkali leaching. These results indicate that the coupling of Al-Si-REE in CF was broken by this ZnO sinter method, promoting the sequential and efficient extraction of REEs, Al, and Si from CFA. This study provides a green and efficient strategy for element recovery from CFA, substantially reducing residues and favoring REEs concentration.

Identifying Active Substances and the Pharmacological Mechanism of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. in Treating Radiation-Induced Lung Injury Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Verification.

Background: Houttuynia cordata Thunb. is a traditional Chinese herb widely used mainly because of the pharmacological effects related to heat clearance and detoxification. Emerging clinical evidence indicates that the efficacy of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. on RILI is upstanding. Nevertheless, its underlying therapeutic mechanism remains unclear and warrants further elucidation. Methods: The major active components and corresponding targets of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. were retrieved from the traditional Chinese medicine system pharmacology database (TCMSP) and literature review. The related targets of RILI were retrieved from the GeneCards database. Common targets among the active compounds and diseases were identified through Venn diagram analysis. Cytoscape was employed to construct and visualize the network relationship among the drug, active compounds, targets, and disease. The protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed by STRING. The reliability (the binding affinity) of the core targets and active compounds was verified by molecular docking. Results: A search of the TCMSP database and related literature revealed 12 active compounds of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. against RILI. The core active compounds included quercetin, kaempferol, hyperoside, and rutin. Hub nodes including TP53, VEGFA, JUN, TNF, and IL-6 were identified in the PPI network. The GO categories were classified into three functional categories: 112 biological processes, 9 molecular functions, and 32 cellular components of the active compounds of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated the enrichment of target genes in several key cancer-related signaling pathways, including the cancer pathways, TNF signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and HIF-1 signaling pathway. Molecular docking analysis validated the effective binding capacity of the main active compounds with the core targets. Conclusion: The main active components of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. have a potential pharmacological effect against RILI via the cancer pathways, TNF signaling pathway, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Iguratimod in treatment of primary Sjögren's syndrome concomitant with autoimmune hemolytic anemia: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) concomitant with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) but without eye and mouth dryness is exceedingly rare. Iguratimod (IGU) has been widely used in the treatment of pSS. However, there are few reports about the application of IGU in pSS concomitant with AIHA. CASE SUMMARY: Here, we present the case of a patient with pSS concomitant with AIHA but without eye and mouth dryness. The patient was initially diagnosed with hyperplastic anemia and AIHA while pSS was missed, and was finally diagnosed with pSS concomitant with AIHA. The patient was treated with IGU along with prednisone and hydroxychloroquine, and her hemoglobin, reticulocytes and IgG returned to normal levels. CONCLUSION: IGU was effective for and well tolerated by our patient with pSS concomitant with AIHA, and may be a promising therapy for the treatment of this disease.

Red mud regulates arsenic fate at acidic pH via regulating arsenopyrite bio-oxidation and S, Fe, Al, Si speciation transformation.

Red mud (RM) as waste of industrial aluminum production is piling up in huge ponds. RM could be a cost-effective adsorbent for heavy metals, but adsorption is vulnerable to pH changes, metal ions speciation and the occurrence of iron bearing minerals. In this study, the precipitation and elemental speciation transformation relevant to arsenic fate in responding to the addition of RM during arsenopyrite bio-oxidation by Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans was investigated. The results show that the addition of RM significantly changed the arsenic precipitation and the solution chemistry and thus affected the arsenopyrite bio-oxidation and arsenic fate. An addition of a small amount (≤ 4 g/L) of RM substantially promoted arsenopyrite bio-oxidation with formation of SiO2 @ (As, Fe, Al, Si) spherical nanoparticles that can enhance the stability of the immobilized arsenic. The SiO2-based spherical nanoparticles precipitate was mainly composed of jarosites, amorphous ferric arsenate and crystalline scorodite, and its formation were controlled by Fe3+ concentration and solution pH. An addition of increased amount of RM (≥ 6 g/L) resulted in a significant increase of the solution pH and a decrease in the Fe2+ bio-oxidation activity, and spherical nanoparticles were not formed. Consequently, the dissolution of arsenopyrite was inhibited and the release of arsenic was blocked. This study suggests the applicability of RM in mitigation of arsenic pollution from bio-oxidation of As-bearing sulfide minerals.

