The upregulation of immune checkpoints after photodynamic therapy reducing immune effect for treating breast cancer.

The immune effect induced by photodynamic therapy (PDT) has a limited effect on breast tumor. This study hypothesized that suppressive immune checkpoints on T cells might upregulate after PDT, which may reduce the antitumor effect of PDT for treating breast tumor. This study explored the alteration of immune checkpoint for the first time. A bilateral subcutaneous transplanted breast tumor mice model was established, and right tumors imitated primary tumors, and left tumors imitated distant tumors. Primary tumors were treated with PDT mediated by hematoporphyrin derivatives (HpD-PDT). Costimulatory molecules (ICOS, OX40, and 4-1BB) and immune checkpoints (PD1, LAG-3, CTLA-4, TIM-3, TIGIT) on tumor infiltrating T cells after HpD-PDT were analyzed by flow cytometry. Antitumor and immune effects were also assessed after HpD-PDT combined with anti-PD1 and LAG-3 antibodies. Primary tumors were suppressed, but distant tumors could not be inhibited after HpD-PDT. The number of T cells was increased, but function did not enhance after HpD-PDT. Additionally, costimulatory molecules (ICOS, OX40, and 4-1BB) were not elevated, but the suppressive immune checkpoints on tumor infiltrating T cells were upregulated after HpD-PDT. Notably, PD1+ LAG-3+ CD4+ T and PD1+ LAG-3+ CD8+ T cells were significantly increased. When PD1 and LAG-3 blockade combined with HpD-PDT, both primary and distant tumors were significantly suppressed, and antitumor immune effects were significantly enhanced. HpD-PDT could upregulate the PD1+ LAG-3+ CD4+ T and PD1+ LAG-3+ CD8+ T cells. Dual blockade of PD1 and LAG-3 immune checkpoints can enhance the antitumor effect of HpD-PDT.

Light intensity alters the effects of light-induced circadian disruption on glucose and lipid metabolism in mice.

Circadian disruption induced by rotating light cycles has been linked to metabolic disorders. However, how the interaction of light intensity and light cycle affects metabolism under different diets remains to be explored. Eighty mice were first randomly stratified into the low-fat diet (LFD, n = 40) or high-fat diet (HFD, n = 40) groups. Each group was further randomly subdivided into four groups (n = 8-12 per group) in terms of different light intensities [lower (LI, 78 lx) or higher intensity (HI, 169 lx)] and light cycles [12-h light:12-h dark cycle or circadian-disrupting (CD) light cycle consisting of repeated 6-h light phase advancement]. Body weight was measured weekly. At the end of the 16-wk experiment, mice were euthanized for serum and pathological analysis. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed during the last 2 wk. The CD cycle increased body weight gain, adipocyte area, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance of LFD as well as HFD mice under HI but not LI condition. Moreover, the serum and hepatic triglyceride levels increased with LFD-HI treatment, regardless of light cycle. In addition, the CD cycle improved lipid and glucose metabolism under HFD-LI condition. In summary, the detrimental effects of the CD cycle on metabolism were alleviated under LI condition, especially in HFD mice. These results indicate that modulating light intensity is a potential strategy to prevent the negative metabolic consequences associated with jet lag or shift work.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Glucose and lipid homeostasis is altered by the CD cycles in a light-intensity-dependent manner. Lower-intensity light reverses the negative metabolic effects of the CD cycles, especially under HFD feeding. The interaction of light intensity and light cycle on metabolism is independent of energy intake and eating pattern. Glucose metabolic disorders caused by rotating light cycles occur along with compensatory ß-cell mass expansion.

Prognostic role of Wnt and Fzd gene families in acute myeloid leukaemia.

