Body composition in preschool children with short stature: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Short stature is defined as height below 2 standard deviations of the population with the same age, gender. This study is aimed to assess the characteristics of body composition in preschool children with short stature. METHODS: Anthropometric measurements and body composition were assessed in 68 preschool children aged 3 to 6 years old with short stature and 68 normal controls matched on age and gender. Height, weight and body composition (total body water, protein, minerals, body fat mass, fat-free mass, soft lean mass, skeletal muscle mass, and bone mineral contents) in the two groups were measured and compared. RESULTS: The total body water, protein, minerals, body fat mass, fat-free mass, soft lean mass, skeletal muscle mass, and bone mineral contents were lower in preschool children with short stature than controls (P < 0.05). Body mass index and fat mass index did not differ between groups. Fat-free mass index was significantly lower in short stature group than controls (t = 2.17, P = 0.03). Linear regression analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between height and fat-free mass index [ß, 1.99 (0.59, 3.39), P = 0.01], a negative correlation between height and body fat percentage [ß, - 0.20 (- 0.38, - 0.01), P = 0.04]. The proportions of fat-free mass in the upper limbs were significantly lower (Right,t = - 2.78,Left t = - 2.76, P < 0.05, respectively) in short stature, although body fat distribution was not. CONCLUSIONS: The fat-free mass such as protein and bone minerals is lower in preschool children with short stature, suggesting the monitoring of fat-free mass for early identification and intervention.

[Paeonol inhibits macrophage M1 polarization by down-regulating miR-155/JAK1-STAT1 pathway].

The aim of this paper was to investigate the effect and mechanism of paeonol on peritoneal macrophage M1 polarization in mice, explore whether the intervention action is related to the down-regulation of miR-155 and the inhibition of downstream JAK1-STAT1 pathway, and provide a new idea for the molecular mechanism of paeonol against atherosclerosis(AS). Lipopolysaccharide(LPS) and interferon-γ(IFN-γ) were used to stimulate macrophages for 24 hours to establish the M1 polarization model, and paeonol was given 24 hours before co-stimulation to provide a pre-protective effect on cells. CCK-8 assay was used to detect the cells damage induced by LPS and IFN-γ co-stimulation; flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of M1 surface markers F4/80 and CD86. ELISA was used to detect the secretion of interleukin 6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in supernatant. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of miR-155, and Western blot was used to detect the protein expression at JAK1-STAT1-SOCS1 pathway. The results showed that LPS and IFN-γ had no obvious damage to the cells at the optimal concentration, but they induced macrophages polarized to M1, resulted in high expression of M1 type marker factors F4/80 and CD86 on the cell surface, and increased secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α on the cell surface(P<0.05 or P<0.01). Paeonol significantly reduced the LPS and IFN-γ-induced high expression of F4/80 and CD86, the secretion of inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α(P<0.05 or P<0.01), decreased the expression level of miR-155, significantly down-regulated the protein phosphorylation level of JAK1-STAT1 and up-regulated the protein expression of SOCS1(P<0.01) in RAW264.7 cells. The results showed that paeonol could inhibit M1 polarization of macrophages by down-regulating cell surface marker factors and inflammatory factors secreted by cells, which may be related to the down-regulation of miR-155 expression and the inhibition JAK1-STAT1 pathway activation.

CS/PVP Hydrogel-Based Nanocapillary for Monitoring Bacterial Growth and Rapid Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing.

Infection with drug-resistant bacteria poses a significant threat to human health. Judicious use of antibiotics could reduce the likelihood of bacterial resistance, which can be evaluated through antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST). This paper focuses on the application of a needle-like nanocapillary tip filled with chitosan (CS)/polyethylene pyrrolidone (PVP) hydrogel based on its specific pH-sensitive properties. The gel-filled nanocapillary has the potential to be used for electrical pH detection with a sensitivity of 3.06 nA/pH and a linear range from 7.3 to 4.3. Such sensitivity for pH measurement could be extended for monitoring of bacterial (such as Escherichia coli and Streptococcus salivarius) growth because of the relationship between pH and bacterial growth. Bacterial growth curves obtained using the hydrogel-filled nanocapillary showed good agreement with the OD600 method. Moreover, this device could be applied for rapid AST for tetracycline and norfloxacin on E. coli with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 2 and 0.125 µg/mL, respectively. This study expands the application of the hydrogel-based nanocapillary for bacterial research by monitoring changes in pH values.

