Crystal Engineering of MOF-Derived Bimetallic Oxide Solid Solution Anchored with Au Nanoparticles for Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction to Syngas and C2 Hydrocarbons

Considering that CO2 reduction is mostly a multielectron reaction, it is necessary for the photocatalysts to integrate multiple catalytic sites and cooperate synergistically to achieve efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction to various products, such as C2 hydrocarbons. Herein, through crystal engineering, we designed and constructed a metal-organic framework-derived Zr/Ti bimetallic oxide solid solution support, which was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. After anchoring Au nanoparticles, the composite photocatalyst exhibited excellent performances toward photocatalytic CO2 reduction to syngas (H2 and CO production rates of 271.6 and 260.6 μmol g-1 h-1) and even C2 hydrocarbons (C2H4 and C2H6 production rates of 6.80 and 4.05 μmol g-1 h-1). According to the control experiments and theoretical calculations, the strong interaction between bimetallic oxide solid solution support and Au nanoparticles was found to be beneficial for binding intermediates and reducing CO2 reduction, highlighting the synergy effect of the catalytic system with multiple active sites.

Reticular framework materials for photocatalytic organic reactions

Photocatalytic organic reactions, harvesting solar energy to produce high value-added organic chemicals, have attracted increasing attention as a sustainable approach to address the global energy crisis and environmental issues. Reticular framework materials, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), are widely considered as promising candidates for photocatalysis owing to their high crystallinity, tailorable pore environment and extensive structural diversity. Although the design and synthesis of MOFs and COFs have been intensively developed in the last 20 years, their applications in photocatalytic organic transformations are still in the preliminary stage, making their systematic summary necessary. Thus, this review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding and useful guidelines for the exploration of suitable MOF and COF photocatalysts towards appropriate photocatalytic organic reactions. The commonly used reactions are categorized to facilitate the identification of suitable reaction types. From a practical viewpoint, the fundamentals of experimental design, including active species, performance evaluation and external reaction conditions, are discussed in detail for easy experimentation. Furthermore, the latest advances in photocatalytic organic reactions of MOFs and COFs, including their composites, are comprehensively summarized according to the actual active sites, together with the discussion of their structure-property relationship. We believe that this study will be helpful for researchers to design novel reticular framework photocatalysts for various organic synthetic applications.

Mercuric-sulphide based metallopharmaceutical formulation as an alternative therapeutic to combat viral and multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections

According to the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) data, antibiotic resistance escalates more challenges in treatment against communicable diseases worldwide. Henceforth, the use of combinational antimicrobial therapy and metal-conjugated phytoconstituents composites are considered as alternatives. The present study explored the efficacy of mercuric-sulfide-based metallopharmaceutical, Sivanar Amirtham for anti-bacterial, anti-tuberculosis, anti-HIV therapeutics and toxicity profile by haemolytic assay, first of its kind. The anti-bacterial study was performed against both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA: ATCC 43300), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA14) and Vibrio cholerae (MTCC 3905) by agar well diffusion assay, wherein the highest zone of inhibition was identified for MRSA (20.7 mm) and V. cholerae (34.3 mm) at 25 mg/mL. Furthermore, the anti-tuberculosis activity experimented by microtitre alamar blue assay against M. tuberculosis (ATCC 27294) demonstrated significant activity at the concentration range of 12.5-100 µg/mL. Additionally, the anti-HIV efficacy established by the syncytia inhibition method using C8166 cell lines infected with HIV-1IIIB, showed a significant therapeutic effect. The in-vitro toxicity assay proved Sivanar Amirtham to be non-haemolytic and haemocompatible. The physicochemical characterization studies revealed the nano-sized particles with different functional groups and the distinctive metal-mineral complex could be attributed to the multi-site targeting ability. The rationale evidence and scientific validation for the efficacy of Sivanar Amirtham ensures that it could be proposed as an alternative or adjuvant for both prophylactics and therapeutics to overcome HIV infection and antimicrobial resistance as well as the multi-drug resistance challenges.

