Biohybrid Molecule-Based Photocatalysts for Water Splitting Hydrogen Evolution.

The problems of resource depletion and environmental pollution caused by the excessive use of fossil fuels greatly restrict the rapid development of human technology and industry, which has led to a high demand for the development of new and clean energy sources. Hydrogen, due to its high calorific value and environmentally friendly combustion products, is undoubtedly a very promising energy carrier. The current methods of industrial hydrogen production are mainly water electrocatalytic decomposition or fossil fuels conversion, which also results in the waste of other energy sources. Since only one-step is involved during the conversion from solar to chemical energy and thus unnecessary energy waste is avoided, solar energy photocatalytic decomposition of water provides a more viable method for hydrogen production. The utilization of biohybrid molecules, which are widely available in nature and environmentally friendly, further reduce the cost of such photocatalytic systems. This Review discusses the research progress on hydrogen production using biohybrid molecules for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The basic reaction mechanism, general types and system structures about biohybrid molecule-based photocatalysts are summarized. The current challenges and prospects in the research of water splitting hydrogen evolution by biohybrid molecules photocatalysts are presented.

Effect and Mechanism of Specnuezhenide on Chemotherapy-induced Myelosuppression.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of Specnuezhenide on myelosuppression induced by chemotherapy and clarify its mechanism. METHODS: In this study, we measured peripheral blood cells, thymus index, spleen index, bone marrow nucleated cells (BMNCs), and the number of cell colonies counted in vitro by hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) to determine the effect of SPN on cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced myelosuppression. The alterations in the expression of relevant proteins, the cell cycle, and cytokines associated with hematopoietic cells were examined to better understand how it works. RESULTS: In the cyclophosphamide-induced mouse model, our study discovered that SPN can increase the number of peripheral blood cells and BMNCs after treatment, increase the thymus index and decrease the spleen index, and promote the proliferation and differentiation of HPCs. SPN can improve the production of cultured colonies in vitro, reduce the level of hematopoietic factors in vivo, regulate the proportion of G0/G1 phase cells, and promote the normal growth and development of cells. SPN can increase the expression levels of key proteins MEK and p-ERK in the MAPK signaling pathway, which may be one of the important mechanisms for improving myelosuppression. CONCLUSION: SPN can enhance the hematological and immunological functions of myelosuppressionmice, and it is hypothesized that SPN is extremely helpful to the hematopoietic and immune functions of tumor patients following chemotherapy. SPN might be used to treat myelosuppression. Additionally, high doses of SPN have a stronger therapeutic effect than low levels of SPN.

Effect of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus on myelosuppression in mice induced by cytoxan.

In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the therapeutic effect of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus on chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression and elucidate its mechanism. A pharmacological study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of the inhibiting effects of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus on cyclophosphamide-induced bone marrow suppression in mice. HPLC was used to measure the chemical components. We demonstrated that medium and high doses of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus increased the amount of white blood cells and bone marrow nucleated cells (p < 0.05) in the cyclophosphamian-induced mouse model, and at the same time reduced granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor and thrombopoietin in the serum of myelosuppression mice (p < 0.01). Medium and high doses of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus can also adjust the thymus index and spleen index(p < 0.05). Ligustri Lucidi Fructus regulates the balance of bcl-2/bax, inhibits the expression of Caspase-3 and meanwhile stimulates the expression of mitogen-activated protein (MEK) and phospho extracellular regulated protein kinases (p-ERK) on the MAPK pathway. Five chemical constituents of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus, which may be related to myelosuppression, were analyzed. The content of specnuezhenide was 0.281%, that of ligustroflavone was 0.004%, that of salidroside was 0.094%, that of hydroxytyrosol was 0.060% and that of tyrosol was 0.069%. The effect of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus on myelosuppression after chemotherapy may be related to its multicomponent and multitarget nature. Ligustri Lucidi Fructus may be a promising potential drug for treatment after chemotherapy.

