Bimetallic metal-organic frameworks-based ratiometric fluorescence sensor for the quantitative detection of thiram in fruits samples.

The identification of residual thiram (Tr) in foods is vital in view of its harmful effects on human health. Herein, a ratiometric fluorescence sensor (I435/I590) based on rhodamine B/NH2-MIL-53(Al0.75Fe0.25) was constructed for the detection of Tr. Interestingly, the probe RhB/NH2-MIL-53(Bim) assisted by Cu2+ could rapidly and sensitively recognize Tr with a low detection limit of 0.11 µg/mL in 10 min. The fluorescence sensing mechanism was investigated using fluorescence spectra, UV-Vis absorption spectra, the fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield. The results showed that the excellent sensing performance was attributed to fluorescence resonance energy transfer, electrostatic interaction, and photoinduced electron transfer. In addition, the practical application of this platform showed acceptable relative recoveries for Tr (84.03-107.81 %), and precisions were also achieved (relative standard deviation ≤ 8.69 %, n = 3). These results show that the presented herein can be applied to monitor the Tr content in real fruit samples.

An ultralow concentration of Al-MOFs for turn-on fluorescence detection of aflatoxin B1 in tea samples.

A turn-on fluorescent sensing platform based on an ultralow concentration of Al-metal organic frameworks for the detection of aflatoxin B1 has been developed for the first time. This fluorescence turn-on sensor exhibits the largest fluorescence enhancement (or quenching) constant value of 179404 M-1 among all luminescence-based chemical sensors reported till date. Moreover, the sensor afforded a rapid detection of aflatoxin B1, with a linear response in the concentration range of 0.05-9.61 µM and a low detection limit of 11.67 ppb. Additionally, the fabricated sensor showed good repeatability, reproducibility, stability, and selectivity. Most importantly, the practical application of this sensor has been demonstrated by detecting aflatoxin B1 in complex tea samples with low relative standard deviation (≤7.72%; n = 3) and satisfactory recoveries. In summary, the proposed method has great potential as a simple, sensitive and selective strategy for monitoring aflatoxin B1 in food samples.

Long non-coding RNA Hotair promotes gastric cancer progression via miR-217-GPC5 axis.

AIMS: The oncogenic role of lncRNA Hotair has been acknowledged in subset of malignancies, including gastric cancer (GC). However, the detailed molecular mechanisms that contribute to its oncogenic role of are largely elusive. This study was designed to explore the underlying mechanism that contributes the regulatory role of Hotair in GC pathogenesis and progression. MAIN METHODS: Expression pattern of lncRNAs in GC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were identified by using microarray analysis. The cell proliferation of GC cells was examined by CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay, while migration and invasion capabilities of GC cells were examined by Transwell (with or without Matrigel) assay. Cell apoptosis was examined by Flow cytometer. qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to examine the expression of Hotair, miR-217, and other related genes. The potential target relationships were predicted by miRcode algorithm, and validated by dual luciferase reporter gene assay. KEY FINDINGS: We observed that Hotair was frequently up-regulated in GC tissues and cell lines, and high Hotair level was positively correlated with poor prognosis in GC patients. Knockdown of Hotair inhibited GC cells' viability, migration, invasion, Epithelial mesenchymal transition process. MiR-217 was decreased while GCP5 was increased in GC cells. Hotair negatively regulated the expression of miR-217 in GC while miR-217 targeted GCP5 to down-regulate its expression. Hotair promoted GC development by promoting GCP5 expression via sponging miR-217. SIGNIFICANCE: Hotair could serve as a potentially prognostic indicator and provide new light into its underlying biological-molecular mechanism in GC.

HOTAIR enhanced paclitaxel and doxorubicin resistance in gastric cancer cells partly through inhibiting miR-217 expression.

Drug resistance is a big obstacle for clinical anti-tumor treatment outcome. However, the role of HOTAIR in drug resistance in gastric cancer (GC) remains unknown. In this study, we showed that overexpression of HOTAIR enhanced paclitaxel and doxorubicin resistance in GC cells. Furthermore, the expression of HOTAIR was upregulated in GC tissues and higher expression of HOTAIR was associated with late stage. In addition, we showed that miR-217 expression was lower in GC tissues compared with the paired non-tumour tissues and downregulated expression of miR-217 was correlated with late stage. Interestingly, the expression of miR-217 was negatively correlated with HOTAIR expression in GC tissues. Ectopic expression of HOTAIR increased GC cell proliferation, cell cycle, and migration. Elevated expression of HOTAIR suppressed miR-217 expression and enhanced GPC5 and PTPN14 expression. Furthermore, we demonstrated that overexpression of miR-217 suppressed paclitaxel and doxorubicin resistance in GC cells. Ectopic expression of HOTAIR promoted drug resistance and increased GC cell proliferation, cell cycle, and migration by targeting miR-217. These data suggested that overexpression of HOTAIR enhanced paclitaxel and doxorubicin resistance in GC cells through inhibiting miR-217 expression.

Determination and removal of sulfonamides and quinolones from environmental water samples using magnetic adsorbents.

In this study, the magnetic materials known as polymerized ionic liquid@3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate@Fe3 O4 nanoparticles were synthesized and utilized as potential adsorbents. First, these nanoparticles were applied to the analysis of sulfonamides and quinolones present in different water samples using magnetic solid phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography. Under optimized conditions, the developed method showed excellent detection sensitivity, with limits of detection (S/N = 3) and quantification limits (S/N = 10) within 0.2-1.0 and 0.8-3.4 µg/L, respectively. The spiked recoveries of the SAs and QNs in environmental water samples ranged from 83.5 to 103.0%, with RSDs of less than 4.5%. In addition, the adsorbents effectively removed sulfamethoxazole and ofloxacin present in existing aquatic environments. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of sulfamethoxazole and ofloxacin on the magnetic adsorbents were studied to assess removal performance. The results indicate that the adsorption process follows a pseudo-second-order mechanism, which reveals that the sorption mechanism is the rate-limiting step and produces high qmax values (sulfamethoxazole = 70.35 mg/g and ofloxacin = 48.95 mg/g), thus demonstrating the enormous adsorption capacity of these magnetic adsorbents.

The MicroRNA-217 Functions as a Potential Tumor Suppressor in Gastric Cancer by Targeting GPC5.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Emerging evidence has shown that aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) plays important roles in cancer progression. However, little is known about the potential role of miR-217 in GC. In this study, we investigated the role of miR-217 on GC cell proliferation and invasion. The expression of miR-217 was down-regulated in GC cells and human GC tissues. Enforced expression of miR-217 inhibited GC cells proliferation and invasion. Moreover, Glypican-5 (GPC5), a new ocncogene, was identified as the potential target of miR-217. In addition, overexpression of miR-217 impaired GPC5-induced promotion of proliferation and invasion in GC cells. In conclusion, these findings revealed that miR-217 functioned as a tumor suppressor and inhibited the proliferation and invasion of GC cells by targeting GPC5, which might consequently serve as a therapeutic target for GC patients.