[Efficacy and safety of VRD regimen of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma]

Objective: To explore the stem cell collection rate and efficacy and safety of patients aged 70 and below with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) treated with the VRD (bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone) regimen followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Methods: Retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 123 patients with newly diagnosed MM from August 1, 2018, to June 30, 2020, at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and Suzhou Hopes Hematology Hospital, who were eligible for VRD regimen sequential ASCT, were collected. The clinical characteristics, efficacy after induction therapy, mobilization regimen of autologous stem cells, autologous stem cell collection rate, and side effects and efficacy of ASCT were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Of the 123 patients, 67 were males. The median patient age was 56 (range: 31-70) years. Patients with IgG, IgA, IgD, and light-chain types accounted for 47.2% (58/123), 23.6% (29/123), 3.2% (4/123), and 26.0% (32/123) of patients, respectively. In addition, 25.2% (31/123) of patients had renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance rate<40 ml/min). Patients with Revised-International Staging System (R-ISS) Ⅲ accounted for 18.2% (22/121) of patients. After induction therapy, the rates of partial response and above, very-good partial response (VGPR) and above, and complete response (CR)+stringent CR were 82.1% (101/123), 75.6% (93/123), and 45.5% (56/123), respectively. Overall, 90.3% (84/93) of patients were mobilized with cyclophosphamide+granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and 8 patients with G-CSF or G-CSF+plerixafor due to creatinine clearance rate<30 ml/min and one of them was mobilized with DECP (cisplatin, etoposide, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone)+G-CSF for progressive disease. The rate of autologous stem cell collection (CD34⁺cells≥2×10⁶/kg) after four courses of VRD regimen was 89.1% (82/92), and the rate of collection (CD34⁺cells≥5×10⁶/kg) was 56.5% (52/92). Seventy-seven patients treated with the VRD regimen sequential ASCT. All patients had grade 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Among the nonhematologic adverse events during ASCT, the highest incidence was observed for gastrointestinal reactions (76.6%, 59/77), followed by oral mucositis (46.8%, 36/77), elevated aminotransferases (44.2%, 34/77), fever (37.7%, 29/77), infection (16.9%, 13/77) and heart-related adverse events (11.7%, 9/77). Among the adverse events, grade 3 adverse events included nausea (6.5%, 5/77), oral mucositis (5.2%, 4/77), vomiting (3.9%, 3/77), infection (2.6%, 2/77), elevated blood pressure after infusion (2.6%, 2/77), elevated alanine transaminase (1.3%, 1/77), and perianal mucositis (1.3%, 1/77); there were no grade 4 or above nonhematologic adverse events. The proportion of patients who achieved VGPR and above after VRD sequential ASCT was 100% (75/75), and the proportion of patients who were minimal residual disease-negative (<10^-4 level) was 82.7% (62/75). Conclusion: In patients aged 70 and below with newly diagnosed MM treated with VRD induction therapy, the collection rate of autologous stem cells was good, and good efficacy and tolerability were noted after follow-up ASCT.

Psychiatrists’ occupational stigma conceptualization, measurement, and intervention: A literature review

Psychiatrists require frequent contact with and treatment of patients with mental illnesses. Due to the influence of associative stigma, psychiatrists may also be targets of stigma. Occupational stigma warrants special consideration because it significantly affects psychiatrists' career advancement, well-being, and their patients’ health. Given that there is no complete summary of this issue, this study reviewed the existing literature on psychiatrists' occupational stigma to clearly synthesize its concepts, measurement tools, and intervention strategies. Herein, we emphasize that psychiatrists’ occupational stigma is a multifaceted concept that simultaneously encompasses physically, socially, and morally tainted aspects. Currently, standardized methods to specifically measure psychiatrists’ occupational stigma are lacking. Interventions for psychiatrists’ occupational stigma may consider the use of protest, contact, education, comprehensive and systematic methods, as well as the use of psychotherapeutic approaches. This review provides a theoretical basis for the development of relevant measurement tools and intervention practices. Overall, this review seeks to raise public awareness of psychiatrists' occupational stigma, thereby promoting psychiatric professionalism and reducing its stigma.

Anesthesia management in a pediatric patient with complicatedly difficult airway: A case report

BACKGROUND

Reports on perioperative anesthesia management in pediatric patients with difficult airways are scarce. In addition to relatively more difficulties in the technique of endotracheal intubation, the time for manipulation is restricted compared to adults. Securing the airways safely and avoiding the occurrence of hypoxemia in these patients are of significance.

CASE SUMMARY

A 9-year-old boy with spastic cerebral palsy, severe malnutrition, thoracic scoliosis, thoracic and airway malformation, laryngomalacia, pneumonia, and epilepsy faced the risk of anesthesia during palliative surgery. After a thorough preoperative evaluation, a detailed scheme for anesthesia and a series of intubation tools were prepared by a team of anesthesiologists. Awake fiberoptic intubation is the widely accepted strategy for patients with anticipated difficult airways. Given the age and medical condition of the patient, we kept him sedated with spontaneous breathing during endotracheal intubation. The endotracheal intubation was completed on the second attempt after the failure of the first effort. Fortunately, the surgery was successful without postoperative complications.

CONCLUSION

Dealing with difficult airways in the pediatric population, proper sedation allows time to intubate without interrupting spontaneous breathing. The appropriate endotracheal intubation method based on the patient’s unique characteristics is the key factor in successful management of these rare cases.

[Genomic epidemiology of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from acute diarrheal patients in Shenzhen City from 2013 to 2021]

Objective: To characterize the prevalence and genomic epidemiology of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from acute diarrheal patients in Shenzhen City from 2013 to 2021. Methods: Based on the Shenzhen Infectious Diarrhea Surveillance System, acute diarrheal patients were actively monitored in sentinel hospitals from 2013 to 2021. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates was performed, and the genomic population structure, serotypes, virulence genes and multilocus sequence typing were analyzed. Outbreak clusters from 2019 to 2021 were explored based on single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis. Results: A total of 48 623 acute diarrhea cases were monitored in 15 sentinel hospitals from 2013 to 2021, and 1 135 Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains were isolated, with a positive isolation rate of 2.3%. Qualified whole-genome sequencing data of 852 isolates were obtained. Eighty-nine serotypes, 21 known ST types and 5 new ST types were identified by sequence analysis, and 93.2% of strains were detected with toxin profile of tdh+trh-. 8 clonal groups (CGs) were captured, with CG3 as the absolute predominance, followed by CG189. The CG3 group was dominated by O3:K6 serotype and ST3 sequence type, while CG189 group was mainly O4:KUT, O4:K8 serotypes and ST189a and ST189 type. A total of 13 clusters were identified, containing 154 cases. About 30 outbreak clusters with 29 outbreak clusters caused by CG3 strains from 2019 to 2021. Conclusion: Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a major pathogen of acute infectious diarrhea in Shenzhen City, with diverse population structures. CG3 and CG189 have been prevalent and predominant in Shenzhen City for a long time. Scattered outbreaks and persistent sources of contamination ignored by traditional methods could be captured by WGS analysis. Tracing the source of epidemic clone groups and taking precise prevention and control measures are expected to significantly reduce the burden of diarrhea diseases caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in Shenzhen City.