Wnt-Fzd signalling pathway plays a critical role in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) progression and oncogenicity. There is no study to investigate the prognostic value of Wnt and Fzd gene families in AML. Our study screened 84 AML patients receiving chemotherapy only and 71 also undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We found that some Wnt and Fzd genes had significant positive correlations. The expression levels of Fzd gene family were independent of survival in AML patients. In the chemotherapy group, AML patients with high Wnt2B or Wnt11 expression had significantly shorter event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS); high Wnt10A expressers had significantly longer OS than the low expressers (all P < .05), whereas, in the allo-HSCT group, the expression levels of Wnt gene family were independent of survival. We further found that high expression of Wnt10A and Wnt11 had independent prognostic value, and the patients with high Wnt10A and low Wnt11 expression had the longest EFS and OS in the chemotherapy group. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that genes related to Wnt10A, Wnt11 and Wnt 2B were mainly enriched in 'cell morphogenesis involved in differentiation', 'haematopoietic cell lineage', 'platelet activation, signalling and aggregation' and 'mitochondrial RNA metabolic process' signalling pathways. Our results indicate that high Wnt2B and Wnt11 expression predict poor prognosis, and high Wnt10A expression predicts favourable prognosis in AML, but their prognostic effects could be neutralized by allo-HSCT. Combined Wnt10A and Wnt11 may be a novel prognostic marker in AML.

FISH-Based Karyotype Analyses of Four Dracaena Species.

The genus Dracaena is the main source of dragon's blood, which is a plant resin and has been used as traditional medicine since ancient times in different civilizations. However, the chromosome numbers and karyotypes present in this genus remain poorly understood. In this study, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using oligonucleotide probes for ribosomal DNAs (5S and 45S rDNA) and telomeric repeats (TTTAGGG)3 was applied to analyze 4 related species: Dracaena terniflora Roxb., Dracaena cambodiana Pierre ex Gagnep., Aizong (Dracaena sp.), and Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S.C. Chen. In all 4 species, both 5S and 45S rDNA showed hybridization signals in the paracentromeric region of a pair of chromosomes; the sizes of the 45S rDNA signals were larger than those of the 5S rDNA. Importantly, the telomeric repeat signals were located in the telomeric regions of almost all chromosomes. The results indicated that the chromosome number of all 4 Dracaena species is 2n = 40, and the lengths of the mitotic metaphase chromosomes range from 0.99 to 2.98 µm. Our results provide useful cytogenetic information, which will be beneficial to future studies in genome structure of the genus Dracaena.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus genotypes and precancerous cervical lesions in a screening population in Beijing, China: analysis of results from China's top 3 hospital, 2009-2019.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. Early detection and diagnosis play an important role in secondary prevention of cervical cancer. This study aims to provide more information to develop an effective strategy for the prevention and control of cervical cancer in northern China. METHODS: A retrospective single-centre descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Chinese PLA General Hospital located in Beijing, covering the period from January 2009 to June 2019. The patients who underwent a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based HPV genotyping test and cervical pathological diagnosis were included. Furthermore, we limited the interval between the two examination within 180 days for the purpose of making sure their correlation to analyse their relationship. Moreover, the relationship between different cervical lesions and age as well as single/multiple HPV infection was assessed. RESULTS: A total of 3134 patients were eligible in this study after HPV genotyping test and pathological diagnosis. Most of the patients (95%) were from northern China. Among the patients, 1745(55.68%) had high-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia (HSIL), 1354 (43.20%) had low-grade squamous intraepithelial neoplasia (LSIL) and 35 (1.12%) were Normal. The mean age was 42.06 ± 10.82(range, 17-79 years). The women aged 35-49 years accounted for the highest incidence rate. The top five most commonly identified HPV genotypes in each lesion class were as follows: HPV16, 58, 52, 31 and 51 in the class of HSIL; HPV16, 52, 58, 56 and 51 in the class of LSIL; HPV16, 31, 6,11, 52 and 58 in the class of normal. The frequencies of HPV single genotype infection and multiple genotypes infection were 55.26 and 34.18%, respectively. There was no difference in the attributable proportions of multiple genotypes infection amongst HSIL, LSIL and Normal. CONCLUSIONS: In Northern China, HPV16 was the most dominant genotype in the patients with pathological examination. The peak age of the onset of HSIL was between 35 and 49 years of age. Infection with multiple HPV genotypes did not increase the risk of HSIL. Type-specific HPV prevalence and attribution proportion to cervical precancerous lesions should be taken into consideration in the development of vaccines and strategy for screening in this population.