M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition in pancreatic cancer cells, partially through TLR4/IL-10 signaling pathway.

M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are key regulators of the link between inflammation and cancer. A negative correlation between infiltration intensity of M2-polarized TAMs and prognosis of pancreatic cancer has been reported. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important biological process in the progression of primary tumors toward metastasis. Inflammation-induced EMT has been previously shown, therefore, we hypothesized M2-polarized TAMs could induce EMT in pancreatic cancer. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling has an active role in tumor progression during chronic inflammation and the receptor is primarily expressed on macrophages. Activation of TLR4 on M2-polarized TAMs stimulates an increase in the cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10); consequently, another aim was to investigate the potential role of TLR4/IL-10 signaling in the EMT of pancreatic cancer. Treatment with IL-4 (20 ng/ml) for 24 h successfully induced the polarization of macrophage cell line RAW 264.7 to M2 phenotype, IL-10(high), IL-12(low), and IL-23(low), and high expression of CD204 and CD206. A coculture system allowed investigation of the roles of M2-polarized TAMs and TLR4/IL-10 signaling in the EMT of Panc-1 and BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer cell lines. Our results showed that coculture with M2-polarized TAMs increased fibroblastic morphology, upregulated mesenchymal markers vimentin and snail at the mRNA and protein levels, and increased proliferation, migration, and metalloproteinase (MMP)2 and MMP9 proteolytic activity in pancreatic cancer cells. Simultaneously, coculture with M2-polarized TAMs decreased the expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin. Coculture with pancreatic cancer cells increased TLR4 mRNA and protein expression in M2-polarized TAMs. Application of TLR4 siRNA and neutralizing antibodies against TLR4 and IL-10 markedly inhibited E-cadherin reduction and the upregulation of snail and vimentin. Furthermore, activation of TLR4 signaling by lipopolysaccharide profoundly increased the EMT of pancreatic cancer cells. In conclusion, M2-polarized TAMs promoted EMT in pancreatic cancer cells partially through TLR4/IL-10 signaling, suggesting novel therapeutic strategies and enhancing our understanding of M2-polarized TAMs.

Endogenous cystathionine-gamma-lyase/hydrogen sulfide pathway regulates apoptosis of HepG2 cells.

This study is to investigate the role of endogenous CSE/H2S in regulating apoptosis of HepG2 cells. MTT and Trypan blue assay were performed to determine the effect of CSE inhibitor PAG and CSE siRNA on proliferation of HepG2. Production of H2S from HepG2 cells was assessed spectrophotometrically using N, N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine-dihydrochloride. Cells apoptosis was detected by means of double staining of Hoechst 33342 and PI with Array Scan V(TI)HCS600 High-Contents. Dihydroethidine (DHE) and 2', 7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay was used to determine intracellular superoxide anion and ROS level. Reduced glutathione (GSH) was determined by OxiSelect Total Glutathione Assay Kit. Recombinant plasmid pcDNA 3.1/myc-His(-)-CSE was constructed and transfected into 293T cells to rescue the ROS and GSH level to further investigate the effect of CSE/H2S on ROS and GSH. Western blotting was performed to test the effect of CSE siRNA on expression of activated caspase 3 and p-AKT and Nrf2 protein. The results showed that PAG and CSE siRNA could significantly decrease the production of H2S in HepG2 cells and inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells at a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, respectively. PAG and CSE siRNA could promote the cell apoptosis of HepG2 cells. Moreover, PAG and CSE siRNA induced increased ROS generation and depletion of the critical antioxidant GSH and recombinant plasmid pcDNA 3.1/myc-His(-)-CSE rescued the level of ROS and GSH. Meanwhile, CSE siRNA increased the expression of activated caspase 3, but CSE siRNA did not affect the expression of p-AKT and Nrf2. These results suggested that the CSE/H2S pathway was involved in suppression of HepG2 cell growth and promoted apoptosis of HepG2 cells in an oxidative stress-dependent manner.

[Prosapogenin A inhibits cell growth of MCF7 via downregulating STAT3 and glycometabolism-related gene].