[The expression level of secretory mature B cell surface antigen in primary diagnosed multiple myeloma and its clinical significance]

Objective: To explorer Secretory mature B cell surface antigen (sBCMA) expression level, changes during treatment and clinical significance in newly diagnosed MM patients. Methods: Clinical data of 158 MM patients admitted to the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from August 2018 to September 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The concentration of sBCMA in the patients was determined by BCMA ELISA and compared with the normal range. The results were compared with clinical efficacy, age, type, R-ISS stage, renal impairment, and humoral immune function. Results: The median age of the patients was 57 (31-73 years old), 86 (54.5%) males and 72 (45.5%) females, mainly IgG type, 81 patients(51.2%). SBCMA value M(Q₁,Q₃) was 76.50 (55.50, 94.40) μg/L, 100% higher than the upper limit of normal value. According to the efficacy evaluation, the patients were divided into complete remission(CR) group, very good partial remission(VGPR) group, partial remission(PR) group and ineffiecacy group, the results showed the level of sBCMA in CR group[80.10 (58.05, 96.90) vs 15.70 (9.85, 28.65) μg/L] and VGPR group[74.60 (52.20, 93.00) vs 17.20 (13.30, 38.80) μg/L]was significantly higher than that before treatment(all P<0.001), and there was no significant difference in PR group and ineffective group before and after treatment (all P>0.05).The amount of serum intact protein M protein was positively correlated with the level of sBCMA expression in newly diagnosed patients (r=0.22, P=0.040), and there was no correlation between the proportion of bone marrow plasma cells and sBCMA expression (r=0.07, P=0.449).The correlation between sBCMA levels at initial diagnosis and MM type[IgG type, IgA type vs light chain type:(78.6±3.5), (72.4±5.4) vs (83.8±6.9)μg/L], age[≥65 vs<65 years: (73.6±5.5)vs (79.3±3.1)μg/L], R-ISS stage[stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ vs Ⅲ:(80.2±3.1) vs (69.4±6.1)μg/L], renal impairment [Creatinine clearance rate (Ccr) ≤30 vs>30 ml/min:(81.6±4.8) vs (76.5±3.4)μg/L], and high-risk karyotype[high-risk vs standard-risk:(73.6±5.7) vs (80.2±3.2)μg/L] were not associated (all P>0.05). Expression levels of sBCMA were negatively correlated with IgM levels in MM patients (r=-0.39, P=0.002) and after treatment (r=-0.25, P=0.015). Conclusions: The expression of sBCMA in MM patients is a reliable indicator of the clinical efficacy of MM and is related to the occurrence of MM immune deficiency and recovery after treatment. sBCMA can be used as a new independent marker for monitoring and predicting the efficacy of MM patients.

[Ten-year Trend Analysis of Eutrophication Status and the Related Causes in Lake Hongze]

In order to propose pertinent suggestions regarding eutrophication control for Lake Hongze, we used monthly monitoring data from 2011 to 2020 to elucidate the spatiotemporal changing characteristics of eutrophic status and the relevant driving factors. As the main river entering Lake Hongze, River Huaihe experienced an increase in permanganate index and a decrease in TN in the last 10 years. Meanwhile, Secchi depth, TP, and permanganate index increased, whereas TN and Chl-a concentration decreased significantly in Lake Hongze. As a result, the eutrophic status TLI index of Lake Hongze declined over the past 10 years. The change trend of TLI in Lake Hongze differed spatially. As the main water passage of River Huaihe, the algal biomass was lower in the eastern region than that in the other two lake regions, regardless of the relatively high nutrient concentration, due to the short water retention time. Furthermore, the water quality of River Huaihe improved; thus, the TLI index decreased significantly in the eastern lake region. The northern region had a high coverage of aquatic vegetation, which not only reduced the concentration of water nutrients but also provided a habitat for zooplankton and fish, effectively inhibiting algal growth. Thus, the TLI index was lowest among the three lake areas and showed a downward trend over the last 10 years. In the western region, the algal biomass was the highest due to the intensification of phosphorus release from sediment in summer. Thus, the TLI index was the highest and had not improved in the past 10 years. There were also significant seasonal differences in the TLI of Lake Hongze, which was highest in summer, due to the relatively high algal biomass. Moreover, the algal biomass in summer was mainly affected by the concentration of nitrate. According to the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of eutrophic status and the impacting factors in Lake Hongze, corresponding measures for eutrophication control should be taken for different seasons and lake areas.

In vivo biological safety evaluation of an iron-based bioresorbable drug-eluting stent

Bioresorbable stents (BRS) are investigated and designed to revascularize occluded arteries. The iron-based bioresorbable stent is a promising device in interventional therapies, although it's corrosion and bioresorption rate remain challenging. In this work, we introduced a novel nitrided iron coronary stent (IBS) with enhanced degradation rate compared with pure iron stent. To evaluate the biosafety of this device, a sub-chronic systemic toxicity study was conducted and a stainless steel stent (Supporter™) served as a control. Here, the bioresorbable stent was first evaluated in rat abdominal aortic implantation model. When subjected to exaggerated exposure dose, no clinical signs of toxicity or mortality were observed in either, the IBS group or the control group. Histopathological examinations showed the corrosion particles of iron were encapsulated by fibrocytes and engulfed by macrophages, indicating that the degradation of iron was in the early stage. Our results demonstrated that the nitrided iron stent did not induce systemic toxicity under the experimental conditions.

[Dynamics of three-dimensional ecological footprint of Zhejiang coastal zone and its influencing factors based on GTWR model]

Clarifying the consumption of local natural capital stock and natural capital flow and its influencing factors can help alleviate the tension between the socio-economic development of the coastal zone, natural resources, and the ecological environment, and promote regional coordinated and sustainable development. Based on the two-dimensional and three-dimensional ecological footprint evaluation models, we analyzed the spatial and temporal variations of ecological footprint in the coastal zone of Zhejiang Province from 2006 to 2016, and explored the regional natural capital stock and capital flow occupancy based on footprint depth and footprint width. We analyzed the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of its influencing factors using a geographically and temporally weighted regression model. The results showed that ecological crisis in the coastal zone of Zhejiang Province deepened during the study period. The average per capita ecological deficit was 3.5 hm²·cap^-1, and the per capita ecological deficit increased by 15.5%. Among them, the contribution of energy consumption account to the per capita ecological footprint was greater than that of the biological resources account. The per capita ecological footprint of each county showed an increasing trend, with significant spatial variation. The coastal zone of Zhejiang Province mainly consumed the natural capital stock, with a significant inhibitory effect on the renewal of natural capital flows. The consumption of natural capital stock was 14.87 times that of capital flow in 2016. Urban scale, economic development level, and people's income level had positive impacts on the ecological footprint of coastal counties of Zhejiang Province, while fishery production had negative effect on the ecological footprints, with transition trend to a positive one. The influence mechanism of the three factors had significant spatial and temporal differentiation.

miR-296-5p suppresses stem cell potency of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via regulating Brg1/Sall4 axis

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a pivotal event during cancer progression such as relapse and metastasis, is positively correlated with the stemness potency of tumor cells. Our previous study showed that miR-296-5p attenuated EMT program of hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCC) through NRG1/ERBB2/ERBB3 signaling. In the present study, we uncovered that miR-296-5p was able to inhibit the stemness potency of HCC by decreasing the number and size of tumorspheres, downregulating the expression of CSC biomarkers and hampering the ability of tumorigenesis in NOD/SCID mice. Brahma-related gene-1 (Brg1), as the target protein of miR-296-5p detected by bioinformatics methods, activates a series of downstream cascades through directly binding to Sall4 promoter and enhancing Sall4 transcription. Importantly, the higher expressions of Brg1 and Sall4 in tumor tissues of HCC patients suggest poorer prognoses after surgical extraction. In conclusion, miR-296-5p exerts an inhibitory effect on stemness potency of HCC cells via Brg1/Sall4 axis.

