[Protective effect of breviscapine against brain injury induced by intrauterine inflammation in preterm rats and its mechanism]. / ç¯ç›èŠ±ç´ å¯¹å®«å† ç‚Žç—‡è‡´æ—©äº§å¤§é¼ è„‘æŸä¼¤çš„ä¿æŠ¤ä½œç”¨åŠå ¶æœºåˆ¶æŽ¢è®¨.

OBJECTIVES: To study the protective effect of breviscapine against brain injury induced by intrauterine inflammation in preterm rats and its mechanism. METHODS: A preterm rat model of brain injury caused by intrauterine inflammation was prepared by intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide in pregnant rats. The pregnant rats and preterm rats were respectively randomly divided into 5 groups: control, model, low-dose breviscapine (45 mg/kg), high-dose breviscapine (90 mg/kg), and high-dose breviscapine (90 mg/kg)+ML385 [a nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibitor, 30 mg/kg] (n=10 each). The number and body weight of the live offspring rats were measured for each group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological morphology of the uterus and placenta of pregnant rats and the pathological morphology of the brain tissue of offspring rats. Immunofluorescent staining was used to measure the co-expression of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 (IBA-1) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in the cerebral cortex of offspring rats. ELISA was used to measure the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) in the brain tissue of offspring rats. Western blotting was used to measure the expression of Nrf2 pathway-related proteins in the brain tissue of offspring rats. RESULTS: Pathological injury was found in the uterus, and placenta tissue of the pregnant rats and the brain tissue of the offspring rats, and severe microglia pyroptosis occurred in the cerebral cortex of the offspring rats in the model group. Compared with the control group, the model group had significant reductions in the number and body weight of the live offspring rats and the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05), but significant increases in the relative fluorescence intensity of the co-expression of IBA-1 and NLRP3, the levels of the inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1ß, and the protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the breviscapine administration groups showed alleviated pathological injury of the uterus and placenta tissue of the pregnant rats and the brain tissue of the offspring rats, significant increases in the number and body weight of the live offspring rats and the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05), and significant reductions in the relative fluorescence intensity of the co-expression of IBA-1 and NLRP3, the levels of the inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1ß, and the protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05). The high-dose breviscapine group had a significantly better effect than the low-dose breviscapine (P<0.05). ML385 significantly inhibited the intervention effect of high-dose breviscapine (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Breviscapine can inhibit inflammatory response in brain tissue of preterm rats caused by intrauterine inflammation by activating the Nrf2 pathway, and it can also inhibit microglial pyroptosis and alleviate brain injury.

Prevalence and Genetic Analysis of ß-Thalassemia in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of the Yunnan Province, China.

Background: ß-Thalassemia is the most common monogenetic hemolytic hemoglobin-associated disease in the south of China; the distribution of genetic mutations associated with this condition varies according to geographic regions. This study investigated the prevalence and distribution of ß-thalassemia-associated mutations across different ethnic groups in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of the Yunnan Province, China. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 4723 participants (15-45 years old) who volunteered for thalassaemia screening from the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture from May 2017 to October 2020. Cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis was used to screen for ß-thalassemia carriers. Genotypic analyses was performed using polymerase chain reaction-based reverse dot blotting and DNA sequencing. Results: The overall prevalence of ß-thalassemia in the study population was 2.01%. The genotypic analyses showed the presence of four types of mutations in the ß-globin gene: CD26 (GAG→AAG), CD56 (GGC→GAC), IVS-II-81 (C→T), and CD121 (GAA→CAA). In contrast to previous studies from other regions of Yunnan Province, our results showed that the prevalence of CD26 mutations was significantly higher than that of the other mutations. Conclusion: Our data suggests that the Dali Autonomous Prefecture is an area with a high prevalence of ß-thalassemia. Moreover, CD26 was the only ß-thalassemia mutation that we have detected. Moreover, the vast majority of the ß-thalassemia mutations observed were CD26.

The antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation resistance of Candida albicans is modulated by the Hog1 pathway and the Cap1 transcription factor.

Candida albicans is the most important fungal pathogen afflicting humans, particularly immunocompromised patients. However, currently available antifungal drugs are limited and ineffective against drug-resistant strains. The development of new drugs or alternative therapeutic approaches to control fungal infections is urgent and necessary. Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a new promising therapy for eradicating microorganism infections through combining visible light, photosensitizers, and oxygen to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although cytoprotective responses induced by photodynamic therapy (PDT) have been well studied in cancer cells, the mechanisms by which C. albicans responds to PDI are largely unknown. In this study, we first demonstrated that PDI induces C. albicans Hog1p activation. Deletion of any of the SSK2, PBS2, and HOG1 genes significantly decreased the survival rate after photochemical reactions, indicating that the Hog1 SAPK pathway is required for tolerance to PDI. Furthermore, the basic leucine zipper transcription factor Cap1 that regulates several downstream antioxidant genes was highly expressed during the response to PDI, and loss of CAP1 also resulted in decreased C. albicans survival rates. This study demonstrates the importance of the Hog1 SAPK and the Cap1 transcription factor, which regulates in resistance to PDI-mediated oxidative stress in C. albicans. Understanding the mechanisms by which C. albicans responds to PDI and consequently scavenges ROS will be very useful for the further development of therapeutics to control fungal infectious diseases, particularly those of the skin and mucosal infections.