This study is to investigate the inhibitory effect and mechanism of prosapogenin A (PSA) on MCF7. MTT assay was performed to determine the inhibitory effect of PSA on MCF7 cells. PI/Hoechst 33342 double staining was used to detect cell apoptosis. RT-PCR was used to test the mRNA levels of STAT3, GLUT1, HK and PFKL. Western blotting was performed to determine the expression of STAT3 and pSTAT3 protein in MCF7 cells. The results showed that PSA could dose-dependently inhibit cell growth of MCF7 followed by IC50 of 9.65 micrmol x L(-1) and promote cell apoptosis of MCF7. Reduced mRNA levels of STAT3, HK and PFKL were observed in MCF7 cells treated with 5 micromol x L(-1) of PSA. PSA also decreased the level of pSTAT3 protein. STAT3 siRNA caused decrease of mRNA of GLUT1, HK and PFKL which indicated STAT3 could regulate the expressions of GLUT1, HK and PFKL. The results suggested that PSA could inhibit cell growth and promote cell apoptosis of MCF7 via inhibition of STAT3 and glycometabolism-related gene.

Metallophilic Interactions Drive Supramolecular Chirality Evolution and Amplify Circularly Polarized Luminescence.

Metallophilic interactions, which are ubiquitous among d10 metal complexes with linear coordination geometries, can direct one-dimensional assembly. However, the ability of these interactions to manipulate chirality at the hierarchical level largely remains unknown. In this work, we unveiled the role of Au···Cu metallophilic interactions in directing the chirality of multicomponent assemblies. N-heterocyclic carbene-Au(I) complexes bearing amino acid residues formed chiral co-assemblies with [CuI2]- anions via Au···Cu interactions. These metallophilic interactions changed the molecular packing modes of the co-assembled nanoarchitectures from lamellar to columnar chiral packing. This transformation initiated the emergence, inversion, and evolution of supramolecular chirality, thereby affording helical superstructures, depending on the geometry of building units. In addition, the Au···Cu interactions altered the luminescence properties and induced the emergence and amplification of circularly polarized luminescence. This work, for the first time, revealed the role of Au···Cu metallophilic interactions in modulating supramolecular chirality, paving the way for the construction of functional chiroptical materials based on d10 metal complexes.

Halogen bonding-driven chiral amplification of a bimetallic gold-copper cluster through hierarchical assembly.

Understanding the fundamentals and applications of chirality relies substantially on the amplification of chirality through hierarchical assemblies involving various weak interactions. However, a notable challenge remains for metal clusters chiral assembly driven by halogen bonding, despite their promising applications in lighting, catalysis, and biomedicine. Here, we used halogen bonding-driven assembly to achieve a hierarchical degree of achiral emissive Au2Cu2 clusters. From single crystals to one-dimensional ribbons and then to helixes, the morphologies were primarily modulated by intermolecular halogen bonding that evoked by achiral or/and chiral iodofluorobenzene (IFBs) molecules. Concomitantly, the luminescence and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) changed a lot, ultimately leading to a substantial increase in the luminescence dissymmetry g-factor (glum) of 0.036 in the supramolecular helix. This work opens an avenue for hierarchical assemblies using predesigned metal clusters as building blocks though directional halogen bonding. This achievement marks a noteworthy advancement in the field of nanosized inorganic functional blocks.

Clinical Analysis of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia With Epilepsy Seizures.

Objective: In order to analyze the clinical characteristics of epileptic seizures in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during treatment. Methods: The clinical and imaging data of children diagnosed as ALL with epilepsy seizures from January 2013 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: A total of 2217 children with ALL were admitted during the study, of whom 229 (10.33%) had epileptic seizures after ALL treatment. Among them, 45 (19.65%) were in the high-risk group and 184 (80.35%) were in the low-risk group. Epileptic seizures mainly occurred in the induction remission period (24.02%), maintenance treatment period (25.33%) and after bone marrow transplantation (21.40%). The common causes were MTX-related demyelinating encephalopathy (34.06%) and reversible posterior encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) (25.3%). The first symptom was mainly convulsion (34.50%). The first attack had a comprehensive attack and partial attack. Most patients stop themselves. 30 cases (13.10%) had acute recurrence of epilepsy (recurrence within 3 months after the first attack), and 49 cases (25.76%) had neurological dysfunction after follow-up. 36 cases developed symptomatic epilepsy. Among the 130 children who completed the follow-up, 78 (60.00%) had no obvious neurological sequelae, and 52 (40.0%) had neurological sequelae. Among the 52 cases, there were 34 cases of mild sequelae and 18 cases of severe sequelae, including 8 cases of epilepsy combined with cognitive impairment. Conclusion: Epileptic seizure is a common neurological complication during ALL treatment. The etiology and associated manifestations of the first epileptic seizure are diverse. Early neuroimaging and EEG examination are helpful for early diagnosis and treatment.