Chiral recognition of neutral guests by chiral naphthotubes with a bis-thiourea endo-functionalized cavity

Developing chiral receptors with an endo-functionalized cavity for chiral recognition is of great significance in the field of molecular recognition. This study presents two pairs of chiral naphthotubes containing a bis-thiourea endo-functionalized cavity. Each chiral naphthotube has two homochiral centers which were fixed adjacent to the thiourea groups, causing the skeleton and thiourea groups to twist enantiomerically through chiral transfer. These chiral naphthotubes are highly effective at enantiomerically recognizing various neutral chiral molecules with an enantioselectivity up to 17.0. Furthermore, the mechanism of the chiral recognition has been revealed to be originated from differences in multiple non-covalent interactions. Various factors, such as the shape of cavities, substituents of guests, flexibility of host and binding modes are demonstrated to contribute to creating differences in the non-covalent interactions. Additionally, the driving force behind enantioselectivity is mainly attributed to enthalpic differences, and enthalpy -entropy compensation has also been observed to influence enantioselectivity.

[Advances in clinical prediction scores for prognosis of coronavirus disease-2019]

Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) has been a major public health issue all over the world, placing a significant burden on available healthcare resources. The most common types of COVID-19 are the mild and common forms. Although the proportion of the severe-critical types is smaller, the rate of death is significantly higher and the medical resources required tend to be greater. Thus, a variety of scores based on other disease and COVID-19 were used to assess the risk of poor prognosis on the COVID-19, including the common scores for community-acquired pneumonia, sepsis and viral pneumonia. Unfortunately, the above scores often lacked an adequate description of the applicable population or were at high risk of bias with unknown applicability. Therefore, the article summarized the existing scores, aiming to provide a reference for clinical prognostic risk assessment.

[The application of parental version of pediatric voice-related quality of life in children with voice disorders]

Objective:To evaluate the influence of voice disorders on children's quality of life through the parental version of pediatric voice-related quality of life（pVRQOL）. Method:Three hundred and eighty-six children from August 2017 to December 2018 were enrolled in this study. A total of 214 parents of children had voice disorders（dysphonic group）, and 172 parents of children were without voice disorders（control group）. Both groups were filled out the questionnaire containing the parental version of pVRQOL. Result:① The most common disease in children with voice disorder was vocal fold nodule, and boys were more susceptible to voice disorder than girls（71.5%, 28.5%）; ②In dysphonic group, the scores of total（91.40±8.63, 97.94±4.23）, physiology and function（87.55±10.98, 96.99±6.10）, social emotion（98.86 ±3.29, 99.73±1.08） were lower than those in control group（P<0.01）; ③In dysphonic group, there was a correlation between the parents' overall evaluation of the children's voice quality and the three dimensions of the parental version of pVRQOL（total: r=-0.398, P<0.01, physical function: r=-0.448, P<0.01, social-emotion: r=-0.125, P<0.05）. Conclusion:Voice disorders could cause a negative impact on children's voice related quality of life. pVRQOL could be applied to assess the voice-related quality of life in children with voice disorders.

[A cmparative study of the voice function change in patients who underwent total thyroidectomy between preoperative and postoperative]