Evaluation of nine active components of Lu-Jiao Fang in normal and hypertrophic rat myocardia via LC-MS/MS

Lu-Jiao Fang (LJF), a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, can improve the cardiac function of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients; however, knowledge about the cardiac distribution of LJF, especially in CHF animal models, is rather limited. This work aimed to explore the cardiac distribution of LJF in pressure overload-induced CHF rats at the last gavage administration of LJF after 30 weeks of treatment. LC-MS/MS methods for analyzing nine active components (i.e. loganin, hesperidin, epimedin C, icariin, psoralen, isopsoralen, baohuoside I, morroniside and specnuezhenide) of LJF in cardiac tissue samples were established, and the components were then analyzed in left ventricular wall (LVW) and right ventricular wall (RVW) in parallel at same time point postdose for three dose groups. The results showed that most analytical component levels in LVW (hypertrophic myocardium) were only 39-74% of those in RVW (normal myocardium); however, psoralen and isopsoralen levels in LVW were equal to or even greater than the levels in RVW, suggesting that the hypertrophic myocardium tissue affinity of psoralen and isopsoralen might overcome the negative effect of decreased blood flow on distribution. This study indicated that the pathological state may influence drug distribution, and the efficacy of psoralen and isopsoralen for improving CHF deserves further investigation.

[Progress on wheat A genome illustration and its evolutional analysis]

Wheat is one of the main food crops and widely grown in the world. It feeds more than 35% of the world's population. Obtaining high-quality genome sequences of wheat is important for its basic and breeding researches. However, the large and complex genome of wheat once led to its genome sequencing as an "impossible task". Recently, with the development of high-throughput sequencing and assembly technology, many wheat genome sequences have been released, and their sequencing and assembly quality is being improved continuously. In the last two years, five wheat reference genomes with different ploidy levels have been published, including two diploid ancestors Triticum urartu (AA) and Aegilops tauschii (DD), wild and cultivated tetraploid wheat T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides (BBAA) and hexaploid wheat T. aestivum (BBAADD). Among them, the sequencing and analysis of the T. urartu genome, a donor of polyploid wheat A subgenome, was led by the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In this review, we summarize the research progress on structure and evolution analyses of the T. urartu genome to provide some valuable information for promoting the basic and applied researches of wheat.

[Analysis of positive rate of sinusitis in children with head and pituitary MRI]

Objective: To investigate the incidence of asymptomatic sinusitis in children by magnetic resonance imaging. Method: Collected the head MRI of 1-12 years old children. According to the examination site,the MRI group and the pituitary MRI group (both sinus level) were included.The nasal-sinusitis-like changes in the field were used as positive criteria. Statistical analysis was conducted on the test results. Result: In 3 900 children with MRI, the positive rate of sinusitis was 30.21%. The positive rate increased from 2 years old to 3 years old and remained at the age of 11 years.The higher positive rate was slightly decreased at 12 years old; 1 228 cases of pituitary MRI examination, the positive rate of nasal-sinusitis was 38.27%, the positive rate increased significantly from the age of 2, reached the peak at 6 years old, and then fell back, still kept high positive rate, the lowest to 12 years old. The positive rate of total sinusitis was 32.14%. No obvious difference was found between two groups. Conclusion: Children's skull and pituitary MRI imaging suggests that the positive rate of nasal-innocuous sinusitis is related to age, peaking at 3 to 8 years old, and then gradually decreasing.

Steroidal dimer by001 inhibits proliferation and migration of esophageal cancer cells via multiple mechanisms

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the potential inhibitory effects of structurally novel steroidal dimer by001 in esophageal cancer in vitro.

METHODS

The cytotoxicity of by001 on esophageal, gastric, neuroblastoma and prostate cancer cells was examined MTT assay and colony formation assay. By001 induced apoptosis and production of intracellular reactive oxygen species on esophageal cancer cells Ec109, TE-1 and human normal gastric epithelial cells GES-1 was detected by flow cytometry. The effect of by001 on mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by fluorescence microscope through JC-1 staining. The level of intracellular reactive oxygen species was measured by fluorescence microscope and flow cytometry via DCFH-DA staining. The effect of by001 on members of Bcl-2 family, Fas, LC3, PARP and caspases was determined by Western blot. The effect of by001 on migration was measured by transwell assay.

RESULTS

By001 effectively inhibited proliferation of esophageal, gastric, neuroblastoma and prostate cancer cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner in vitro. By001 reduced the number and the size of colonies at low micromolar concentrations, elevated cellular ROS levels and caused mitochondrial dysfunction in esophageal cancer cells. Molecular mechanistic studies showed that by001 triggered apoptosis through regulating members of Bcl-2 family and Fas.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggested that by001 may inhibited proliferation of esophageal cancer cells through mitochondria and death receptor-mediated apoptotic pathways, autophagy induction, as well as suppressed migration of esophageal cancer cells.

[Polymorphisms of mTORC1 genes and risk of primary colorectal adenocarcinoma in Chinese populations]

Objective: To study the associations between variants of mTORC1 of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and colorectal cancer. Methods: In this hospital-based case-control study, at the First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University from 2000 to 2013, 665 primary colorectal cancer cases and 695 cancer-free controls were genotyped at 10 potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) loci of mTORC1 (mTOR: rs1034528, rs2295080; Raptor: rs1062935, rs3751934; mLST8: rs3160, rs26865; DEPTOR: rs2271900, rs4871827; AKT1S1: rs2290774, rs2353005) to assess their associations with risk of colorectal cancer by Logistic regression analysis. Results: In single-locus analysis, found a significantly decreased risk of colorectal cancer associated with mLST8 rs26865 by recessive genetic model, especially in populations of ≤68 years of age (OR=0.64; 95%CI=0.43-0.96, P=0.031), female (OR=0.61; 95%CI=0.38-0.99, P=0.046), non-smoking (OR=0.55; 95%CI=0.35-0.87, P=0.010). mTOR rs1034528 CC genotypes were associated with higher risk of colorectal cancer in >68-year-old populations (OR=3.34; 95%CI=1.12-9.91, P=0.030). Raptor rs3751934 CA/AA genotypes were associated with lower colorectal cancer risk in population of body mass index(BMI)>25 kg/m(2) (OR=0.68; 95%CI=0.47-0.98, P=0.038); and AKT1S1 rs2290774 CC genotypes were associated with lower colorectal cancer risk in non-smoking population (OR=0.67; 95%CI=0.45-0.99, P=0.048). Furthermore, found that populations carrying more than two low-risk genotypes were associated with lower colorectal cancer risk, compared with that of populations carrying less than two low-risk genotypes (OR=0.74, 95%CI=0.58-0.95, P=0.017), especially in population of ≤68 years of age, male and BMI>25 kg/m(2,) and non-smoking. Conclusions: SNPs of mTORC1-related genes individually or jointly contribute to colorectal cancer susceptibility in Chinese. Further studies of larger cohorts are needed to validate the findings.

Clinical significance of fibrotic, haemostatic and endotoxic changes in patients with liver cirrhosis

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

To investigate the relationship among fibrotic, haemostatic and endotoxic changes in patients with different degrees of liver cirrhosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Liver fibrotic markers, including hyaluronic acid (HA), Ccollagen IV (Col-IV), laminin (LN), and N-terminal pro-peptide of collagen type III (PIIINP), were determined by radioimmunoassay. A series of haemostatic tests, including prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, antithrombin-III, thrombin time, fibrinogen, fibrin(ogen) degradation product and D-dimer were determined using an automatic coagulation analyszer. Plasma levels of endotoxin were detected quantitatively using an endotoxin detection kit. Correlation analysis of the data was performed.