RNA interference of pax2 inhibits growth of transplanted human endometrial cancer cells in nude mice.

The development of human endometrial carcinoma (HEC) is a complex pathologic process involves several oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. The full-length paired-box gene 2 (pax2), a recently discovered oncogene, promotes cell proliferation and growth and inhibits apoptosis of HEC cells. Here, we examined the effect of pax2 small interfering RNA (siRNA) on the growth of transplanted HEC cells in nude mice. The expression of Pax2 in 21 cases of normal endometrium and 38 cases of HEC was examined by immohistochemistry (IHC). HEC models were developed by subcutaneously transferring HEC cells into nude mice, followed by treatment with empty lentivirus vector, lentivirus vector-based pax2 siRNA, and phosphate buffered saline, respectively. Four weeks later, tumor size was measured, tumor inhibition rate was calculated, and histological analyses were conducted after staining with hematoxylin and eosin. The expression of Pax2 and Bcl-2 was detected by Western blot; proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was detected by IHC. Significant differences were observed in the positive rate of Pax2 between normal endometrium and HEC (14.2% vs. 60.5%, P < 0.01). The expression index of Pax2 in well differentiated tumors was 1.88 ± 1.68, much lower than that in tumors of moderate (3.07 ± 1.96, P < 0.05) or poor differentiation (5.45 ± 2.76, P <0.01). Tumor necrosis increased, nuclear basophilia stain decreased, tumor growth was inhibited, and PCNA, Pax2, and Bcl-2 expression was reduced in HEC models treated with pax2 siRNA. These results indicate that Pax2 expression is related to HEC tumor biology with the increased expression of Pax2 correlated to malignancy. pax2 siRNA down-regulates Pax2 expression and inhibits tumorigenesis of HEC in nude mice, possibly due to cell apoptosis and the inhibition of tumor proliferation induced by down-regulation of Bcl-2.

Hepatitis B virus X protein regulates the mEZH2 promoter via the E2F1-binding site in AML12 cells.

Histone lysine methyltransferase EZH2 has been reported to be frequently overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. However, the exact mechanism of EZH2 up-regulation in HCC has not been determined. In this study, we used murine hepatocyte AML12 cells to investigate the role of hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) in regulating the expression of mEZH2. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the expression level of mEZH2 protein in AML12 cells was up-regulated by HBx in a dose-dependent manner. To further investigate the mechanism of mEZH2 overexpression, the 2500 bp regulatory sequence upstream from the first exon of the mEZH2 gene was amplified from AML12 genomic DNA and constructed into a luciferase reporter plasmid. The luciferase activity of the mEZH2 promoter significantly increased in AML12 cells co-transfected with HBx plasmid, and deleting the -486/-214 promoter region decreased HBx-induced mEZH2 promoter activation by nearly 50%. The -486/-214 region was then analyzed in the TRANSFAC 6.0 database and a typical E2F1-binding site was found. Mutation of this E2F1-binding site or knockdown of E2F1 expression by RNAi led to a dramatic decrease in HBx-induced activation of the mEZH2 promoter and mEZH2 overexpression in AML12 cells. These results provide evidence that HBx up-regulates mEZH2 expression by transactivating the mEZH2 promoter through E2F1 transcription factor, thereby providing new epigenetic evidence for the carcinogenic effect of HBx.

[The clinicopathological analysis of 88 patients with abnormal liver function test of unknown etiology].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and histological features of patients with abnormal liver tests of unknown etiology, and then to investigate the diagnosis and differential diagnosis. METHODS: Patients with abnormal liver function test hospitalized and had liver biopsies during 2008 - 2009 constituted this retrospective study cohort. After excluding those patients diagnosed with hepatotropic viral hepatitis, space occupying lesions of the liver, alcoholic liver disease and obstruction of bile duct caused by stone or malignancy and AMA/AMA-M(2) positive of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), the clinical and histological characteristics were evaluated. RESULTS: Out of the 180 patients who underwent liver biopsy, 88 patients were included in the present analysis. The final diagnosis involved 15 categories of diseases, with drug-induced liver injury (DILI) [34.09% (30/88)], autoimmune liver diseases [22.73% (20/88)], and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) [12.50% (11/88)] being the most common causes, following by genetic and other rare diseases. CONCLUSION: DILI, autoimmune liver disease and NAFLD were the most common causes of abnormal liver tests in these non-viral liver diseases. Some rare diseases such as hereditary metabolic liver disease also represent a considerable proportion in patients with abnormal liver function test.