[Application of two auricular cartilage-perichondrium complexes in tympanoplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of cartilage-perichondrium palisade complex and cartilage-perichondrium horseshoe complex in tympanoplasty for large tympanic membrane perforation. METHODS: Nineteen patients (19 ears) undergoing tympanoplasty with cartilage-perichondrium palisade complex and 20 patients (20 ears) with cartilage-perichondrium horseshoe complex were compared for postoperative hearing and closure rate of tympanic membrane perforation. RESULTS: The closure rates of the tympanic membrane were all 100% in both groups 3 months after the operation, while tympanoplasty with cartilage- perichondrium horseshoe complex resulted in significantly greater improvement of the postoperative air-bone gap in speech frequency. CONCLUSION: Both of the two auricular cartilage-perichondrium complexes produced good effects for repair large tympanic membrane perforation, but cartilage-perichondrium horseshoe complex can achieve better results in speech frequency.

An amperometric horseradish peroxidase inhibition biosensor for the determination of phenylhydrazine.

An amperometric horseradish peroxidase (HRP) inhibition biosensor has been substantially constructed by the help of N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The preparation steps and the biosensor response to phenylhydrazine were monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry, and chronoamperometry. The proposed biosensor could be applied to determine phenylhydrazine in a 0.10 M phosphate buffer solution containing 1.2 mM hydroquinone and 0.50 mM H(2)O(2) by phenylhydrazine, inhibiting the catalytic activity of the HRP enzyme in the reduction of H(2)O(2). The system was optimized to realize a reliable determination of phenylhydrazine in the range of 2.5 x 10(-7) to 1.1 x 10(-6) M with a detection limit of 8.2 x 10(-8) M and a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The modified electrode displayed good reproducibility, sensitivity and stability for the determination of phenylhydrazine.

Voltammetric Behavior of o-Nitrophenol and Damage to DNA.

The electrochemical behavior of o-nitrophenol was studied in detail with a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The dependence of peak potential on pH indicated that equivalent electrons and protons were involved in the process of o-nitrophenol reduction. The interaction of o-nitrophenol with calf thymus DNA was investigated by adding DNA to the o-nitrophenol solution and by immobilizing DNA on GCE, respectively. The peak current decrement and peak potential shift in presence of DNA indicated that o-nitrophenol could interact with DNA. The result was demonstrated that the in situ DNA damage was detected by differential pulse voltammetry after the o-nitrophenol was electrochemically reduced.

Electrochemical determination of trace promethazine hydrochloride by a pretreated glassy carbon electrode modified with DNA.

A highly sensitive electrochemical biosensor for the detection of trace amounts of promethazine has been designed. Double stranded (ds)DNA molecules are immobilized onto a pretreated glassy carbon electrode (GCE(ox)) surface. The voltammetric behaviors of promethazine on DNA-modified electrode were explored by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The promethazine gave rise to a pair of well-defined peaks, which appeared at E(pc) = 52 mV and E(pa) = 96 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl) in 0.10 M acetate buffer (pH 5.0). The peak current was linearly enhanced with increasing the concentration of promethazine. The calibration was linear for promethazine over the range of 4.7 x 10(-10) to 9.3 x 10(-9) M with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. The limit of detection (LODs) was 3.0 x 10(-10) M (S/N = 3). The modified electrode was applied to determine promethazine in human blood samples with satisfactory results.

Direct electrochemistry behavior of cytochrome c/L-cysteine modified electrode and its electrocatalytic oxidation to nitric oxide.

Cytochrome c (Cyt c) was successfully immobilized on L-cysteine modified gold electrode by multicyclic voltammetry method. The electrochemical behavior of Cyt c on the L-cysteine modified electrode was explored. In 0.10 M, pH 7.0 phosphate buffer solution (PBS), Cyt c showed a quasi-reversible electrochemical redox behavior with E(pc)=0.180 V, E(pa)=0.208 V (versus Ag/AgCl). The Cyt c/L-cysteine modified electrode gave an excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of nitric oxide, and the catalysis currents were proportional to the nitric oxide concentration in the range of 7.0 x 10(-7) to 1.0 x 10(-5) M, the linear regression equation is I (microA)=-0.124-0.003 C(NO) (microM), with a correlation coefficient 0.996, The detection limit was 3.0 x 10(-7) M (times the ratio of signal to noise, S/N=3).