Objective:The aim of this study is to investigate the voice function change in patients who underwent total thyroidectomy between preoperative and the third day postoperative, Taking the result data to explore methods for voice protection and be valuable for clinical diagnose and treatment. Method:Three hundred and fifth-three patients with thyroid papillary carcinoma without preoperative vocal dysfunction were treated with total thyroidectomy and single or bilateral central cervical lymph node dissection. At preoperative and the third day postoperative, videostroboscopic, acoustic analysis, voice handicap index 10（VHI-10）are measured. Result: At the third day postoperative, 294 （83.29%）patients have voice symptoms，the most common voice disorder is hoarseness in 105 cases （35.71%），phonasthenia in 78 cases（26.53%），unable speak louderly in 53 cases （18.03%）, unable speak high-pitch in 24 cases （8.16%）, unable speak low-pitch in 29 cases （9.86%）, pronunciation leakage in 5 cases （1.70%）. Videostroboscopic examinations are normal in all patients at the third day postoperative. The total score of VHI-10, Physiology（P）, Emotion（E） dimensions in VHI-10 between preoperative and the third day postoperative are statistically significant （P<0.05）. For male patients, the acoustic analysis （fundamental frequency, Harmonicto Noise Ratio, Shimmer and Maximum phonation time） are statistically significant between preoperative and the third day postoperative （P<0.05）. For female patients, acoustic analysis （fundamental frequency, Harmonicto Noise Ratio, Shimmer, Jitter and Maximum phonation time） are statistically significant between preoperative and the third day postoperative （P<0.05）. Conclusion:These patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with bilateral or unilateral central partment lymph node dissection may develop voice complications even their recurrent laryngealnerve be undamaged during the surgery. Changes in surgery and voice may cause changes in the patient's psychology, suggesting that clinicians need to have adequate communication between doctors and patients before surgery, pay attention to the patient's voice quality and psychological changes, and give positive intervention.

[The application of pediatric voice handicap index in children with voice disorders]

Objective: To access the influence of voice disorders on children's voice-related quality of life through the parental version of pediatric voice handicap index (pVHI). Methods: From April 2017 to March 2018, a total of 192 children with voice disorders (dysphonic group) and 111 children without voice disorders (control group) were enrolled in this work. Parents of children in both groups were asked for fill out the questionnaire containing the parental version of pVHI and the data of non-normal distribution were analyzed by Mann-Whitney U test. Spearman test was used for correlation analysis. Results: (1)Vocal cord nodule was the most common voice disorder in children, and boys were more susceptible to voice disorder than girls in this study (70.3%(135/192) vs 29.7%(57/192)). (2)The most common voice abuse or misuse habit was "Shouting loudly". (3)In dysphonic group, the scores of function, physiology, emotion and total were higher than those in control group (all P<0.05). (4)In dysphonic group, there was a weak correlation between the parents' overall evaluation of the children's voice status and the three dimensions of the parental version of pVHI (function: r=0.339, physiology: r=0.334, emotion: r=0.208, all P<0.001). Conclusions: Voice disorders can cause a negative impact on children's quality of life. Parental version of pVHI can be used to assess the voice-related quality of life in children with voice disorders.

[A comparative study of therapy effects between esomeprazole plus mosapride citrate and botulinum toxin injection on vocal process granuloma]

Objective:Anti-reflux medications or botulinum toxin A injections are the main current therapies for the definite vocal process granuloma. This studies is focusing on comparing the effects of proton pump inhibitors plus prokinetic agents with botulinum toxin A injections on vocal process granuloma. Method:Adult patients in our outpatient department (from December 2014 to June 2016) complaining of trachyphonia and/or abnormal pharyngeal sensations who were found to have contact granulomas (38 cases) were included. Patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment selected by themselves: esomeprazole with mosapride citrate (n=28) or botulinum toxin A injection (n=20). The reflux symptom index and reflux finding score determined by electronic fibrolaryngoscopy were utilized to assess efficacy. Result:There was no statistical difference on age, sex and reflux symptom index and reflux finding score before treatment between the two groups. Total effective rate in the esomeprazole with mosapride citrate group and the botulinum toxin A group were 96.43% and 45.00%, separately. The recorded symptoms after therapy resolved with a statistically significant improvement in the esomeprazole with mosapride citrate group. Conclusion:Combined proton pump inhibitor plus prokinetic drug therapy plays a significant role in the treatment of vocal process granulomas.