The Effects of Photobiomodulation on MC3T3-E1 Cells via 630 nm and 810 nm Light-Emitting Diode.

BACKGROUND Photobiomodulation (PBM) has been explored as a promising therapeutic strategy to regulate bone cell growth; however, the effects of PBM on osteoblast cell lines remains poorly understood. In addition, as a light source of PBM, the light uniformity of light-emitting diode (LED) devices has not been given enough attention. MATERIAL AND METHODS Here, we sought to investigate the effects of PBM on MC3T3-E1 cells via 630 nm and 810 nm light from a newly designed LED with high uniformity of light. Cell proliferation, flow cytometric analysis, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, ALP activity, Alizarin Red S staining, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were carried out to assess treatment response. MC3T3-E1 cells were irradiated with LED devices (630±5 nm and 810±10 nm, continuous wave) for 200 seconds at a power density of 5 mW/cm² once daily. RESULTS Increases in cell proliferation and decreases in cell apoptosis were evident following irradiation. ALP staining intensity and activity were also significantly increased following irradiation. Level of mineralization was obviously enhanced in irradiated groups compared with non-irradiated controls. qRT-PCR also showed significant increases in mRNA expression of osteocalcin (OCN) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) in the irradiated groups. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that LED PBM could promote the proliferation, ALP staining intensity and activity, level of mineralization, gene expression of OCN and OPG of MC3T3-E1 cells, with no significant difference between the 630 nm- and 810 nm-irradiated groups.

Assessment of tissue perfusion changes in port wine stains after vascular targeted photodynamic therapy: a short-term follow-up study.

The occlusion effect of vascular targeted photodynamic therapy (V-PDT) for malformed vessels in port wine stains (PWS) often last for some time after the treatment. A relatively longer period after V-PDT is needed to accurately assess the final response of PWS microcirculation to the treatment. In this study, we intended to use laser speckle imaging (LSI) to assess the tissue perfusion changes of PWS at follow-up after V-PDT and preliminarily analyze the relationship between perfusion change and color bleaching. Seventeen patients with 40 PWS lesions were scanned by LSI before and 3-6 months after they received V-PDT. The speckle flow indices of PWS lesions and normal skin before and at follow-up after V-PDT were recorded. We also performed analyses on the correlation between perfusion changes and color bleaching. Before V-PDT, the 40 PWS lesions showed higher perfusion than the normal skin (1,421 ± 463 and 1,115 ± 386 perfusion unit (PU), respectively, P < 0.01). The PWS lesions scanned at follow-up showed decreased perfusion level compared to the preoperative values (1,282 ± 460 and 1,421 ± 463 PU, respectively, P < 0.01). After V-PDT, the perfusion change rates coincide well with the color bleaching rates (correlation coefficient, 0.73). In conclusion, the LSI system is capable of imaging PWS perfusion precisely, and it has shown promising results in assessing the changes of tissue perfusion of V-PDT for PWS, with objective and quantitative data, real-time images, and a shorter detection time. It may also provide an effectiveness assessment method for the treatment of PWS.

Photoacid Generators for Biomedical Applications.

Photoacid generators (PAGs) are compounds capable of producing hydrogen protons (H+ ) upon irradiation, including irreversible and reversible PAGs, which have been widely studied in photoinduced polymerization and degradation for a long time. In recent years, the applications of PAGs in the biomedical field have attracted more attention due to their promising clinical value. So, an increasing number of novel PAGs have been reported. In this review, the recent progresses of PAGs for biomedical applications is systematically summarized, including tumor treatment, antibacterial treatment, regulation of protein folding and unfolding, control of drug release and so on. Furthermore, a concept of water-dependent reversible photoacid (W-RPA) and its antitumor effect are highlighted. Eventually, the challenges of PAGs for clinical applications are discussed.