AIE-active Ir(III) complexes functionalised with a cationic Schiff base ligand: synthesis, photophysical properties and applications in photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising cancer treatment method. Traditional small-molecule photosensitizers (PSs) suffer from low intersystem crossing (ISC) ability and aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ), which adversely affects the luminous efficiency and singlet oxygen (1O2) yield of PSs in the aggregated state. Ir(III) complexes are promising PSs with long excited-state lifetime, good photophysical and photochemical properties and large Stokes shifts. Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics could reduce the nonradiative recombination and improve the ISC ability of excited states through the restriction of the intramolecular motions in aggregated states. Accordingly, two AIE-active Ir(III) complexes Ir-1-N+ and Ir-2-N+ were successfully designed and obtained based on Schiff base ligands. Experimental results showed that Ir-1-N+ and Ir-2-N+ have good photophysical properties and the corresponding nanoparticles (NPs) have good water solubility and 1O2 generation ability. Notably, Ir-2-N+ NPs can be efficiently taken up by mouse breast cancer cells (4T1 cells) with good biocompatibility, low dark toxicity and excellent phototoxicity. This work demonstrates a versatile strategy for exploiting efficient transition metal PSs with a cationic ligand in PDT.

AIE-active iridium(III) complex integrated with upconversion nanoparticles for NIR-irradiated photodynamic therapy.

The integration of an aggregation induced emission (AIE)-active Ir(III) complex and upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) has achieved a NIR-irradiated photosensitizer (PS), UCNPs@Ir-2-N. This PS has satisfactory biocompatibility, excellent phototoxicity, good accumulation in cells and high 1O2 generation ability, thereby effectively killing 4T1 mouse cancer cells in vitro. This work has potential for future photodynamic therapy (PDT) applications.

Ligand-Promoted RhI -Catalyzed C2-Selective C-H Alkenylation and Polyenylation of Imidazoles with Alkenyl Carboxylic Acids.

The first RhI -catalyzed, directed decarbonylative C2-H alkenylation of imidazoles with readily available alkenyl carboxylic acids is reported. The reaction proceeds in a highly regio- and stereoselective manner, providing efficient access to C2-alkenylated imidazoles that are generally inaccessible by known C-H alkenylation methods. This transformation accommodates a wide range of alkenyl carboxylic acids, including challenging conjugated polyene carboxylic acids, and diversely decorated imidazoles with high functional group compatibility. The presence of a removable pyrimidine directing group and the use of a bidentate phosphine ligand are pivotal to the success of the catalytic reaction. This process is also suitable for benzimidazoles. Importantly, the scalability and diversification of the products highlight the potential of this protocol in practical applications. Detailed experimental and computational studies provide important insights into the underlying reaction mechanism.

Preparation of icariside I and icariside II, an exploration of their protective mechanism against cyclophosphamide-induced bone marrow suppression in mice, and their regulatory effects on immune function.

This study aimed to prepare icariside I (ICS I) and icariside II (ICS II) from Epimedium koreanum Nakai, explore their protective mechanism against cyclophosphamide-induced bone marrow suppression in mice and determine their regulatory effects on immune function. The results showed that after treatment with ICS I and ICS II, the number of peripheral blood cells in the mice returned to normal. The number of bone marrow nucleated cells (BMNCs) and haematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) colonies in the ICS I-H and ICS II-H treatment groups increased significantly. The thymus and spleen indices and related cytokine levels in the mice returned to normal. ICS I-H and ICS II-H treatment significantly increased the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax and downregulated the expression of caspase-3 to regulate cell apoptosis. In conclusion, ICS I and ICS II promoted the proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow haematopoietic cells and protected the damaged immune system, and the therapeutic effects of high doses were more significant. Regulating the levels of haematopoietic cytokines, the balance of Bcl-2/Bax, and the inhibition of caspase-3 expression may be the mechanisms of action of ICS I and ICS II against cyclophosphamide-induced bone marrow suppression in mice.

Cobalt(III)-Catalyzed Regioselective C6 Olefination of 2-Pyridones Using Alkynes: Olefination/Directing Group Migration and Olefination.

Co(III)-catalyzed highly regio- and stereoselective direct C6 olefination of 2-pyridones with alkynes has been developed with the assistance of chelation. Upon variation of the reaction conditions, 2-pyridones react well with diaryl alkynes via a C6 olefination/directing group migration pathway to give the tetrasubstituted 6-vinyl-2-pyridones, but the C6-H olefination with terminal alkynes works effectively to afford only the C6-olefinated 2-pyridones. A judicious choice of a solvent and an additive is crucial for catalysis. The protocols feature 100% atom economy, excellent site selectivity, high stereoselectivity, an ample substrate scope, and good compatibility of functional groups. Synthetic applications are demonstrated, and experimental studies and density functional theory calculations are conducted to gain mechanistic insight into the two transformations.