Effect of plastic film mulching and film residues on phthalate esters concentrations in soil and plants, and its risk assessment.

The application of plastic film mulching can greatly improve dryland productivity, while the release of toxic phthalate esters (PAEs) from the plastic film has generated concern. This study investigated the effects of mulched plastic film and residual plastic film on the PAE concentrations in the soil-crop system and assessed the risks to people eating crop products. The PAEs concentration in the 0-25 cm soil layer of plastic mulched farmland was 0.45-0.81 mg/kg, while the average PAEs concentration of 0.37-0.73 mg/kg in non-mulched farmland decreased by 19%. The PAEs concentration in mulched soil reached the highest in July, being 0.80-0.84 mg/kg, while in the non-mulched soil, the PAEs also appeared and gradually decreased from May at 0.62-0.74 mg/kg to October, and the PAEs concentrations were almost the same in the mulched and non-mulched soils at the harvest time in October at 0.37-0.44 mg/kg. With the amounts of residual film in farmland increasing from 0 kg/ha to 2700 kg/ha (equivalent to the total amount of residual film after 60 years of continuous plastic film mulching), the PAEs concentrations were no significant changes, being 0.54-0.93 mg/kg. Maize (Zea mays L.) roots could absorb and accumulate PAEs, and the bio-concentration factor (BCF) was 1.6-2.3, and the average PAEs concentrations in stems, leaves, and grains were 79%-80% of those in roots at 0.77-1.47 mg/kg. For the ingestion of maize grains or potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers grown in plastic film mulched farmland or farmland containing residual film of 450-2700 kg/ha, the hazard index (HI) were less than 1, the carcinogenic risks (CRs) were 2.5 × 10-7-2.2 × 10-6, and the estrogenic equivalences were 6.17-17.73 ng E2/kg. This study provides important data for the risk management of PAEs in farmlands.

Downregulation of LINC01508 contributes to cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer via the regulation of the Hippo-YAP pathway.

BACKGROUND: Some long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to contribute to cisplatin resistance. Here, we identified a novel lncRNA that was downregulated in cisplatin-resistant to ovarian cancer (OC) cells and aimed to examine the contribution of LINC01508 to cisplatin resistance in OC cells. METHODS: Differences in the lncRNA expression profile between OV2008 and C13K cells were assessed by lncRNA expression microarray. The expression of LINC01508 in ovarian epithelial cells, four OC cells, and OC, benign ovary tumor and normal ovary, cisplatin-resistant and non-resistant OC specimens were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The role of LINC01508 in OC cisplatin-resistant was evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, colony formation, wound healing, Transwell, and tumor growth inhibition study in vivo. The clinical associations of LINC01508 in OC were evaluated using correlation analysis. The effects of verteporfin (VP) on cisplatin were explored to reveal the function of the hippo-YAP pathway on the cisplatin tolerance of C13K. RESULTS: LINC01508 was downregulated in cisplatin-resistant OC cells and platinum-resistant OC tissue (p<0.01). LINC01508 downregulation was correlated with tumor size, residual tumor, and platinum resistance. The overexpression of LINC01508 improves in vitro and in vivo sensitivity to cisplatin while predicts the poor overall survival which need further follow-up research. The increased level of LINC01508 could suppress the cisplatin resistance of OC cells through the inhibition of the hippo-YAP pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The study proposes that dysregulation of LINC01508 expression results in resistance of OC to cisplatin through the inhibition of the hippo-YAP pathway.

Reduction effects of solar radiation, mechanical tension, and soil burial on phthalate esters concentrations in plastic film and soils.