Porphyrin Derivative with Binary Properties of Photodynamic Therapy and Water-Dependent Reversible Photoacidity Therapy for Treating Hypoxic Tumor.

Porphyrin photosensitizers are the classic drugs in clinical photodynamic therapy (PDT), but the hypoxia of tumor environment and the rapid oxygen consumption of PDT severely weaken their therapeutic effect. A recently reported water-dependent reversible photoacidity therapy (W-RPAT) is O2-independence, providing a solution for the treatment of hypoxic tumors. In this work, TPP-O-PEG5, a porphyrin derivative with binary properties of PDT and W-RPAT, is designed and synthesized for the first time. The nanoparticles (NPs) of TPP-O-PEG5 encapsulated with DSPE-mPEG2000, an amphiphilic polymer approved by Food and Drug Administration, can simultaneously produce reactive oxygen species and H+ under irradiation of a 660 nm laser, and revert the H+ back under darkness, presenting strong phototoxicity to multiple tumor cell lines with no obvious difference between the IC50 values tested under normoxic (≈20% O2) and hypoxic (<0.5% O2) conditions. Excitingly, in vivo experiments show that the therapeutic effect of TPP-O-PEG5 NPs on large hypoxic tumors is better than that of NPe6, a clinical porphin PDT drug. This work provides a novel strategy for porphyrin photosensitizers to break through the limitation of hypoxic environment, and significantly improve the phototherapeutic effect on hypoxic tumors.

A design strategy of pure Type-I thiadiazolo[3,4-g]quinoxaline-based photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy.

Most photosensitizers (PSs) for photodynamic therapy (PDT) can generate singlet oxygen through transferring energy with oxygen, called Type-II PSs. However, the microenvironment of solid tumor is usually anoxic. Type-I PSs can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) through transferring electron to substrate, showing more efficient in PDT. But pure Type-I PSs are very rare. The relationship between PSs' chemical structure and Type-I mechanism has not been explicitly stated. In this study, two thiadiazolo [3,4-g]quinoxaline (TQ) PSs (PsCBz-1 and PsCBz-2) are synthesized through introducing carbazole groups to the 4,9-position of TQ backbone. Comparing with their prototype PS, 4,9-dibrominated TQ (TQs-4), the introduction of carbazole groups reverses the reaction mechanism of PSs from pure Type-II to pure Type-I. Excitingly, the water-dispersible nanoparticles (NPs) of PsCBz-1 can achieve strong phototoxicity in vitro under both normoxia and hypoxia through Type-I mechanism. In addition, PsCBz-1 NPs also exhibits remarkable PDT antitumor effect in vivo. This study provides a feasible design strategy for pure Type-I PSs.

Molecular engineering design of twisted-backbone pure Type-I organic photosensitizers for hypoxic photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), an emerging tumor therapeutic strategy has received tremendous attention. Enslaved by the high dependence of oxygen, Type-II photosensitizers (PSs) mediated PDT is restricted by the hypoxic environment of tumors. By transferring electrons to water or other substrates instead of oxygen, Type-I PSs hold the promise of achieving an ideal therapeutic effect under hypoxic conditions. In this study, three twisted-backbone PSs (CBz-TQs-1, CBz-TQs-2 and CBz-TQs-3) are synthesized and studied. Owing to different substituent effects, the ROS generation mechanism transfers from pure Type-II of their prototype PSs (TQs-1, TQs-2 and TQs-3) to mixed Type-I/II of CBz-TQs-1 and CBz-TQs-2 to pure Type-I of CBz-TQs-3. Moreover, CBz-TQs-3 exhibits an ultra-high ROS quantum yield (∼1.0). The in vitro and in vivo PDT effects of water-dissolvable nanoparticles (NPs) of CBz-TQs-3 are investigated. The results show that the phototoxicity of CBz-TQs-3 is not affected by hypoxic environments. In addition, a remarkable tumor ablation can be found after CBz-TQs-3 NPs mediated PDT on Balb/c mice with xenograft tumors. It proves that a twisted backbone strategy is beneficial for designing pure Type-I PSs with high-efficient hypoxic PDT.