Compatibility effects of ginseng and Ligustrum lucidum Ait herb pair on hematopoietic recovery in mice with cyclophosphamide-induced myelosuppression and its material basis.

BACKGROUND: Ginseng (G) and Ligustrum lucidum Ait (LLA) are core traditional Chinese medicines in treating myelosuppression formula. The present study was designed to profile effect of G and LLA herb pair (G-LLA) on myelosuppressed mice. METHODS: The mice myelosuppression model was established by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of cyclophosphamide (Cy). Hematopoietic function of bone marrow was measured by hemopoietic progenitor cell culture and peripheral blood count, and serum hemopoietic factors were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bone marrow cell cycle was performed by flow cytometry. HPLC was used to measure 20 potential chemical components related to myelosuppression, including ginsenoside Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, Rb3, Rd, Rk3, Rh4, 20 (S)-Rg3, 20 (R)-Rg3, Rk1, Rg5, salidroside, and so on. RESULTS: G, LLA, and G-LLA improved the amount of peripheral blood cells and bone marrow cells of myelosuppressed mice (P < 0.01). They significantly increased the colony quantity of colony-forming unit-granulocyte macrophage, burst-forming unit-erythroid, colony-forming unit-erythroid, and colony-forming unit-megakaryocyte and amount of G2/M and S phase cells (P < 0.01). They also significantly decreased the amount of hematopoiesis-related cytokines (P < 0.01). The content of chemical components in G-LLA changed, and the change of rare saponin was the most obvious. CONCLUSION: These results show that G-LLA herb pair might produce synergistic or complementary compatibility effects on bone marrow suppression after chemotherapy. It suggests that the substance basis of G-LLA for treating bone marrow suppression may be effective chemical components.

Integrin beta 4 (ITGB4) and its tyrosine-1510 phosphorylation promote pancreatic tumorigenesis and regulate the MEK1-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death, with a 5-year survival rate of only 1-4%. Integrin-mediated cell adhesion is critical for the initiation, progression, and metastasis of cancer. In this study we investigated the role of integrin b4 (ITGB4) and its phosphorylation at tyrosine Y1510 (p-ITGB4-Y1510) in the tumorigenesis of pancreatic cancer. We analyzed the expression of ITGB4 and p-ITGB4-Y1510 in pancreatic cancer tissue and cell lines using immunohistochemistry, Western blot, or semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR. ITGB4 and p-ITGB4-Y1510 were highly expressed in pancreatic cancer (n = 176) compared with normal pancreatic tissue (n = 171). High p-ITGB4-Y1510 expression correlated with local invasion and distant metastasis of pancreatic cancer, and high ITGB4 was significantly associated with poor survival of patients. Inhibition of ITGB4 by siRNA significantly reduced migration and invasion of PC-1.0 and AsPC-1 cells. Overexpression of the mutant ITGB4-Y1510A (a mutation of tyrosine to alanine at 1510 position) in PC-1.0 and AsPC-1 cells not only blocked the ITGB4 phosphorylation at Y1510 but also suppressed the expression of ITGB4 (p < 0.05 vs. wild-type ITGB4). The transfection of PC-1.0 and AsPC-1 cells with ITGB4-Y1510A significantly decreased the level of p-mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)1 (T292) and p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 but did not affect the level of p-MEK1 (T386) and p-MEK2 (T394). Overall, our study showed that ITGB4 and its phosphorylated form promote cell migration and invasion in pancreatic cancer and that p-ITGB4-Y1510 regulates the downstream MEK1-ERK1/2 signaling cascades. Targeting ITGB4 or its phosphorylation at Y1510 may be a novel therapeutic option for pancreatic cancer.

Studies of the effects and mechanisms of ginsenoside Re and Rk3 on myelosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide.