[Professor YANG Jun's clinical characteristics in the treatment of chronic diarrhea with acupuncture and herbal medicine based on qi activity theory in Huangdi Neijing].

Professor YANG Jun believes that chronic diarrhea is located in the "intestine" and its pathogenesis focuses on the dysfunction of the spleen and the stomach which results in the impairment of qi activity. In the treatment, the comprehensive therapy is adopted, including acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, cupping method, etc. Regarding acupuncture therapy, Tianshu (ST 25) is selected specially for regulating the spleen and stomach function, Xiabai (LU4) for dispersing the lung qi to stop diarrhea, as well as Yintang (GV 29), Shuigou (GV 26), Chengjiang (CV 24), Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Zhongwan (CV 12) for promoting the circulation of the conception vessel and the governor vessel. Regarding moxibustion therapy, moxibustion is exerted at the abdominal region to regulate qi and blood circulation and unblocking the meridians. Moreover, the retained cupping method is used at Shenque (CV 8) to consolidate the primary qi and the modified sijunzi tang, the herbal decoction is supplemented to tonify the acquired foundation for assisting the congenital one. All of these therapies co-work on promoting and regulating qi activity so as to stop diarrhea.

Humic acid promotes arsenopyrite bio-oxidation and arsenic immobilization.

The bio-oxidative dissolution of arsenopyrite, the most severe arsenic contamination source, can be mediated by organic substances, but pertinent studies on this subject are scarce. In this study, the bio-oxidative dissolution of arsenopyrite by Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans and arsenic immobilization were evaluated in the presence of humic acid (HA). The mineral dissolution was monitored through analyses of the parameters in solution, phase and element speciation transformations on the mineral surface, and arsenic immobilization on the surfaces of cells and jarosites-HA. The results show that the presence of HA enhances the dissolution of arsenopyrite, e.g., 7.1% of arsenopyrite was in the residue after 12 d of bio-oxidation compared to 19.3% in the absence of HA. Meanwhile, the presence of HA led to changes of the fates of As and Fe and no accumulation of elemental sulfur (S0) or ferric arsenate on the mineral surface. Moreover, a flocculent porous structure was formed on the surfaces of both microbial cells and jarosites, on which a large amount of arsenic was adsorbed. These results clearly indicate that HA can simultaneously promote the dissolution of arsenopyrite and arsenic immobilization, which may be significant for bioleaching of arsenopyrite-bearing contaminated sites.

Professor 's clinical characteristics in the treatment of chronic diarrhea with acupuncture and herbal medicine based on activity theory in / 中国针灸

Professor believes that chronic diarrhea is located in the "intestine" and its pathogenesis focuses on the dysfunction of the spleen and the stomach which results in the impairment of activity. In the treatment, the comprehensive therapy is adopted, including acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, cupping method, etc. Regarding acupuncture therapy, Tianshu (ST 25) is selected specially for regulating the spleen and stomach function, Xiabai (LU4) for dispersing the lung to stop diarrhea, as well as Yintang (GV 29), Shuigou (GV 26), Chengjiang (CV 24), Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Zhongwan (CV 12) for promoting the circulation of the conception vessel and the governor vessel. Regarding moxibustion therapy, moxibustion is exerted at the abdominal region to regulate and blood circulation and unblocking the meridians. Moreover, the retained cupping method is used at Shenque (CV 8) to consolidate the primary and the modified the herbal decoction is supplemented to tonify the acquired foundation for assisting the congenital one. All of these therapies co-work on promoting and regulating activity so as to stop diarrhea.

[Study on characteristics and data mining of 464 cases of lung diseases in Xin'an Wang's medicine].