Long-term ultraviolet B irradiation at 297†nm with light-emitting diode improves bone health via vitamin D regulation.

Ultraviolet radiation is the primary determinant for vitamin D synthesis. Sunlight is inefficient and poses a risk, particularly for long-term exposure. In this study, we screened the most favorable wavelength for vitamin D synthesis among four types of narrowband light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and then irradiated osteoporosis rats with the optimal wavelength for 3-12 months. The 297 nm narrowband LED was the most efficient. Long-term radiation increased vitamin D levels in all osteoporotic rats and improved bone health. No skin damage was observed during irradiation. Our findings provide an efficient and safe method of vitamin D supplementation.

Battery-free optoelectronic patch for photodynamic and light therapies in treating bacteria-infected wounds.

Light therapy is an effective approach for the treatment of a variety of challenging dermatological conditions. In contrast to existing methods involving high doses and large areas of illumination, alternative strategies based on wearable designs that utilize a low light dose over an extended period provide a precise and convenient treatment. In this study, we present a battery-free, skin-integrated optoelectronic patch that incorporates a coil-powered circuit, an array of microscale violet and red light emitting diodes (LEDs), and polymer microneedles (MNs) loaded with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). These polymer MNs, based on the biodegradable composite materials of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and hyaluronic acid (HA), serve as light waveguides for optical access and a medium for drug release into deeper skin layers. Unlike conventional clinical photomedical appliances with a rigid and fixed light source, this flexible design allows for a conformable light source that can be applied directly to the skin. In animal models with bacterial-infected wounds, the experimental group with the combination treatment of metronomic photodynamic and light therapies reduced 2.48 log10 CFU mL-1 in bactericidal level compared to the control group, indicating an effective anti-infective response. Furthermore, post-treatment analysis revealed the activation of proregenerative genes in monocyte and macrophage cell populations, suggesting enhanced tissue regeneration, neovascularization, and dermal recovery. Overall, this optoelectronic patch design broadens the scope for targeting deep skin lesions, and provides an alternative with the functionality of standard clinical light therapy methods.

Safety evaluation of femtosecond lentotomy on the porcine lens by optical measurement with 50-femtosecond laser pulses.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The optimized parameters of femtosecond (fs) lentotomy, an innovative strategy for presbyopia, have been further discussed regarding the safety of the procedure for eyeballs. This article's aim was to prove the safety and feasibility of the fs lentotomy procedure with 50-fs laser pulses. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an experimental study in which the safety of fs lentotomy by optical measurement was tested. The experiment was performed on 49 porcine crystalline lenses by 50-fs laser pulses at a central wavelength of 800 nm and scanning focusing optics with a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.125. The input pulse energy was in the range of 0.35 µJ to 0.65 µJ. The transmitted energy throughout the eyeball was measured through a hole in the back wall of the eyeball by a power meter. The transmittance and peak power density (PPD) on the cornea, lens, and retina were illustrated. The laser cutting quality of 50-fs laser pulses on the crystalline lens were assessed, and the theoretical safety of such a procedure for the cornea, lens, and retina was evaluated. RESULTS: A sharp cut without noticeable large bubbles was obtained with 0.35 µJ pulse energy under the optical system for which the NA was 0.125. The transmittance of the whole eyeball was measured to be 69% to 75% under 0.35 µJ to 0.65 µJ incident laser energy. The threshold of PPD for photodisruption on the crystalline lens, retina, and cornea was measured to be in the magnitude of 10(13) W/cm(2) , 10(8) W/cm(2) , and 10(9) W/cm(2) , respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The cutting quality in this experiment implied the feasibility of the 50-fs laser in fs lentotomy; the pulse energy for fs lentotomy descended from microjoules to hundreds of nanojoules, and the PPD on the cornea and retina during the procedure decreased further, both of which illustrated the safety of such an optical design and the parameters during fs lentotomy for the eyeball.