RESULTS

Based on Child-Pugh classification, statistically significant differences in fibrotic markers and haemostatic parameters were found in 249 patients with liver cirrhosis, while no significant differences in endotoxin levels were observed. Based on ascites classification, statistically significant differences in fibrotic markers (such as HA, Col-IV and PIIINP, except for LN) and haemostatic parameters were found. As for endotoxin levels, there were significant differences between the ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) and no-ascites groups, while no significant differences were observed between the ascites and SBP groups. Correlation analysis demonstrated some correlation among fibrotic markers, haemostatic parameters and endotoxin.

CONCLUSIONS

A close relationship exists between the severity of cirrhosis and fibrotic changes, as well as haemostatic changes. Endotoxin may be an important contributing factor to the development of ascites in cirrhosis. Some correlation may exist between fibrosis, haemostatic and endotoxin.

Geridonin and paclitaxel act synergistically to inhibit the proliferation of gastric cancer cells through ROS-mediated regulation of the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway

Paclitaxel, a taxane, is a cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agent that targets microtubules. It has become a front-line therapy for a broad range of malignancies, including lung, breast, gastric, esophageal, and bladder carcinomas. Although paclitaxel can inhibit tumor development and improve survival, poor solubility, myelotoxicity, allergic reactions, and drug resistance have restricted its clinical application. Paclitaxel is frequently combined with other chemotherapeutics to enhance the antitumor effects and reduce side effects. We synthesized geridonin, a derivative of oridonin, and demonstrate that geridonin and paclitaxel act synergistically to inhibit the growth of gastric cancer cells. Importantly, geridonin enhanced the antitumor effects of paclitaxel without increasing toxicity in vivo. Mechanistic analysis revealed that administration of geridonin in combination with paclitaxel up-regulated the tumor suppressor PTEN and inhibited phosphorylation of Akt and MDM2. This led to the accumulation of p53 and induced apoptosis though the mitochondrial pathway. Thus, geridonin in combination with paclitaxel is a new treatment strategy for gastric cancer.

Efficacy of pEgr-1-endostatin combined with ionizing radiation on hypoxic conditions in nude mice bearing SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma

Hypoxia occurs in a wide range of solid tumors, and is strongly associated with radio-resistance of malignant tumors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of endostatin combined with ionizing radiation (IR) on hypoxic conditions. A total of 24 mice bearing SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma were divided into three groups. Following injection with pEgr-1-endostatin plasmid for 12 h, the mice in the endostatin-IR-treated group were exposed to 300 cGy/min X-ray for 48 h, and the IR-treated group was exposed to the same condition. Then, the expression of endostatin, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, ELISA, immunohistochemistry and western blotting. In addition, the tumor microvessel density (MVD) was examined by immunohistochemistry analysis of cluster of differentiation 31-positive cells. The results revealed that pEgr-1-endostatin was successfully induced by IR. The level of endostatin messenger RNA in the endostatin-IR-treated group was significantly higher than that in the control and IR-treated groups (F=380.078, P<0.001). Statistical differences were also examined at the protein level by western blotting and ELISA. An obvious increase in MVD was observed in the IR-treated group compared with that in the control group (t=7.040, P<0.001), and a significant decrease in MVD was observed in the endostatin-IR-treated group compared with that in the control group (t=18.153, P<0.001). By comparing the morphology of the tumor vasculature in the three groups, it was noticed that the microvessels in the endostatin-IR-treated group were more regularly distributed and had fewer giant branches than those in the IR-treated group. Further investigation revealed that the expression levels of HIF-1α and VEGF in the endostatin-IR-treated group were lower compared with those in the control (t=5.339, P=0.001; and t=13.880, P<0.001, respectively) and the IR-treated groups (t=12.930, P<0.001; and t=14.050, P<0.001, respectively). Our findings suggested that endostatin decreased the number of microvessels via the HIF-1/VEGF signaling pathway, and that pEgr-1-endostatin combined with IR may improve hypoxic conditions and may be a novel approach for treating solid tumors.

[Primary central nervous system diffuse large B cell lymphoma: a clinicopathologic and molecular study]

Objective: To investigate clinicopathologic characteristics, immunophenotype and EB virus-related molecular genetic alterations in primary central nervous system diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) along with correlation with clinical prognosis. Methods: A total of 30 cases of primary central nervous system DLBCL were retrospectively studied by retrieving clinical data, histological evaluation and immunophenotyping by EnVision two steps methods. The expression of EBER mRNA was detected by in situ hybridization and bcl-2, bcl-6 and C-MYC gene abnormalities were analyzed by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization. Results: The cases included 18 males and 12 females (sex ratio of 1.5∶1.0) with an age ranging from 24 to 78 years (average age of 52 years, the median age of 53 years). The single primary clinical presentation was focal neurologic deficits. Tumor locations were supratentorial (21 cases), subtentorial (7 cases), involving both locations in 2 cases. Diffuse growth pattern was observed with large lymphoid cells mostly resembling centroblasts with abundant basophilic cytoplasm with oval to round, vesicular nuclei containing fine chromatin. An angiocentric and angiodestructive growth pattern was also present. Other features included perivascular space invasion. Immunohistochemical staining using a panel of CD10, bcl-6 and MUM1, six cases were germinal center-like (GCB) and 24 cases were non-germinal central-like (non-GCB). The positive rates of bcl-2, bcl-6 and C-MYC were 53.3% (16/30), 80.0% (24/30) and 20.0% (6/30), respectively. Genetic alterations were detected by FISH and the gene arrangement rates of bcl-2, bcl-6 and C-MYC were 3.3% (1/30), 16.7% (5/30) and 3.3% (1/30), respectively. There were 19 cases in stage 0-1 disease and 11 cases had stage 2-3 disease. Postoperative follow-up for average 13.6 months showed the median survival of 10 months, one-year survival of 46.7% and 16 patients died within a year. Conclusions: The clinical prognosis of primary central nerve system DLBCL depends on age, clinical performence status score, IPI score, immune classification and treatment. Patients typically progress rapidly with the high mortality within one year of diagnosis. Surgical resection combined with high-dose methotrexate or cytarabine chemotherapy offer the best treatment option.

Solvent-free synthesis of novel steroidal 2-aminopyridines

The synthesis of novel steroidal 3-cyano-2-aminopyridines using enaminonitrile and various primary amines was established under solvent-free condition. Structures of the new compounds were characterized by MS, ¹H and ¹³C NMR data and the structure of 2-aminopyridine of the product 5b was further confirmed by X-ray analysis. The reaction mechanism was proposed on the basis of the key intermediate obtained. The adjacent amine and nitrile groups existed in the final products have the potential for late stage functionalization, which would provide efficient access to steroidal compound collections with structural diversity and complexity.