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are potentially dangerous chemicals in plastic film mulched fields; however, few studies have investigated how to reduce their concentrations in plastic film and soil. In this study, the effects of solar radiation, mechanical tension, and soil burial on PAEs concentrations in polyethylene (PE) film and degradable film were investigated, and the half-lives of di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in soil also studied. PAEs concentrations in polyethylene films were about twice those in the degradable films; however, PAEs concentrations in all experimental films were similar after 1-year of field exposure. Mechanical tension had no effect on the PAEs concentrations of polyethylene films, but increased the detected concentrations of PAEs in degradable films by 34%-120%. After 4-years of burial, the PAEs concentrations in films decreased by 79.2%-98.0%, and mechanical tension promoted the reductions. However, there was little difference in PAEs concentrations between the buried soils with and without films, indicating the released PAEs reduced quickly in soil. Also, the half-lives of DBP and DEHP were 2.4-4.6 days and 18.5-41.4 days, respectively. Overall, the results presented herein provide reasonable approaches to reduce the concentrations of PAEs in plastic films and soils.

The studies of enhanced fluorescence in the two novel ternary rare-earth complex systems.

Two novel ternary rare-earth complexes SmL(5).L'.(ClO(4))(2).7H(2)O and EuL(5).L'.(ClO(4))(2).6H(2)O (the first ligand L = C(6)H(5)COCH(2)SOCH(2)COC(6)H(5), the second ligand L' = C(6)H(4)OHCOO(-)) were synthesized and characterized by element analysis, molar conductivity, coordination titration analysis, IR, TG-DSC, (1)HNMR and UV spectra. The detailed luminescence studies on the rare-earth complexes showed that the ternary rare-earth complexes presented stronger fluorescence intensities, longer lifetimes, and higher fluorescence quantum efficiencies than the binary rare-earth materials. After the introduction of the second ligand salicylic acid group, the relative emission intensities and fluorescence lifetimes of the ternary complexes LnL(5).L'.(ClO(4))(2).nH(2)O (Ln = Sm, Eu; n=7, 6) enhanced more obviously than the binary complexes LnL(5).(ClO(4))(3).2H(2)O. This indicated that the presence of both organic ligand bis(benzoylmethyl) sulfoxide and the second ligand salicylic acid could sensitize fluorescence intensities of rare-earth ions, and the introduction of salicylic acid group was a benefit for the fluorescence properties of the ternary rare-earth complexes. The fluorescence spectra, fluorescence lifetime and phosphorescence spectra were also discussed.

Synthesis and luminescence properties of two novel lanthanide (III) perchlorate complexes with bis(benzoylmethyl) sulfoxide and benzoic acid.

Two novel ternary rare earth complexes of Tb(III) and Dy(III) perchlorates with bis(benzoylmethyl) sulfoxide (L) and benzoic acid (L') had been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, coordination titration analysis, molar conductivity, IR, TG-DSC, (1)HNMR and UV spectra. The results indicated that the composition of these complexes was REL(5)L'(ClO(4))(2) x nH(2)O (RE = Tb(III), Dy(III); L = C(6)H(5)COCH(2)SOCH(2)COC(6)H(5), L' = C(6)H(5)COO; n = 6,8). The fluorescence spectra illustrated that the ternary rare earth complexes presented stronger fluorescence intensities, longer lifetimes and higher fluorescence quantum efficiencies than the binary rare earth complexes REL(5) x (ClO(4))(3) x 2 H(2)O. After the introduction of the second ligand benzoic acid group, the relative fluorescence emission intensities and fluorescence lifetimes of the ternary complexes REL(5)L'(ClO(4))(2) x nH(2)O (RE = Tb(III), Dy(III)) enhanced more obviously than the binary complexes. This indicated that the presence of both organic ligands bis(benzoylmethyl) sulfoxide and the second ligand benzoic acid could sensitize fluorescence intensities of rare earth ions, and the introduction of benzoic acid group was resulted in the enhancement of the fluorescence properties of the ternary rare earth complexes. The phosphorescence spectra were also discussed.

Synthesis and fluorescence properties of lanthanide (III) perchlorate complexes with naphthyl-naphthalinesulphonylpropyl sulfoxide.