[Clinical analysis of plasma cell granuloma in nasal cavity and nasal sinus]

The plasma cell granuloma occurred in nasal cavity and sinus, which is rarely seen in clinical practice,the common clinical features included nasal congestion,nose bleeding,eye protrusion and olfactory impairment.Its clinical manifestations are similar to the clinical manifestations of malignant tumors, the correct diagnosis depends on histopathology and immunohistochemistry, and surgical treatment is the main method, can be supplemented by hormone therapy, radiotherapy,the prognosis could be better.

[Research status and challenges of vocal cord leukoplakia]

Vocal cord leukoplakia is a clinical diagnosis defined as a whitish patch or a plaque on a mucosal surface. Because of the diversity of histopathological types, the complexity and unpredictability risks for malignant transformation, there are still many controversies about its histopathological classification, diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this article is to review the epidemiology, etiology, pathological classification, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of vocal cord leukoplakia.

[Effects of voice therapy and psychological intervention on anxious and depressive in patients with voice disorders]

Objective:To investigatethe effect of voice therapy on anxious and depressive in patients with voice disorders.Method:The patients who received voicee therapy in our department from May 2014 to July 2016 were enrolled in our study and evaluated by self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self rating depression scale (SDS), before and after voice therapy.result:Before voicee therapy, the score of SAS and SDS were 47.52±11.15 and 48.63±8.70 respectively, which were higher than domestic norm (37.23±12.59 and 41.88±10.57 for SAS and SDS, respecative) with P< 0.05. After voice therapy, the score of SAS and SDS were 38.03±6.95 and 42.21±7.71, which were lower than the score of before voice therapy (P< 0.05). And compared with the domestic norm, the difference was not statistically significant (P> 0.05).Conclusion:The anxiety and depression scores of patients with voice disorders are higher than those of ordinary people. The voice therapy can effectively relieve anxiety and depression of patients with voice disease.

[Clinical and pathological analyses of 154 patients with white lesion of vocal cord]

Objective: To investigate the clinical and pathological features and prognosis of white lesion of vocal cord. Methods: One hundred and fifty-four cases of white lesion of vocal cord from January 2009 to February 2016 were retrospectively analysed. All the patients had undergone the resection of white lesion of vocal cord resection through retaining laryngoscope under general anesthesia with the specimens pathologically examined. Results: There were 148 males and 6 females in this study. The ages ranged from 36 to 83 years, and the median age was 54.5.There were 103(66.88%) long-term smokers, and 64(41.56%) long-term drinkers. Postoperative pathology showed that chronic mucosal inflammation in 19 cases (12.34%), squamous epithelial hyperplasia in 56 cases(36.36%), mild dysplasia in 25 cases(16.23%), moderate dysplasia in 34 cases(22.08%), severe dysplasia in 12 cases(7.79%), carcinoma in situ in 6 cases(3.90%), and invasive carcinoma in 2 cases(1.30%). The recurrence rate and canceration rate of chronic mucosal inflammation were 0. The recurrence rate of squamous epithelial hyperplasia was 10.71%, the canceration rate was 0.The recurrence rate of mild dysplasia was 8.00%, the canceration rate was 0. The recurrence rate of moderate dysplasia was 20.59%, the canceration rate was 8.82%. The recurrence rate of severe dysplasia was 25.00%, the canceration rate was 16.67%. Conclusions: White lesion of vocal cord is a predominantly male disease. Long-term smokering and drinking are one of common causes. The final diagnosis of white lesion of vocal cord relies on the pathology. Closed observation is necessary for theses dysplasia cases. The majority of which are benign, the operation effect is good.

[Head and neck alveolar soft-part sarcoma: a review in diagnosis and treatment]

Head and neck alveolar soft part sarcoma(ASPS) is a rare, distinctive sarcoma, typically occurring in infants and children.It displays a relatively fast clinical course, and the ultimate prognosis is poor and is often characterised by late metastases. It is now clear that they are caused by the formation of an ASPL TFE3 fusion gene,and the new molecular target therapies under study may change the possible approach to primary disease.The diagnosis and treatment of head and neck ASPS are reviewed in this article.