BACKGROUND: Ginsenoside Re (Re) is one of the major components of Panax ginseng Meyer. Ginsenoside Rk3 (Rk3) is a secondary metabolite of Re. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effects and underlying mechanisms of Re and Rk3 on cyclophosphamide-induced myelosuppression. METHODS: The mice myelosuppression model was established by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of cyclophosphamide. Peripheral blood cells, bone marrow nucleated cells, and colony yield of hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro were counted. The levels of erythropoietin, thrombopoietin, and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor in plasma were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bone marrow cell cycle was performed by flow cytometry. The expression of apoptotic protein bcl-2, bax, and caspase-3 was detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: Both Re and Rk3 could improve peripheral blood cells, bone marrow nucleated cell counts, thymus index, and spleen index. Furthermore, they could enhance the yield of colonies cultured in vitro and make the levels of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, erythropoietin, and thrombopoietin normal, reduce the ratio of G0/G1 phase cells, and increase the proliferation index. Finally, Re and Rk3 could upregulate the expression of bcl-2, whereas they could downregulate the expression of bax and caspase-3. CONCLUSION: Re and Rk3 could improve the hematopoietic function of myelosuppressed mice. The effect of Rk3 was superior to that of Re at any dose. Regulating the levels of cytokines, promoting cells enter the normal cell cycle, regulating the balance of bcl-2/bax, and inhibiting the expression of caspase-3 may be the effects of Re and Rk3 on myelosuppression.

Efficacy of microsurgery in combined with topical-PDT in treating recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: compare JORRP with AORRP.

Background: Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) remains a challenging and frustrating disease to treat.Objective: To explore the efficacy of microsurgery in combined with Topical-PDT in treating recurrent respiratory papillomatosis.Materials and methods: Fifty patients with RRP were treated with microsurgery in combined with Topical-PDT. Medical document of each patient was retrospectively reviewed. Detailed clinical information, metrics of clinical course, and current results were evaluated.Results: Juvenile onset RRP (JORRP) might experience a more aggressive course than AORRP (adult onset RRP) with higher Derkay score (p < .01) and higher operation frequency per year (p < .01). Microsurgical excision combined with Topical-PDT every 25 days achieved "remission" of disease in 78% of patients, "clearance" of disease in 52%, and "Cured" in two patients. Each patient who achieved "remission" of disease, performed 6.82 ± 3.39 operations, and continued 8.93 ± 7.03 months of treatment duration. No statistically differences were found in these two aspects between JORRP and AORRP. A negative correlation between tracheotomy and the efficacy of microsurgery in combined with Topical-PDT was found (p = .025, Pearson's r = -0.3).Conclusions and significance: Microsurgery in combined with Topical-PDT might be a powerful method to treat RRP. Tracheotomy is a negative factor for this therapy.

Study of the Effects and Mechanisms of Ginsenoside Compound K on Myelosuppression.

Ginsenoside compound K (CK) is not a ginsenoside that naturally exists in Panax ginseng Meyer. However, CK is a major metabolite of ginsenoside Rb1, Rb2, or Rc in the intestine under the effects of bacteria. In this study, we first investigated the effects of CK on myelosuppression in mice induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX). The respective quantities of white blood cells, blood platelets, and bone marrow nucleated cells (BMNCs) were determined to be 8.54 ± 0.91 (109/L), 850.90 ± 44.11 (109/L), and 1.45 ± 0.22 (109/L) in the CK-H group by detecting peripheral blood cells and BMNCs. CK-H and CK-L both increased the thymus index by up to 0.62 ± 0.06 (mg/g) and 0.52 ± 0.09 (mg/g), respectively, and significantly increased the yields of colony formation units-granulocyte monocyte and colony formation units-megakaryocytic. According to our study, CK could control apoptosis and promote cells to enter the normal cell cycle by the bcl-2/bax signaling pathway and MEK/ERK signaling pathway. Therefore, the BMNCs could proliferate and differentiate normally after entering the normal cell cycle. So the peripheral blood cells could show a trend of returning to normal. The recovery of peripheral blood cells resulting in the level of cytokines tended to normal. This process may be the mechanisms of CK on myelosuppression. This study provides a reference for ginseng in the treatment of myelosuppression.

Estimating Three-Dimensional Body Orientation Based on an Improved Complementary Filter for Human Motion Tracking.

Rigid body orientation determined by IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) is widely applied in robotics, navigation, rehabilitation, and human-computer interaction. In this paper, aiming at dynamically fusing quaternions computed from angular rate integration and FQA algorithm, a quaternion-based complementary filter algorithm is proposed to support a computationally efficient, wearable motion-tracking system. Firstly, a gradient descent method is used to determine a function from several sample points. Secondly, this function is used to dynamically estimate the fusion coefficient based on the deviation between measured magnetic field, gravity vectors and their references in Earth-fixed frame. Thirdly, a test machine is designed to evaluate the performance of designed filter. Experimental results validate the filter design and show its potential of real-time human motion tracking.