The purpose of this paper is to study the use rules of drugs for lung diseases in internal medicine department of Xin'an Wang's family, discuss the compatibility of common drugs for lung diseases, guide clinical application, and inherit Xin'an medicine. By retrospective study on lung diseases cases in Wang's internal medicine works, the lung diseases and use frequency of common drugs treated by Wang's medicine were counted, and the systematic clustering and association rule analysis of common drugs were conducted by using SPSS Statistic 20 and SPSS Modeler 18.0, respectively. The results showed that asthma, cold and cough were the main lung diseases treated by Wang's medicine, and the commonly used medicines included antitussive and antiasthmatic drugs, spleen-invigorating and dampness-removing drugs, and expectorants. The medicine taste was mainly bitter, pungent and sweet, with cold and warm properties in a balanced way, without severely cold or hot herbs, mainly attributing to the lung and stomach meridians. In clustering analysis, 10 drug combinations were obtained; association analysis showed that two, three, four association rules respectively had 11, 21, and 10 groups, and each drug group had 11, 16, and 5 items. Core combinations: Poria, Armeniacae Semen Amarum, Asteris Radix et Rhizome, Coicis Semen, Farfarae Flos, Dendrobii Caulis, Perilla Frutescens, Stemonae Radix, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Cynanchi Stauntonii Rhizome et Radix, Meretricis Concha Cyclinae Concha, Belamcandae Rhizoma, and Pinelliae Rhizome. Xin'an Wang's medicine paid attention to the lung nature when treating lung diseases. Lung is a delicate organ, not resistant to coldness or heat, so severely cold or hot herbs shall not be used, and the clear and light drugs with functions of dispersing lung Qi, clearing phlegm evil, strengthening spleen, eliminating phlegm, and relieving cough and asthma are often used. Lung deficiency is a kind of deficiency of Qi and Yin, so both Qi and Yin shall be regulated. Deficiency of Yin would burn the lung and make the lung collaterals blocked. In this case, the lung collaterals shall be dredged for hemostasis. Long time of lung deficiency would hinder the distribution of body fluid, and lung shall be regulated to dissipate phlegm.

Study on characteristics and data mining of 464 cases of lung diseases in Xin'an Wang's medicine / 中国中药杂志

The purpose of this paper is to study the use rules of drugs for lung diseases in internal medicine department of Xin'an Wang's family, discuss the compatibility of common drugs for lung diseases, guide clinical application, and inherit Xin'an medicine. By retrospective study on lung diseases cases in Wang's internal medicine works, the lung diseases and use frequency of common drugs treated by Wang's medicine were counted, and the systematic clustering and association rule analysis of common drugs were conducted by using SPSS Statistic 20 and SPSS Modeler 18.0, respectively. The results showed that asthma, cold and cough were the main lung diseases treated by Wang's medicine, and the commonly used medicines included antitussive and antiasthmatic drugs, spleen-invigorating and dampness-removing drugs, and expectorants. The medicine taste was mainly bitter, pungent and sweet, with cold and warm properties in a balanced way, without severely cold or hot herbs, mainly attributing to the lung and stomach meridians. In clustering analysis, 10 drug combinations were obtained; association analysis showed that two, three, four association rules respectively had 11, 21, and 10 groups, and each drug group had 11, 16, and 5 items. Core combinations: Poria, Armeniacae Semen Amarum, Asteris Radix et Rhizome, Coicis Semen, Farfarae Flos, Dendrobii Caulis, Perilla Frutescens, Stemonae Radix, Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium, Cynanchi Stauntonii Rhizome et Radix, Meretricis Concha Cyclinae Concha, Belamcandae Rhizoma, and Pinelliae Rhizome. Xin'an Wang's medicine paid attention to the lung nature when treating lung diseases. Lung is a delicate organ, not resistant to coldness or heat, so severely cold or hot herbs shall not be used, and the clear and light drugs with functions of dispersing lung Qi, clearing phlegm evil, strengthening spleen, eliminating phlegm, and relieving cough and asthma are often used. Lung deficiency is a kind of deficiency of Qi and Yin, so both Qi and Yin shall be regulated. Deficiency of Yin would burn the lung and make the lung collaterals blocked. In this case, the lung collaterals shall be dredged for hemostasis. Long time of lung deficiency would hinder the distribution of body fluid, and lung shall be regulated to dissipate phlegm.