[Role of neutrophils in treatment of rats with D-galactosamine-induced acute liver failure with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells]

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell (BMSC) transplantation on D-galactosamine-induced acute liver failure in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, as well as the mechanism of neutrophils in this process. Methods: A total of 39 male SD rats were divided into control group (8 rats, intraperitoneal injection of isotonic saline), model group (10 rats, intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine), solvent group (9 rats, tail vein injection of isotonic saline at 2 hours after intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine), and treatment group (12 rats, tail vein injection of MSCs at 2 hours after intraperitoneal injection of D-galactosamine). The rats were sacrificed at 24 hours after the model of D-galactosamine-induced acute liver failure was established, and the blood and liver tissue were harvested. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and total bilirubin (TBil) were measured, and blood analysis was performed to measure the number and percentage of neutrophils in peripheral blood. Immunofluorescence assay was used to measure the expression of the neutrophil marker Ly6g in the liver, the myeloperoxidase (MPO) kit was used to measure the activity of MPO in liver, and RT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the liver, i.e., tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interferon-γ(IFN-γ), interleukin-10 (IL-10), CXC chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1), and CXC chemokine ligand 2 (CXCL2). Another 64 male SD rats were randomly divided into groups, and the survival rates of rats in each group were observed for 7 days. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison between any two groups (Levene homogeneity test of variance, and the corrected t-test was used for a P value of < 0.05), and the log-rank test was used for comparison of survival rates between any two groups. Results: At 24 hours after acute liver failure was induced by D-galactosamine in the SD rats, there were significant increases in the liver function parameters (ALT: 2884.1±541.0 U/L vs 45.4±11.0 U/L,P< 0.001; AST: 3634.9±755.9 U/L vs 143.9±23.7 U/L,P< 0.001; TBil: 44.4±8.4μmmol/L vs 0.9±0.2μmmol/L,P< 0.001) and the number and percentage of peripheral blood neutrophils [number: (4.7±1.1)×109 vs (1.4±0.4)×109,P< 0.001; percentage: 44.9%±8.0% vs 18.3%±4.4%,P< 0.001]. A large number of neutrophils aggregated in the liver tissue, and there were significant increases in the MPO activity (4.72±1.09 U/g vs 1.13±0.24 U/g,P< 0.001), inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines. Compared with the model group, the treatment group showed significant improvements in liver function (ALT: 1 823.9±389.2 U/L vs 2 884.1±541.0 U/L,P< 0.001; AST: 2173.0±567.3 U/L vs 3634.9±755.9 U/L,P< 0.001; TBil: 30.9±6.5μmmol/L vs 44.4±8.4μmmol/L,P< 0.001) and survival rate (50% vs 12.5%,P= 0.023). Meanwhile, the treatment group also showed significant reductions in the number and percentage of peripheral blood neutrophils [number: (3.5±1.0)×109 vs (4.7±1.1)×109,P= 0.012; percentage: 35.9%±8.9% vs 44.9%±8.0%,P= 0.021], number of neutrophils in the liver, and MPO activity (3.52±1.03 U/g vs 4.72±1.09 U/g,P= 0.040), as well as significantly inhibited expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines (TNF-α: 2.458±0.762 vs 3.778±1.046, P = 0.005; IL-1β: 2.498±0.547 vs 4.065 ± 0.953,P= 0.002; IFN-γ: 3.977±1.039 vs 5.418±1.255, P = 0.025; IL-10: 6.056±1.542 vs 3.368±0.952,P= 0.001; CXCL1: 7.988±1.911 vs 10.366±1.239,P= 0.010; CXCL2: 3.441±1.005 vs 4.847±1.113,P= 0.019). Conclusion: BMSC transplantation has a therapeutic effect on D-galactosamine-induced acute liver failure in rats, and this process is accompanied by reduced aggregation and activity of neutrophils in peripheral blood and liver. Inflammatory cytokines and chemokines may be involved in the mechanism of regulation of these two aspects.

SET8 expression is associated with overall survival in gastric cancer

SET8, a member of the SET domain-containing methyl-transferase, has been implicated in various biological processes. In this study, SET8 was immunostained in 100 samples of gastric cancer tissues and semi-quantified using the HSCORE method to determine the predictive value of SET8 expression levels for gastric cancer outcome. The relationship between SET8 expression and the 5-year survival rate of gastric cancer patients was assessed. High expression of SET8 was associated with a shorter survival time in gastric cancer patients, and the level of SET8 expression was found to be an independent predictor of gastric cancer outcome (relative risk = 1.939; 95% confidence interval = 1.025-3.668; P = 0.042). Analysis of SET8 levels may help in the identification of patient subgroups that are at high risk for poor disease outcomes.

Anti-platelet and anti-thrombosis characteristics of Z4A5, a novel selective platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor, compared with eptifibatide under long-term infusion

Platelet Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors are approved for the treatment of acute coronary syndromes and percutaneous coronary interventions due to their effects on the final common pathway of platelet aggregation. Z4A5 is a new hexapeptide IIb/IIIa inhibitor with antiplatelet and antithrombotic effects. This study was performed to assess the characteristics of Z4A5 compared with another IIb/IIIa inhibitor eptifibatide. Light-transmission aggregometry was used to measure platelet aggregation to assess the antiplatelet efficacy of Z4A5 in vitro and ex vivo in beagles. The time course of platelet inhibition and bleeding time prolongation during i.v. bolus plus infusion and after infusion of the Z4A5 were evaluated in beagles following two 2 x 2 Latin square designs. We also compared the antithrombotic activity of Z4A5 with eptifibatide in arterial thrombosis and arteriovenous shunt thrombosis model in beagles. Our data showed that Z4A5 completely inhibited adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-, thrombin- and arachidonic acid-induced in vitro platelet aggregation with values of IC50 of 260 nM, 128.6 and 56.4 n respectively. Z4A5 also markedly and stably prevented ADP-induced ex vivo platelet aggregation and prolonged the bleeding time throughout the 8-hour infusion. Both platelet function and bleeding time returned to normal sooner after cessation of Z4A5 infusion than after eptifibatide. Z4A5 inhibited thrombosis and had the same potent antithrombotic activity as eptifibatide. In conclusion, Z4A5 has the same potent antiplatelet effect and antithrombotic activity with the advantage of a faster on and off time compared to eptifibatide.

Weak cation magnetic separation technology and MALDI-TOF-MS in screening serum protein markers in primary type I osteoporosis

We investigated weak cation magnetic separation technology and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) in screening serum protein markers of primary type I osteoporosis. We selected 16 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and nine postmenopausal women as controls to find a new method for screening biomarkers and establishing a diagnostic model for primary type I osteoporosis. Serum samples were obtained from controls and patients. Serum protein was extracted with the WCX protein chip system; protein fingerprints were examined using MALDI-TOF-MS. The preprocessed and model construction data were handled by the ProteinChip system. The diagnostic models were established using a genetic arithmetic model combined with a support vector machine (SVM). The SVM model with the highest Youden index was selected. Combinations with the highest accuracy in distinguishing different groups of data were selected as potential biomarkers. From the two groups of serum proteins, 123 cumulative MS protein peaks were selected. Significant intensity differences in the protein peaks of 16 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis were screened. The difference in Youden index between the four groups of protein peaks showed that the highest peaks had mass-to-charge ratios of 8909.047, 8690.658, 13745.48, and 15114.52. A diagnosis model was established with these four markers as the candidates, and the model specificity and sensitivity were found to be 100%. Two groups of specimens in the SVM results on the scatterplot were distinguishable. We established a diagnosis model, and provided a new serological method for screening and diagnosis of osteoporosis with high sensitivity and specificity.

Opg/Rankl mRNA dynamic expression in the bone tissue of ovariectomized rats with osteoporosis

We established animal models of osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats to detect osteoprogerin (Opg)/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (Rankl) mRNA expression levels in the tibias and serum estradiol concentrations at different time points. Sixty Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly selected and divided into an ovariectomized (OVX) group and sham-operated (SHAM) group. In the SHAM group, only a small amount of abdominal fat and tissues was removed from the rats. Ten rats in each group were sacrificed at 0, 6, and 12 months after establishing the animal models (12 weeks). Opg mRNA expression and serum estradiol concentration in the OVX group were significantly lower than those in the SHAM group (P < 0.05). In contrast, Rankl mRNA expression in the OVX group was significantly higher than that in the SHAM group (P < 0.05). In the OVX group, Opg mRNA expression and serum estradiol concentrations decreased significantly from 0 to 12 months (P < 0.05), whereas Rankl mRNA expression increased significantly (P < 0.05). Opg mRNA expression and serum estradiol concentrations in the OVX group continually decreased, whereas Rankl mRNA expression continually increased. The Opg/Rankl ratio showed a decrease. The OPG/RANKL ratio may be a key factor affecting the osteoblast-mediated reaction.