Exosomal zinc transporter ZIP4 promotes cancer growth and is a novel diagnostic biomarker for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers with rapid disease progression. Further elucidation of its underlying molecular mechanisms and novel biomarkers for early detection is necessary. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles that are released by multiple cell types acting as message carriers during intercellular communication and are promising biomarker candidates. However, the role of pancreatic cancer cell-derived exosomes in cancer progression and the application of these vesicles as novel diagnostic biomarkers have not been fully studied. In this study, we found that PC-1.0 (a highly malignant pancreatic cell line) cell-derived exosomes could be taken up by and enhance PC-1 (a moderately malignant pancreatic cell line) cell proliferation, migration and invasion abilities. We identified ZIP4 as the most upregulated exosomal protein in PC-1.0 cells from our proteomic analysis. In vitro and in vivo (a subcutaneous BALB/c nude mouse model) studies showed that exosomal ZIP4 can significantly promote pancreatic cancer growth. Using clinical blood samples, we compared the diagnostic values of serum exosomal ZIP4 levels between malignant pancreatic cancer patients (n = 24) and benign pancreatic disease patients (n = 32, AUC = .89), and between biliary disease patients (n = 32, AUC = .8112) and healthy controls (n = 46, AUC = .8931). In conclusion, exosomal ZIP4 promotes cancer growth and is a novel diagnostic biomarker for pancreatic cancer.

Novel Method of Preparation and Activity Research on Arctigenin from Fructus Arctii.

BACKGROUND: Arctigenin has many pharmacological activities with clinical significance and is derived from Arctium lappa L. However, the present extraction method is inefficient and does not have meaningful industrial production. OBJECTIVE: A new method to directly prepare arctigenin was established by combining enzyme-assisted extraction and central composite design. Arctigenin's further pharmacological activity was also surveyed in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ß-D-Glucosidase, a food-grade enzyme, was added directly to the fruits of A. lappa L. to hydrolyze the arctiin to arctigenin, and the obtained samples were subsequently subjected to ethanol (30%, v/v) extraction. The pharmacological activity of the extraction and arctigenin was determined by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and scavenging nitrite. RESULTS: The factors investigated include the enzyme concentration (0.5%-2.5%), ultrasound time (10 min-3 0 min), and extraction temperature (30°C-50°C). From the analysis of the results by Design-Expert (V8.0.6), the optimal extraction conditions were obtained: enzyme concentration (1.4%), ultrasound time (25 min), and extraction temperature (45°C). The highest yield of arctigenin, obtained under the optimal conditions was 6.39%, representing an increase of 28.15% compared to the reference extraction without enzyme processing. The IC50 values of the extraction and arctigenin, respectively, for inhibiting AChE were 0.572 mg/ml and 0.462 mg/ml, and those for nitrite-scavenging were 34.571 mg/ml and 17.49 mg/ml. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that using an enzyme directly in the production is an effective means for extracting arctigenin from Fructus arctii. The extraction has the activities of inhibiting AChE and scavenging nitrite, probably because there has arctigenin in it. It is implied that the extraction and arctigenin could contribute to human health in clinical applications. SUMMARY: The new method of adding enzyme directly to the preparation of arctigenin was carried out instead of preparing arctigenin by two-step methodThree factors affecting the efficiency of preparation were analyzed and discussed include the enzyme concentration, ultrasound time, and extraction temperature by central composite designThis new method of preparing arctigenin improved the yield significantly than other methodsArctigenin has remarkable pharmacological activities of inhibiting acetylcholinesterase and scavenging nitrite. Abbreviations used: AChE: Acetylcholinesterase, CCD: Central composite design, TCM: Traditional Chinese medicines, AD.

Experimental study of the anti-tumour activity and pharmacokinetics of arctigenin and its valine ester derivative.