[Quality of life analysis of teachers in a primary school in Chengdu]

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of voice disorder and quality of life in the primary school teachers in a certain district of Chengduand examine the correlation between two voice-specific questionnaires.Method:Random sampling survey included 389 teachers from a certain district of Chengdu.Twelve item general health questionnaire(GHQ-12),voice handicap index 10(VHI-10) and voice-related quality of life (V-RQOL) were investigated and routine examination of throat with electronic fiber laryngoscopy were carried out for teachers.Result:There were 189 teachers who had voice disorders(voice disorders group),and 200 teachers who did not have voice disorders(control group).②The total score's difference of V-RQOL and VHI-10,functional(F) and emotion(E) dimensions in VHI-10 between two groups were statistically significant(P<0.05),however,there were no statistically significant difference of GHQ-12 between two groups. The total score of GHQ-12 was positively correlated with VHI-10(r=0.194,P <0.05),while the total score of V-RQOL was negatively correlated with GHQ-12(r=-0.209,P<0.05) and VHI-10 (r=-0.586, P <0.05).Conclusion:Voice disorders can affect teachers' psychology and voice related quality of life.Although the VHI-10 and V-RQOL had correlation,the correlation is not strong.So it is recommended combine VHI-10 and V-RQOL when the quality of life of voice disorders is evaluated.

Evaluation and validation of reference genes for qRT-PCR normalization in Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) has emerged as a reliable and reproducible technique for studying gene expression analysis. For accurate results, the normalization of data with reference genes is particularly essential. Once the transcriptome sequencing of Frankliniella occidentalis was completed, numerous unigenes were identified and annotated. Unfortunately, there are no studies on the stability of reference genes used in F. occidentalis. In this work, seven candidate reference genes, including actin, 18S rRNA, H3, tubulin, GAPDH, EF-1 and RPL32, were evaluated for their suitability as normalization genes under different experimental conditions using the statistical software programs BestKeeper, geNorm, Normfinder and the comparative ΔCt method. Because the rankings of the reference genes provided by each of the four programs were different, we chose a user-friendly web-based comprehensive tool RefFinder to get the final ranking. The result demonstrated that EF-1 and RPL32 displayed the most stable expression in different developmental stages; RPL32 and GAPDH showed the most stable expression at high temperatures, while 18S and EF-1 exhibited the most stable expression at low temperatures. In this study, we validated the suitable reference genes in F. occidentalis for gene expression profiling under different experimental conditions. The choice of internal standard is very important in the normalization of the target gene expression levels, thus validating and selecting the best genes will help improve the quality of gene expression data of F. occidentalis. What is more, these validated reference genes could serve as the basis for the selection of candidate reference genes in other insects.

Combined effects of temperature and avermectins on life history and stress response of the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis

Temperature and pesticide are two important factors that affect survival, reproduction and other physiological processes of insects. To determine interactions of elevated temperature and avermectins treatment on the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, newly emerged adults were exposed to combinations of three temperatures (21, 26 and 33 °C) and two avermectins concentrations (0, 45 ppm), and survival rate, reproduction, longevity, antioxidant enzymes activities and heat shock proteins (hsps) induction were analyzed. The results showed that the survival, longevity and reproduction of F. occidentalis decreased with increased temperature and avermectins treatment. While elevated temperature and avermectins treatment significantly decreased activity of SOD, activities of POD and GST significantly increased after exposure to elevated temperature, avermectins or their combination. Elevated temperature had no effect on activity of CAT, but it was obviously improved by the combination of temperature and avermectins treatment. Expression analysis of hsps showed that four heat shock proteins (hsp90, hsc702, hsp60 and hop) were up-regulated by the induction of elevated temperature with small fold changes. After treatment with avermectins, expression levels of hsp90, hsc701, hsc702 and hop were significantly up-regulated with increased temperature and higher than those of their respective control at higher temperature. Surprisingly, expression level of hps60 was down-regulated with increased temperature, but the expression level at 21 or 26 °C remained higher than that of control. Overall, our studies suggest that elevated temperature enhance toxicity of avermectins and their combination induced acute oxidative damage to F. occidentalis. Therefore, consideration of temperature in evaluating avermectins toxicity is necessary to make accurate prediction of its effect on F. occidentalis and other insects.