A ligand with double sulfinyl groups, naphthyl-naphthalinesulphonylpropyl sulfoxide(dinaphthyl disulfoxide, L), was synthesized by a new method and its several lanthanide (III) complexes were synthesized and characterized by element analysis, molar conductivity, coordination titration analysis, IR, TG-DTA, (1)HNMR and UV spectra. The composition of these complexes, were RE(2)(ClO(4))(6).(L)(5).nH(2)O (RE = La, Nd, Eu, Tb, Yb, n = 2 approximately 6, L = C(10)H(7)SOC(3)H(6)SOC(10)H(7)). The fluorescent spectra illustrated that the Eu (III) complex had an excellent luminescence. It was supposed that the ligand was benefited for transferring the energy from ligand to the excitation state energy level ((5)D(0)) of Eu (III). The Tb (III) complex displayed weak luminescence, which attributed to low energy transferring efficiency between the average triplet state energy level of ligand and the excited state ((5)D(4)) of Tb (III). So the Eu (III) complex displayed a good antenna effect for luminescence. The phosphorescence spectra and the relationship between fluorescence lifetime and fluorescence intensity were also discussed.

[Impact of S100P expression on clinical outcomes of gastric cancer patients with adjuvant chemotherapy of oxaliplatin and its mechanisms].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of the expression of S100P on the prognosis and tumor chemosensitivity in patients with resectable gastric cancer and its mechanisms. METHODS: The expression of S100P was analyzed in 121 resected primary gastric cancer tissues by using tissue array of immunohistochemistry excised from January 2003 to December 2007. The patients received adjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin. The pEGFP-S100P plasmid was constructed and was transfected into BGC823 cell line to establish gastric cancer cell line with over-expression of human S100P, BGC823-S100P. The expression level of S100P was determined by real-time PCR and Western blot assay. The chemosensitivity of BGC823-S100P cell line to oxaliplatin was detected by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay. RESULTS: The S100P was positively expressed in 64 tumors (52.9%, 64/121). Although there was no significant relation between the expression of S100P and tumor T staging (P = 0.683), N staging (P = 0.472), M staging (P = 0.770) and differentiation (P = 0.553), Wilcoxon test showed that the 5-year cumulative survival rate of patients with positive S100P expression was significantly higher than that of patients with negative expression (20.3% vs. 3.5%, P = 0.034). Furthermore, overexpressed of S100P was found in the BGC823 cell line, BGC823-S100P. The mRNA and protein level of S100P in pEGFP transfected BGC823-S100P cell lines were significantly higher than those in control group (8.42 ± 1.38 vs. 0.83 ± 0.11 and 3.52 ± 0.48 vs. 0.97 ± 0.19, all P < 0.05). It indicated with MTT assay that the half-inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) to oxaliplatin decreased in BGC823-S100P cells, and was significantly lower than that in vector-only transfected cells [(142 ± 16) mg/L vs. (266 ± 11) mg/L, P = 0.032]. CONCLUSIONS: S100P may also be a potentially novel independent prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients following curative resection. And it could improve the cumulative survival of the patients through enhancing the chemosensitivity of tumor cell line to oxaliplatin.

Recurrent seizures cause immature brain injury and changes in GABA a receptor α1 and γ2 subunits.

OBJECTIVE: Recurrent seizures can cause brain damage and affect the cognitive outcome, particularly in developing children. We aimed to determine the effects of recurrent seizures on the expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor (GABAAR) α1 and γ2 subunit and neurodevelopment in immature rats. The role of the GABAAR agonist clonazepam and antagonist/partial agonist flumazenil in seizure-induced brain injury was also studied. METHODS: Recurrent seizures (RS) were induced by flurothyl inhalation in immature rats. Clonazepam (CZP) and flumazenil (FMZ) were administered to modulate GABAAR subunit expression in different experimental groups. Neurobehavioral changes and GABAAR α1 and γ2 subunit expression were studied. RESULTS: Inhalation of flurothyl for five days triggered RS and caused reflex delay, inability to adapt to new environments in adulthood, and deficits in long-term learning and memory ability in rats. Down-regulation of GABAAR α1 and γ2 subunits occurred after seizure onset and persisted for a long time. CZP treatment decreased the expression of GABAAR α1 and γ2 subunits and delayed neurodevelopment of the immature rats, whereas FMZ did not show any significant effects. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in GABAAR α1 and γ2 subunit expression and neurodevelopment were related to recurrent seizures and administration of CZP. Thus, GABAAR α1 and γ2 subunits likely play a significant role in the development of immature rats with RS and provide a novel target for therapeutic intervention.