Photodynamic Therapy-Induced Anti-Tumor Immunity: Influence Factors and Synergistic Enhancement Strategies.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an approved therapeutic procedure that exerts cytotoxic activity towards tumor cells by activating photosensitizers (PSs) with light exposure to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). Compared to traditional treatment strategies such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, PDT not only kills the primary tumors, but also effectively suppresses metastatic tumors by activating the immune response. However, the anti-tumor immune effects induced by PDT are influenced by several factors, including the localization of PSs in cells, PSs concentration, fluence rate of light, oxygen concentration, and the integrity of immune function. In this review, we systematically summarize the influence factors of anti-tumor immune effects mediated by PDT. Furthermore, an update on the combination of PDT and other immunotherapy strategies are provided. Finally, the future directions and challenges of anti-tumor immunity induced by PDT are discussed.

In situ detection of human glioma based on tissue optical properties using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

Safely maximizing brain cancer removal without injuring adjacent healthy tissue is crucial for optimal treatment outcomes. However, it is challenging to distinguish cancer from noncancer intraoperatively. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) as a label-free and real-time detection technology for discrimination between brain cancer and noncancer tissues. Fifty-five fresh cancer and noncancer specimens from 19 brain surgeries were measured with DRS, and the results were compared with co-registered clinical standard histopathology. Tissue optical properties were quantitatively obtained from the diffuse reflectance spectra and compared among different types of brain tissues. A machine learning-based classifier was trained to differentiate cancerous versus noncancerous tissues. Our method could achieve a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 95% for discriminating high-grade glioma from normal white matter. Our results showed that DRS has the potential to be used for label-free, real-time in vivo cancer detection during brain surgery.

Preventing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in rats with pulsed 810 nm laser transcranial phototherapy.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that occurs following exposure to traumatic events. Current treatments, such as psychological debriefing and pharmacotherapy, often have limited efficacy and may result in unwanted side effects, making early intervention is a more desirable strategy. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a single dose of pulsed (10 Hz) 810 nm laser-phototherapy (P-PT) as an early intervention for preventing PTSD-like comorbidities in rats induced by single inescapable electric foot shock following the single prolonged stress (SPS&S). As indicated by the results of the open filed test, elevated plus maze test, and contextual fear conditioning test, P-PT prevented the development of anxiety and freezing behaviors in rats exposed to the SPS&S. We also compared the effects of P-PT and continuous wave 810 nm laser-phototherapy (CW-PT) in preventing PTSD-like comorbidities in rats. The results revealed that P-PT was effective in preventing both freezing and anxiety behavior in stressed rats. In contrast, CW-PT only had a preventive effect on freezing behavior but not anxiety. Additionally, P-PT significantly reduced the c-fos expression in cingulate cortex area 1(Cg1) and infralimbic cortex (IL) of stressed rats, while CW-PT had no significant effects on c-fos expression. Taken together, our results demonstrate that P-PT is a highly effective strategy for preventing the occurrence of PTSD-like comorbidities in rats.

Ultrasonic irradiation enhanced the efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus biofilm.