Increased cardiac distribution of mono-PEGylated Radix Ophiopogonis polysaccharide in both myocardial infarction and ischemia/reperfusion rats

Although PEGylation plays an important role in drug delivery, knowledge about the distribution behavior of PEGylated drugs in ischemic myocardia is rather limited compared to nanoparticles. This work therefore aims to characterize the targeting behavior of the anti-myocardial ischemic mono-PEGylated conjugates of Radix Ophiopogonis polysaccharide (ROP) in two clinically relevant animal models, ie, the myocardial infarction (MI) model and the ischemia/reperfusion (IR) model. To determine the effect of the molecular size of conjugates, two representative conjugates (20- and 40-kDa polyethylene glycol mono-modified ROPs), with hydrodynamic size being approximately and somewhat beyond 10 nm, respectively, were studied in parallel at three time points postdose after a method for determining them quantitatively in biosamples was established. The results showed that the cardiac distribution of the two conjugates was significantly enhanced in both MI and IR rats due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect induced by ischemia. In general, the cardiac targeting efficacy of the conjugates in MI and IR rats was approximately 2; however, different changing in targeting efficacy with time was observed between MI and IR rats and also between the conjugates. Although the enhanced permeability and retention effect-based targeting efficacy for mono-PEGylated ROPs was not high, they, as dissolved macromolecules, are prone to diffusion in the cardiac interstitium space, and thus, facilitate the drug to reach perfusion-deficient and nonperfused areas. These findings are helpful in choosing the cardiac targeting strategy.

Injectable long-acting systems for Radix Ophiopogonis polysaccharide based on mono-PEGylation and in situ formation of a PLGA depot

Background

Radix Ophiopogonis polysaccharide (ROP), a highly hydrophilic macromolecule, has a unique anti-ischemic action in the myocardium. One of the main problems with its use is its relatively short half-life in vivo. To solve this problem, injectable long-acting drug delivery systems, which combine mono-PEGylation (PEG, polyethylene glycol) with the in situ formation of poly(_d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) copolymer (PLGA) depots, were tested in this study.

Methods

Through a moderate coupling reaction between 20 kDa amino-terminated methoxy-PEG and excessive ROP with activated hydroxyls, a long-circulating and bioactive mono-PEGylated ROP was prepared and characterized. A reasonable and applicable range of PLGA formulations loaded with the mono-PEGylated ROP were prepared, characterized, and evaluated in vivo.

Results

Relative to ROP, the half-life of which was only 0.5 hours, the conjugate alone, following subcutaneous administration, showed markedly prolonged retention in the systemic circulation, with a mean residence time in vivo of approximately 2.76 days. In combination with in situ-forming PLGA depots, the residence time of the conjugate in vivo was prolonged further. In particular, a long-lasting and steady plasma exposure for nearly a month was achieved by the formulation comprising 40% 30 kDa PLGA in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.

Conclusion

Long-lasting and steady drug exposure could be achieved using mono-PEGylation in combination with in situ formation of PLGA depots. Such a combination with ROP would be promising for long-term prophylaxis and/or treatment of myocardial ischemia. For high-dose and highly hydrophilic macromolecular drugs like ROP, more than one preparation technology might be needed to achieve week-long or month-long delivery per dosing.

Possible anticipation in familial epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma with the p.R163W mutation of Keratin 9

Epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma (EPPK) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by diffuse hyperkeratosis of the epidermis of the palm and sole with an erythematous margin. The Keratin 9 (KRT9) and Keratin 1 genes are responsible for EPPK. Several previous studies have focused on the genetic basis of EPPK; however, genetic anticipation has not yet been reported. We described a four-generation family with EPPK and identified a p.R163W mutation of KRT9. We observed a decrease in the age of onset in three consecutive generations in the family of the proband, indicating possible genetic anticipation in this familial EPPK. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms of anticipation in EPPK.

Injectable long-acting in situ forming systems for Radix Ophiopogonis polysaccharide

In the area of injectable long-acting formulations, the in situ forming system (ISFS) is an attractive alternative for its various superiorities. In this study, both hydrophilic and hydrophobic in situ forming systems, using Poloxamer and sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB) or poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) copolymer (PLGA) as carrier, respectively, were investigated for Radix Ophiopogonis polysaccharide (ROP), a natural anti-myocardial ischemic fructan. A reasonable and applicable range of formulations were selected from each carrier for in vivo study by investigating their rheological property. The results from in vivo evaluation show that relatively promising sustained behaviors were achieved by formulations 24% P407/10% P188, 40% PLGA30k/NMP, and 30% PLGA50k/NMP. Significant differences of drug release kinetics were observed between in situ thermally-induced Poloxamer-based hydrogels and in situ solvent exchange-induced hydrophobic PLGA depots. This suggests that different ISFS could be chosen to provide different application purpose for polysaccharide drugs. In the case of ROP, Poloxamer-based ISFS is promising for short-term acute therapies; however, PLGA-based ISFS might be promising for long-term precaution or/and cure of myocardial ischemia.

[Preparation and pharmacokinetic evaluation of long-acting injectable oily suspensions for ophiopogonis radix polysaccharide MDG-1]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate in vivo pharmacokinetics of Ophiopogonis Radix polysaccharide MDG-1 oily suspension injection prepared with different prescriptions in rats, and explore the feasibility of the long-acting drug delivery of MDG-1 Injection by using the oily suspension drug release system.

METHOD

MDG-1 microparticles were prepared by the anti-solvent precipitation method. Their size and size distribution were characterized. Castor oil with a high viscosity or aluminum stearate were added into soybean oil with a low viscosity, in order to prepare oily media with different viscosities, detect their rheological properties and screen out superior prescriptions for in vivo evaluation.

RESULT

The average size of microparticles was 21.81 microm, and the span between them was 2.63. The in vivo evaluation was conducted for prescriptions of mixed oil (soybean oil/castor oil, 2: 3) and soybean oils gelled by 2% and 4% aluminium stearate. Among them, the prescription of soybean gelled by 4% aluminium stearate could significantly reduce C(max) and prolong the apparent t1/2, with the MDG-1 release time of several days.

CONCLUSION

It is feasible to achieve the long-acting MDG-1 drug delivery by using oily media with a high viscosity.

Drynaria total flavonoids decrease cathepsin K expression in ovariectomized rats

This study investigated the effects of Drynaria total flavonoids on cathepsin K serum concentrations and gene expression, biomechanics and bone mineral density (BMD) of the tibial shaft in ovariectomized rat models of osteoporosis, and mechanism in the prevention and cure of osteoporosis. Seventy-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups. The rats in each group were subjected to gastric lavage after the model was established. The tibial shaft of the right hindlimb was obtained to measure the BMD. Serum cathepsin K concentrations were determined. The cathepsin K mRNA expression was also determined using fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The three-point bending method was performed to measure the maximum bending load of the tibial shaft. The total flavonoid and normal groups had significant differences in serum cathepsin K concentrations compared with that in the estrogen group (P<0.05). The total flavonoid and sham-operated groups also showed significant differences in cathepsin K mRNA expression compared with that in the normal group (P<0.01). The maximum bending load of the rats in the total flavonoid group was significantly different from that in the estrogen group (P<0.05) and the sham-operated and normal groups (P<0.01). The high-dose total flavonoid group elicited a better effect on BMD than that by the medium- and low-dose groups (P<0.05). Thus, Drynaria total flavonoids inhibited the serum cathepsin K concentration and increased the maximum bending load of the tibial shaft in ovariectomized rats.