A simple method for removing low-density granulocytes to purify T lymphocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

OBJECTIVE: Low-density granulocytes (LDGs) can form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) spontaneously and excessively. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are used for studying T lymphocytes, LDGs contained in the PBMCs may decrease the threshold of activating T lymphocytes by forming NETs. This study focused on the profiles of LDGs in common autoimmune diseases and methods for removing LDGs from PBMCs. METHODS: The percentages of LDGs in PBMCs from 55 patients with dermatomyositis (DM), 15 with polymyositis (PM), 42 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 25 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 19 healthy controls were determined by flow cytometry. Three methods of removing LDGs were explored and compared. After removal, PBMCs from six patients with positive T-SPOT.TB were tested again to find out if LDGs contained in the PBMCs could influence T lymphocyte reactions. RESULTS: Significantly higher LDG percentages were found in PBMCs from patients with DM ((8.41±10.87)%, P<0.0001), PM ((8.41±10.39)%, P<0.0001), RA ((4.05±6.97)%, P=0.0249), and SLE ((7.53±11.52)%, P=0.0006), compared with the controls ((1.28±0.73)%). The T-SPOT.TB values significantly decreased after LDGs were removed. Increasing relative centrifugal force (RCF) within a limited range can decrease the LDG percentage from an initial high level, but not markedly increase the LDG clearance rate. Compared with the whole blood sediment method, the PBMC adherence method can significantly remove LDGs yet scarcely influence the T lymphocyte percentage in PBMCs. CONCLUSIONS: The LDG percentage in PBMCs is significantly increased in patients with SLE, DM, PM, and RA. The influence of LDGs on T lymphocytes cannot be ignored in PBMC cultures. The adherence method is a simple and easy-to-use method for removing LDGs and purifying T lymphocytes from PBMCs.

[Determination of carboxyatractyloside and atractyloside in Xanthii Fructus by HPLC].

OBJECTIVE: To determine carboxyatractyloside and atractyloside in Xanthii Fructus by HPLC. METHOD: By HPLC, Agilent ZORBAX SB-phenyl (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column was adopted, with acetonitrile-0.01 mol x L(-1) NaH2PO4 (pH 6) as the mobile phase for gradient elution at the flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1). The detection wavelength was 203 nm, and the temperature was set at 35 degrees C. RESULT: Carboxyatractyloside showed a good linearity within the range of 0.0972-1.944 microg and atractyloside showed a good linearity within the range of 0.1030-2.060 microg. The recovery rate of carboxyatractyloside was 100. 3% and that of atractyloside was 102.5%. The RSD were 0.67% and 1.4% (n=6). CONCLUSION: This method is so simple, practical and highly repeatable that is can be used for quality control of Xanthii Fructus.

[Effect of cyclophilin A on monocyte-derived foam cells].

AIM: To observe whether cyclophilin A (CypA)has an effect on macrophage-derived foam cells, and to investigate the involvement of CypA in the development of atherosclerosis. METHODS: The foam cell model was established through incubating the human monocyte line (THP-1 cells) with oxidized low density lipoproteins (ox-LDL). The cells were stained with fresh oil red O to study the morphology of the macrophage-derived foam cells. The cell adhesion, invasion and the production of matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) of the macrophage-derived foam cells were detected by adhesion assay, invasion assay and gelatin zymography respectively both in the absence or presence of different concentrations of purified CypA (50, 100, 200 µg/L). Then the foam cells were respectively pre-treated with CsA, c7b8f10, HAb18 mAb, and dual treatment of c7b8f10 and HAb18 mAb respectively, to investigate the inhibitory effect on macrophage-derived foam cells. RESULTS: The adhesion, invasion and the production of MMP-9 and MMP-2 were enhanced during the differentiation of monocytes into macrophages (P<0.05). CypA, especially in the concentration of 100 ng/mL, significantly promoted the function of macrophage-derived foam cells (P<0.05). CsA, c7b8f10, HAb18 mAb, and c7b8f10- HAb18 mAb combination dramatically inhibited the function of macrophage-derived foam cells both in the absence or presence of CypA (P<0.05). The c7b8f10- HAb18 mAb combination pretreatment had the most obviously suppressive effect on macrophage-derived foam cells (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that CypA up regulates the adhesion, the invasion and the expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in macrophage-derived foam cells. The CypA effect is blocked by the pretreatment of the different antagonists. This research might suggest the correlation between atherosclerosis pathogenesis and the vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaques, and thus give us some good ideas for atherosclerosis therapy in future.