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) is a non-pharmacological antimicrobial regimen based on light, photosensitizer and oxygen. It has become a potential method to inactivate multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, limited by the delivery of photosensitizer (PS) in biofilm, eradicating biofilm-associated infections by aPDT remains challenging. This study aimed to explore the feasibility of combining ultrasonic irradiation with aPDT to enhance the efficacy of aPDT against methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilm. A cationic benzylidene cyclopentanone photosensitizer with much higher selectivity to bacterial cells than mammalian cells were applied at the concentration of 10 µM. 532 nm laser (40 mW/cm2, 10 min) and 1 MHz ultrasound (500 mW/cm2, 10 min, simultaneously with aPDT) were employed against MRSA biofilms in vitro. In addition to combined with ultrasonic irradiation and aPDT, MRSA biofilms were treated with laser irradiation only, photosensitizer only, ultrasonic irradiation only, ultrasonic irradiation and photosensitizer, and aPDT respectively. The antibacterial efficacy was determined by XTT assay, and the penetration depth of PS in biofilm was observed using a photoluminescence spectrometer and a confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). In addition, the viability of human dermal fibroblasts (WS-1 cells) after the same treatments mentioned above and the uptake of P3 by WS-1 cells after ultrasonic irradiation were detected by CCK-8 and CLSM in vitro. Results showed that the percent decrease in metabolic activity resulting from the US + aPDT group (75.76%) was higher than the sum of the aPDT group (44.14%) and the US group (9.88%), suggesting synergistic effects. Meanwhile, the diffusion of PS in the biofilm of MRSA was significantly increased by 1 MHz ultrasonic irradiation. Ultrasonic irradiation neither induced the PS uptake by WS-1 cells nor reduced the viability of WS-1 cells. These results suggested that 1 MHz ultrasonic irradiation significantly enhanced the efficacy of aPDT against MRSA biofilm by increasing the penetration depth of PS. In addition, the antibacterial efficacy of aPDT can be enhanced by ultrasonic irradiation, the US + aPDT treatment demonstrated encouraging in vivo antibacterial efficacy (1.73 log10 CFU/mL reduction). In conclusion, the combination of aPDT and 1 MHz ultrasound is a potential and promising strategy to eradicate biofilm-associated infections of MRSA.

Allelopathic Effects of Amomum villosum Lour. Volatiles from Different Organs on Selected Plant Species and Soil Microbiota.

Amomum villosum Lour. is a perennial herb of the Zingiberaceae family, which is widely distributed in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province in Southwest China. Large amounts of volatile components contained in this plant enter the surrounding atmosphere and soil through volatilization, foliar leaching, root exudation, and residue decomposition. However, the ecological role of these compounds is currently unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the differences in the composition of volatile oils from stems, leaves, and young fruits of A. villosum, identify chemicals that had allelopathic effects, and explore the effects of the oil on the diversity and composition of soil microbiomes. Volatile oils were obtained by steam distillation and characterized by gas chromatography−mass spectrometry, and then were tested for allelopathic activity using seedlings of Lactuca sativa L. and Lolium perenne L. as test species. The results showed that the oils from stems and leaves were rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons, unlike the oxygenated monoterpenes which dominated oils from young fruits. Leaves > stems > young fruits: this was the order of the allelopathic effects of volatile oils from various A. villosum organs. Among the four main chemical components in the oils, only α-pinene, which is abundant in leaves, had a stronger allelopathic action than the crude oils, implying that it might be a potential allelochemical. Experiments on soil microorganisms indicated that 3.0 mg/mL oil had the greatest effect on the structure of the soil fungal community. It can be concluded that A. villosum is capable of releasing allelochemicals which affect the growth of other plant species and the diversity and community structure of soil microorganisms.

A water-dependent reversible photoacidity strategy for cancer treatment.

In the reported mechanisms of reversible photoacidity, protons were dissociated from compounds which contained hydroxyl, indazole or formed hydroxyl via intramolecular hydrogen abstraction under irradiation. Herein, a water-dependent reversible photoacidity (W-RPA) mechanism mediated by a thiadiazoloquinoxaline compound (TQs-Th-PEG5) has been found, in which the proton is not dissociated from TQs-Th-PEG5 itself but from a water locked by TQs-Th-PEG5 under the irradiation of a 660 nm laser. After turning off the laser, the produced acid will disappear quickly. This process is repeatable with no consumption of TQs-Th-PEG5. More importantly, water is indispensable. Furthermore, it is confirmed that there is no other element involved in the process except TQs-Th-PEG5, light and water. Excitingly, W-RPA therapy mediated by TQs-Th-PEG5 nanoparticle exhibits remarkable antitumor effect both in vitro and in vivo, especially in hypoxic tumors with diameter larger than 10 mm owing to its oxygen-independent feature. This study not only discovers a W-RPA mechanism but also provides a novel phototherapy strategy for cancer treatment.