Clinical and pathologic characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease

AIM: To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease to raise the early diagnosis of this disease.

METHODS: One hundred and twenty-two cases of inflammatory bowel disease including 101 cases of ulcerative colitis and 21 cases of Crohn's disease were analyzed.

RESULTS: Non-necrotizing granuloma, fissure ulcer and chronic inflammation were morphological features of Crohn's disease. Massive inflammatory cell infiltration in the lamina propria, destroyed glands and reduced secretion, and polyangitis were the hallmarks of ulcerative colitis.

CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease should be made based on endoscopic, macroscopic and clinical findings. Awareness of the clinical and pathologic features of inflammatory bowel disease can help make an early diagnosis of this disease.

Poloxamer-based in situ hydrogels for controlled delivery of hydrophilic macromolecules after intramuscular injection in rats

This study is aimed to investigate the applicability of poloxamer 407 (P407) and 188 (P188)-based temperature-sensitive in situ hydrogel (TSHG) in sustained delivery of hydrophilic macromolecules following intramuscular administration. Polyethylene glycols (PEGs) with molecular weight of 5-, 20-, and 40-kDa were used as model drugs, which can represent the common size range of hydrophilic macromolecular drugs using TSHG. The correlation between the level of poloxamers and thermogelling transition temperatures (Tsol-gel) was established and two formulations "20% P407/10% P188" and "24% P407/10% P188" were chosen for further study. The results showed that the release kinetics of PEGs was close to zero order. Sustained in vivo behaviors were achieved by both of the two formulations for all the PEGs though variations were seen. Lower molecular weight PEG showed more remarkable pharmacokinetic improvements. No significant differences in pharmacokinetics were observed between the two formulations for the same PEG. This suggested that 20-24% P407/10% P188 formulations, with accordingly Tsol-gel in the range of 24.6 °C-31.7 °C, might be freely chosen to achieve comparable pharmacokinetics for hydrophilic macromolecular drugs after intramuscular injection.

[Effects of simulated elevation of atmospheric CO2 concentration on the physiological features of spring phytoplankton in Taihu Lake]

To disclose the impact of different CO2 concentrations (270 x 10(-6), 380 x 10(-6), 750 x 10(-6)) on physiological features of spring phytoplankton, an in situ simulated experiment was carried out in Meiliang Bay of Taihu Lake from 29 April to 26 May in 2012. The results showed that atmospheric CO2 elevation would significantly alter the pH value and carbonate chemical environments of Taihu Lake, resulting in weakening the advantages of carbon concentrating mechanism (CCM) of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton in Taihu Lake tended to use more dissolved CO2 (CO2, aq) due to the deliberate CO2 sequestration under the high CO2 level treatment. When atmospheric CO2 concentration doubles at the end of century, the maximum growth rate constant of phytoplankton (U(max)), NPP, chlorophyll a (Chl-a)-specific NPP would increase by 63.1%, 69.6% and 33.8%, respectively. Atmospheric CO2 elevation promoted the maximum photosynthetic efficiency of chlorophyta and bacillariophyta in Taihu Lake and its promotion effect on bacillariophyta was more notable than that on chlorophyta. However, it did not change the photosynthetic efficiency of cyanobacteria which was very low in spring. Meanwhile, the stoichiometry value of phytoplankton changed significantly due to the CO2 elevation, as phytoplankton cells assimilated more C and N, but less P under the treatment of high CO2 level. Our results indicated the enhanced CO2 level could dramatically change the physiological features of phytoplankton. This information would help us to understand and predict the response of phytoplankton in Taihu Lake to the future climate change.

[Use of flow cytometric sorting to assess the diversity of eukaryotic picophytoplankton of lakes]

A novel approach based on flow cytometric sorting followed by construction of 18S rRNA clone libraries was used to study the diversity of eukaryotic picophytoplankton of lakes. The composition of eukaryotic picophytoplankton community appeared highly variable in three lakes. Eukaryotic picophytoplankton was dominated by Cryptophyta in the Lake Xuanwu, and was mainly composed of Cryptophyta and Chrysophyta in the Lake Zixia. In the Lake Taihu, four phyla were discovered, including Cryptophyta, Chrysophyta, Bacillariophyta and Chlorophyta. Meanwhile, the diversity of eukaryotic picophytoplankton differed in various lake regions. In the Meiliang Bay, Chrysophyta was the dominant, and the other three phyla were found in the Gonghu Bay. In the central lake, all of those four phyla were discovered, implying this region contained the highest diversity. The canonical correspondence analysis between the diversity of eukaryotic picophytoplankton and environmental factors revealed the concentration of total phosphorus had the highest important impact on the eukaryotic picophytoplankton communities.

Treatment with Xiaochaihu decoction increases serum levels of motilin and gastrin in rats with dyspepsia

AIM: To observe the influence of treatment with Xiaochaihu decoction on serum levels of motilin (MTL) and gastrin (GAS) in a rat model of dyspepsia (syndrome of liver-qi stagnation and spleen-qi deficiency) and to analyze the mechanisms behind therapeutic effects of Xiaochaihu decoction on dyspepsia.

METHODS: Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 12 for each): blank group (BG), model group (MG), Xiaochaihu decoction group (XG), and domperidone group (DG). Except the BG group, dyspepsia was induced in rats of the other three groups by applying chronic restraint stress + excessive fatigue + irregular food for 21 consecutive days. XG and DG rats were then intragastrically administered with Xiaochaihu decoction and domperidone daily for 14 d, and BG and MG rats were given equal volume of physiological saline. On day 35, the treatment was discontinued and all rats were fasted for 24 h with free access to water. Blood samples were collected on day 36 for testing.

RESULTS: Compared to the BG group, serum MTL content in the MG group significantly decreased (P < 0.01). Compared to the MG group, serum MTL content in the XG and DG groups significantly increased (both P ≤ 0.01). Compared to the BG group, serum GAS content in the MG group significantly decreased (P < 0.01). Compared to the MG group, serum GAS content in the XG and DG groups significantly increased (both P ≤ 0.01).

CONCLUSION: Treatment with Xiaochaihu decoction increased serum levels of MTL and GAS in rats with dyspepsia.

Response of sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase to sulfide exposure in the echiuran worm Urechis unicinctus

Sulfide is a natural, widely distributed, poisonous substance, and sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR) is responsible for the initial oxidation of sulfide in mitochondria. In this study, we examined the response of SQR to sulfide exposure (25, 50, and 150 μM) at mRNA, protein, and enzyme activity levels in the body wall and hindgut of the echiuran worm Urechis unicinctus, a benthic organism living in marine sediments. The results revealed SQR mRNA expression during sulfide exposure in the body wall and hindgut increased in a time- and concentration-dependent manner that increased significantly at 12 h and continuously increased with time. At the protein level, SQR expression in the two tissues showed a time-dependent relationship that increased significantly at 12 h in 50 μM sulfide and 6 h in 150 μM, and then continued to increase with time while no significant increase appeared after 25 μM sulfide exposure. SQR enzyme activity in both tissues increased significantly in a time-dependent manner after 50 μM sulfide exposure. We concluded that SQR expression could be induced by sulfide exposure and that the two tissues studied have dissimilar sulfide metabolic patterns. A U. unicinctus sulfide-induced detoxification mechanism was also discussed.