Increased tau phosphorylation and beta amyloid in the hipocampus of mouse pups by early life lead exposure

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal lead exposure on the learning and memory ability and expression of tau protein phosphorylation (P-tau) and beta amyloid protein (Abeta) in hippocampus of mice offspring. Pb exposure initiated from beginning of gestation to weaning. Pb acetate administered in drinking solutions was dissolved in distilled deionized water at the concentrations of 0.1%, 0.5% and 1% groups. On the 21 th of postnatal day, the learning and memory ability of the mouse pups was tested by Water Maze test and the Pb levels in blood and hippocampus of the offspring were also determined. The expression of P-tau and Abeta in hippocampus was measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. The Pb levels in blood and hippocampus of all exposure groups were significantly higher than that of the control group ( P < 0.05). In Water Maze test, the performances of 0.5% and 1% groups were worse than that of the control group ( P < 0.05). The expression of P-tau and Abeta was increased in Pb exposed groups than that of the control group ( P < 0.05). Tau hyper-phosphorylation and Abeta increase in the hippocampus of pups may contribute to the impairment of learning and memory associated with maternal Pb exposure.

Early-life lead exposure affects the activity of TNF-alpha and expression of SNARE complex in hippocampus of mouse pups

This study aims to investigate the effects of maternal lead exposure on learning and memory ability and the protein expression of TNF-alpha and SNARE complex (SNAP-25, VAMP-2, and Syntaxin 1A) in hippocampus of mice offspring. Pb exposure was initiated from beginning of gestation to weaning. Pb acetate administered in drinking solutions was dissolved in distilled deionized water at 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1% groups, respectively. On the PND21, the learning and memory ability of mouse pups was tested by water maze test, and the Pb levels in their blood and hippocampus were also determined. The protein expression of TNF-alpha and SNARE complex in hippocampus was measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. The Pb levels in blood and hippocampus of all exposure groups were significantly higher than control group (P < 0.05). In the water maze test, the performances of 0.5% and 1% groups were worse than that of control group (P < 0.05). The expression of TNF-alpha, Syntaxin 1A, and VAMP-2 was increased in Pb-exposed groups comparing control group (P < 0.05), but the expression of SNAP-25 was decreased (P < 0.05). Up-regulation of TNF-alpha and disturbance of SNARE expression in the hippocampus of pups may contribute to impairment of learning and memory ability associated with maternal Pb exposure.

Lysine conjugate of acrylonitrile as antigenic sites in hemoglobin adducts

For biomonitoring environmental exposure to acrylonitrile (AN), a monoclonal antibody (mAb) A2D1, was developed to recognize specifically the hemoglobin (Hb) adduct, Hb-AN, but not Hb itself. This appears to be the first example that a small molecule-like AN may introduce new antigenicity into hemoglobin, which already exhibits multiple antigenic determinants. This report addresses the localization of the newly formed antigenic sites in human Hb-AN. As antigenic probes, the AN conjugates of 10 amino acids, six dipeptides, and four tripeptides were prepared as monitored by 1H NMR, and their antigenicity was evaluated by competitive inhibition immunoassay. A Lys-epsilonNH-AN was found essential to inhibiting activity. The potent peptide-AN inhibitors, containing a sequence of His and Lys, showed IC50 at the micromolar concentration, thus implicating human Hbalpha-89,90 and Hbbeta-143,144 in the distal heme pocket region as the new antigenic sites.