Feeding scallop shell powder induces the expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in white adipose tissue of rats.

Previously we found that the organic components in scallop shell promote lipolysis in differentiated 3T3-L1 and C3H10T1/2 adipocyte cells, and that incorporating scallop shell powder into the diet of rats reduced the amount of white adipose tissue. In this study, we used RT-PCR to investigate the effect of ingesting scallop shell powder on the gene expression profile of uncoupling proteins (UCPs) regulating energy metabolism in rats. Feeding of scallop shell powder increased mRNA levels of UCP1 and UCP2 in white adipose tissue. By contrast, scallop shell powder had no effect on the expression of UCP1 in brown adipose tissue, although the expression level of UCP2 mRNA decreased significantly. These results suggest that feeding scallop shell powder increases gene expression of UCP1 that may regulate energy metabolism in white adipose tissue, resulting in the observed reduction in weight of white adipose tissue.

Direct electrochemical behavior of cytochrome c on DNA-modified glassy carbon electrode and its application to cytochrome c biosensor.

DNA was immobilized on glassy carbon electrodes to fabricate DNA-modified electrodes. The direct electron transfer of horse heart cytochrome c on DNA-modified glassy carbon electrode was achieved. A pair of well-defined redox peaks of cytochrome c appeared at Epc = -0.017 V and Epa = 0.009 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) in 10 mM phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0) at a scan rate of 50 mV/s. The electron transfer coefficient (alpha) and the standard rate constant of the surface reaction (Ks) of cytochrome c on DNA-modified electrodes could be estimated to be 0.87 and 34.52 s(-1), respectively. The DNA-modified glassy carbon electrode could be applied to detect cytochrome c by means of differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The cathodic peak current was proportional to the quantity of cytochrome c in the range of 4.0 x 10(-6) M to 1.2 x 10(-5) M. The correlation coefficient is 0.996, and with the detection limit was 1.0 x 10(-6) M (three times the ratio of signal to noise, S/N = 3).

Reducing effect of feeding powdered scallop shell on the body fat mass of rats.

The lipolytic effect of powdered scallop shells was estimated in vitro and in vivo. The scallop shells consisted of 98% calcium carbonate and 2% organic compounds, the extracted organic components promoted lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells. Male Wistar rats were fed on an experimental diet containing either the scallop shell powder or calcium carbonate (control) for 28 d. Feeding the scallop shell powder resulted in a decrease in body weight and in the weight of white adipose tissue. While the organ weights of the liver, kidney, testis, pancreas, and spleen, and of the brown adipose tissue relative to the body weight were no different between the scallop shell powder diet and control diet, the white adipose tissue weight relative to the body weight significantly decreased in the rats fed on the scallop shell powder. The glycerol concentration in the serum increased in the rats fed on the scallop shell powder, suggesting that this promoted lipolysis in the adipose tissue. These results show that the organic components in the scallop shells induced the decrease in weight of the adipose tissue due to the promotion of lipolysis.

Potential-modulated DNA cleavage by (N-salicylideneglycinato)copper(II) complex.

The interaction of aqua (N-salicylideneglycinato)copper(II) (Cu(salgly)2+) complex with calf thymus DNA has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Potential-modulated DNA cleavage in the presence of Cu(salgly)2+ complex was performed at a gold electrode in a thin layer cell. DNA can be efficiently cleaved by electrochemically reducing Cu(salgly)2+ complex to Cu(salgly)+ complex at -0.7 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). When the solution was aerated with a small flow of O2 during electrolysis, the extent of DNA cleavage was dramatically enhanced, and hydroxyl radical scavengers inhibited DNA cleavage. These results suggested that O2 and hydroxyl radical were involved in potential-modulated DNA cleavage reaction. The percentage of DNA cleavage was enhanced as the working potential was shifted to more negative values and the electrolysis time was increased. It was also dependent on the ratio of Cu(salgly)2+ complex to DNA concentration. The cleaved DNA fragments were separated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The experimental results indicated that the method for potential-modulated DNA cleavage by Cu(salgly)2+ complex was simple and efficient.

Electrochemical cleavage of DNA in the presence of copper-sulfosalicylic acid complex.

Electrochemical cleavage of DNA in the presence of copper-sulfosalicylic acid [Cu(ssal)(2)(2+)] complex was studied. The cleavage was observed in a certain potential region where redox cycling of Cu(ssal)(2)(2+)/Cu(ssal)(2)(+) took place. Cu(ssal)(2)(2+) complex mediate generation of reactive oxygen species from O(2) by the Fenton reaction, these radicals are capable of damaging DNA. The cleaved DNA fragments were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The experimental results indicated that the method for electrochemical cleavage of DNA by Cu(ssal)(2)(2+) complex was simple and efficient.