Arctigenin (ARG) is a functional active component that has important physiological and pharmacological activities. The anti-tumour and anti-inflammatory activities of ARG show good potential for application and development, but this material has the defect of low water solubility. In this experiment, the valine derivative of ARG (ARG-V) was designed and synthesized to overcome this disadvantage. The ARG amino acid, EDCI and DMAP were raw materials in the addition reaction, with a molar ratio of 1:2:2:0.5. The yield of ARG-V was up to 80%. ARG-V has strong anti-tumour activity in vivo and in vitro. The inhibitory rate of ARG-V was 69.2%, with less damage to the immune organs and different degrees of increased serum cytotoxicity. Moreover, the pharmacokinetics of ARG following oral administration and ARG-V following oral administration in rats were also studied. The Cmax and AUC values of ARG-V showed significant differences compared to ARG. The relative bioavailabilities of three doses of ARG-V compared to ARG were 664.7%, 741.5% and 812.9%. These pharmacokinetic results may be useful for further studies of the bioactive mechanism of ARG and provide a theoretical basic for clinical use.

The unexpected depths of genome-skimming data: A case study examining Goodeniaceae floral symmetry genes.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: The use of genome skimming allows systematists to quickly generate large data sets, particularly of sequences in high abundance (e.g., plastomes); however, researchers may be overlooking data in low abundance that could be used for phylogenetic or evo-devo studies. Here, we present a bioinformatics approach that explores the low-abundance portion of genome-skimming next-generation sequencing libraries in the fan-flowered Goodeniaceae. METHODS: Twenty-four previously constructed Goodeniaceae genome-skimming Illumina libraries were examined for their utility in mining low-copy nuclear genes involved in floral symmetry, specifically the CYCLOIDEA (CYC)-like genes. De novo assemblies were generated using multiple assemblers, and BLAST searches were performed for CYC1, CYC2, and CYC3 genes. RESULTS: Overall Trinity, SOAPdenovo-Trans, and SOAPdenovo implementing lower k-mer values uncovered the most data, although no assembler consistently outperformed the others. Using SOAPdenovo-Trans across all 24 data sets, we recovered four CYC-like gene groups (CYC1, CYC2, CYC3A, and CYC3B) from a majority of the species. Alignments of the fragments included the entire coding sequence as well as upstream and downstream regions. DISCUSSION: Genome-skimming data sets can provide a significant source of low-copy nuclear gene sequence data that may be used for multiple downstream applications.

Coblation plus photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of juvenile onset laryngeal papillomatosis: case reports.

BACKGROUND: In treating juvenile-onset laryngeal papillomatosis, the most difficult aspect is preventing recurrence. After a single treatment, recurrence can begin after as soon as 20 days and the recurrent rate can be higher than 90%. The causes of recurrence include the presence of mucosal cells infected with papilloma virus, which are undetectable with the naked eyes, and surgery-induced infection. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) could effectively solve this problem. Virus-infected cells have a very high metabolic energy for capturing and internalizing the photosensitizer, which, after light stimulation, subsequently induces active oxygen species inside the nucleus, which kill infected cells. The second generation of photosensitizer agents (PA) are locally applied to avoid the intravenous systemic damage caused by first-generation PAs, and this method is widely used for the treatment of genital warts to very good effect. METHODS: We used the photodynamic method to treat laryngeal papillomatosis in children and obtained significant efficacy. We followed three juvenile subjects with recurrent laryngeal papillomatosis through a course of treatment (each course includes three PDT sessions), with a follow-up after 6 months. RESULTS: The characteristic procedures involve exposing the larynx with a laryngoscope and using low-temperature plasma technology to visualize the tumor resection, as the effects of plasma technology can reduce postoperative laryngeal edema and reduce intraoperative metastasis. PDT was performed during the first surgery, 20 days after and 30 days after surgery. At the 6-month follow-ups, there was no recurrence. CONCLUSION: This was the world's first successful reported case of the use of PDT treatment for juvenile laryngeal papillomatosis.

Clinical effect analysis of microscopic surgery for epiglottis cysts with coblation.

This study aims to explore the effects and advantages of coblation combined with microscopy to treat epiglottis cysts. Ninety patients with epiglottis cysts were randomly assigned to three groups: the first group: marsupialisation + electric coagulation group, n = 30; the second group: marsupialisation + coblation, n = 30; and the third group: marsupialisation + coblation + microsurgery, n = 30. To compare the cure rate, intraoperative bleeding volume, postoperative pain, operation time and postoperative complications were investigated among these three groups. The comparison among three procedures showed a significant difference for intraoperative bleeding volume, operation time and postoperative pain (P < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was observed for cure rate (P > 0.05). These three procedures are effective in treating epiglottis cysts. Microscopic surgery with coblation has the advantages of less bleeding, short procedure duration, less pain and few complications. Thus, microscopic surgery is worthy of clinical application.