[Correlation analysis among characters of gas vesicle in Microcystis strains]

In order to explore the roles of gvpA copies and repeated sequences of gvpC, three Microcystis strains including M. aeruginosa FACHB910, M. aeruginosa FACHB930 and M. wesenbergii FACHB929 were used in this research. The length and diameter of gas vesicle, relative gas vesicle volume, appear pressure values, critical pressure values, cell turgor values were measured, and the correlations among these characters, gvpA copies, and repeated sequences of gvpC were analyzed. The results indicate that there are a significant positive linear correlation between gvpA copies and relative gas vesicle volume (r = 0.999); gvpA copies are negatively correlated with diameter of gas vesicle (r = -0.861). However, repeated sequences of gvpC have a significant positive correlation with diameter of gas vesicle (r = 0.911), and have significant negative correlations with relative gas vesicle volume, appear pressure values and critical pressure values, with the correlation coefficient of -0.851, - 0.999, - 0.928 respectively. So we presume that gvpA copies are probably the primary impact factor for relative gas vesicle volume. The diameter of gas vesicle is not only regulated by repeated sequences of gvpC, but also regulated by gvpA copies.

Analysis of urinary proteomic patterns for type 2 diabetic nephropathy by ProteinChip

OBJECTIVE

To detect urinary proteomic profiling of patients with type 2 diabetes by using ProteinChip array technology, for searching new potential biomarkers in early diagnosis of type 2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN).

METHODS

A total of 95 urine samples from type 2 diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria (DM, n=30), microalbuminuria (DNl, n=25) and macroalbuminuria (DN2, n=20), and healthy controls (n=20) were analyzed by SELDI-TOF-MS (the surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry) technology combined with bioinformatics tools.

RESULTS

Over 300 proteins or peptides from 1 to 80 kDa were obtained using ProteinChip. About 40 of them with the m/z values from 2008.78 to 79176.55 Da were significantly differentiated between type 2 diabetic patients and control subjects. Four proteins of mass 2797.03, 4545.77, 4984.03 and 9083.71 Da were selected as the potential biomarkers for T2DN with sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 96.7%.

CONCLUSION

ProteinChip technology can help to discover new biomarkers and provide a novel non-invasive tool to early diagnosis of T2DN.

Assessing the combination effects of environmental estrogens in fish

The method on combined effects of environmental estrogens and mixture environmental risk assessment was discussed. Batch tests were conducted to assess the in vivo potency of mixtures of estrogens using plasma vitellogenin concentrations in male crucian carp (Carassius carassius) as the endpoint. A nonlinear regression was determined on the concentration response relationship for the single chemical of 17β-estradiol (E(2)), 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE(2)), 4-tert-octylphenol (OP), bisphenol A (BPA), and that of the mixed compounds at equipotent concentrations (E(2)-EE(2), E(2)-EE(2)-OP-BPA), the mixture was tested using a fixed-ratio design. On the basis of statistical selection criteria, the best-fit model is chosen individually for each set of data. Furthermore, the bootstrap methodology is applied for constructing confidence intervals for the estimated effect concentrations. The combined effects of the mixture can be predicted using biomathematical models based on the concentration and potency of the individual mixture components. The finding of non-monotonic dose-response relationship and the combined effects can be accurately predicted in whole range of exposure concentration by the reference models, whereas the outcome of simple effect summation with a great deal of indetermination. Results suggested that there can be a risk of mixture effects. The potential impact of components on mixture would depend predominantly on its concentration, the mixture ratio, and its relative potency. Existing environmental risk assessment procedures are limited in their ability to evaluate the combined effects of chemical mixtures, therefore further improvement is needed.

Review of chromium (VI) apoptosis, cell-cycle-arrest, and carcinogenesis

Hexavalent chromium combines with glutathione in chloride intracellular channel carrier to form tetravalent and pentavalent chromium in plasma and organelle membranes. It also combines with NADH/NADPH to form pentavalent chromium in mitochondria. Tetravalent- and pentavalent- chromium (directly and indirectly) mediated DNA double strand breaks activate DNA damage signaling sensors: DNA-dependent-protein-kinase signals p53-dependent intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis, and ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated and ataxia-telangiectasia-Rad3-related signal cell-arrest for DNA repair. Tetravalent chromium may be the most potent species since it causes DNA breaks and somatic recombination, but not apoptosis. Upon further failure of apoptosis and senescence/DNA-repair, damaged cells may become immortal with loss-of-heterozygosity and genetic plasticity.

Effect of reflux ratio on COD and nitrogen removals from coke plant wastewaters

A laboratory-scale anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic-moving bed biofilm reactor (A1-A2-O-MBBR) system was undertaken to treat coke plant wastewaters from two different factories (wastewater A and B). Wastewater B had higher BOD5/COD ratio and COD/TN ratio than wastewater A. The effects of reflux ratios on COD, TN and NH3-N removals were studied. Results indicated that, with the reflux ratio increased from 2 to 5, COD removals of wastewater A and wastewater B increased from 57.4% to 72.6% and 78.2% to 88.6%, respectively. Meanwhile, TN removals were also increased accompanying reflux ratio rise, from 53.1% to 74.4% for wastewater A and 64.2% to 83.5% for wastewater B. At the same reflux ratio, compared with wastewater A, higher COD and TN removal efficiencies were observed in wastewater B, which had higher BOD5/COD and COD/TN ratio. Reflux ratio had no significant influence on NH3-N removal; 99.0% of the overall NH3-N removal efficiency was achieved by the system for both coke plant wastewaters at any tested reflux ratio. MBBR was effective in NH3-N removal, and about 95% of the NH3-N was removed in the MBBR.

[Bt toxic protein expression in insect-resistant transgenic corns and its transfer to and accumulation in Ostrinia furnacalis]

Taking the insect-resistant transgenic corn varieties G03-2396 and G03-2739 and the conventional corn variety Suyu 16 as test materials, a bioassay in laboratory was conducted to test their resistance against Ostrinia furnacalis. The Bt toxin expression in different tissues of the two transgenic corns, the ingestion of Bt toxin by the 3rd and 5th instar of O. furnacalis, and the Bt toxin amount in feces of O. furnacalis larvae fed with Bt corns were analyzed by using enzyme-linked-immunosorbent-assay (ELISA). It was found that the central leaves of both G03-2396 and G03-2739 had great toxicity to O. furnacalis larvae. After fed with the central leaves for 6 d, the survival rate of neonate larvae was less than 3%, and that of the 3rd instar larvae was less than 70%. Female ears had smaller toxicity than central leaves. The Bt toxic protein was detected both in the leaves and in the female ears of the two transgenic corns, but its content was higher in central leaves than in female ears. The Bt toxic protein expression level was in order of G03-2739 central leaf (39.6 microg x g(-1) FM) > G03-2396 central leaf (26.1 microg x g(-1) FM) > G03-2396 female ear (17.0 microg x g(-1) FM) > G03-2739 female ear (14.6 microg x g(-1) FM). When fed with central leaf or female ear, the Bt toxic protein amount in the 3rd instar larvae was significantly higher than that in the 5th instar larvae. For the same age instar larvae, the Bt toxic protein content was significantly higher after fed with central leaf than fed with female ear, so did the Bt toxic protein content in larvae feces, being the highest (10.4 microg x g(-1) FM) for the 5th instar larvae fed with G03-2739 central leaf, and the lowest (2.7 microg x g(-1) FM) for the 3rd instar larvae fed with G03-2739 female ear.