Enhanced PKC beta II translocation and PKC beta II-RACK1 interactions in PKC epsilon-induced heart failure: a role for RACK1

Recent investigations have established a role for the beta II-isoform of protein kinase C (PKC beta II) in the induction of cardiac hypertrophy and failure. Although receptors for activated C kinase (RACKs) have been shown to direct PKC signal transduction, the mechanism through which RACK1, a selective PKC beta II RACK, participates in PKC beta II-mediated cardiac hypertrophy and failure remains undefined. We have previously reported that PKC epsilon activation modulates the expression of RACKs, and that altered epsilon-isoform of PKC (PKC epsilon)-RACK interactions may facilitate the genesis of cardiac phenotypes in mice. Here, we present evidence that high levels of PKC epsilon activity are commensurate with impaired left ventricular function (dP/dt = 6,074 +/- 248 mmHg/s in control vs. 3,784 +/- 269 mmHg/s in transgenic) and significant myocardial hypertrophy. More importantly, we demonstrate that high levels of PKC epsilon activation induce a significant colocalization of PKC beta II with RACK1 (154 +/- 7% of control) and a marked redistribution of PKC beta II to the particulate fraction (17 +/- 2% of total PKC beta II in control mice vs. 49 +/- 5% of total PKC beta II in hypertrophied mice), without compensatory changes of the other eight PKC isoforms present in the mouse heart. This enhanced PKC beta II activation is coupled with increased RACK1 expression and PKC beta II-RACK1 interactions, demonstrating PKC epsilon-induced PKC beta II signaling via a RACK1-dependent mechanism. Taken together with our previous findings regarding enhanced RACK1 expression and PKC epsilon-RACK1 interactions in the setting of cardiac hypertrophy and failure, these results suggest that RACK1 serves as a nexus for at least two isoforms of PKC, the epsilon-isoform and the beta II-isoform, thus coordinating PKC-mediated hypertrophic signaling.

Enhancement of the anti-herpetic effect of trichosanthin by acyclovir and interferon

Trichosanthin (TCS) is a type I ribosome-inactivating protein that has a wide range of pharmacological activities. The present study investigated the effectiveness of TCS on herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). The anti-viral activity and toxicity of TCS on Vero cells were measured. Results showed that the ED(50), TD(50) and the therapeutic indices were 38.5, 416.5 and 10.9 microg/ml, respectively. Anti-viral activity of TCS was substantially potentiated when it was used in conjunction with other anti-viral agents. The ED(50) of TCS was reduced 125-fold by acyclovir at a concentration of 0.001 microg/ml, which was practically devoid of significant anti-viral activity. Similarly, the ED(50) of TCS was reduced 100-fold by interferon-alpha2a at a concentration of 100 IU/ml. In conclusion, TCS is effective against HSV-1 and other anti-viral agents such as acyclovir or interferon can potentiate its action substantially.

Anti-HIV-1 activity of trichobitacin, a novel ribosome-inactivating protein

AIM

To determine whether trichobitacin, a novel ribosome-inactivating protein purified from the root tubers of Trichosanthes kirilowii, possesses the anti-HIV activity.

METHODS

The inhibition of syncytial cell formation induced by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) was determined under microscope, reduction of HIV-1 p24 antigen expression level was measured by ELISA, and decrease in numbers of HIV-1 antigen positive cells in acutely and chronically infected cultures were detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay.

RESULTS

Trichobitacin was found to greatly suppress syncytial cell formation induced by HIV-1 and to markedly reduce both expression of HIV-1 p24 antigen and the number of HIV antigen positive cells in acutely but not chronically HIV-1 infected culture. The median inhibitory concentration (IC50) in inhibition of syncytial cell formation and HIV antigen positive cells were 5 micrograms.L-1 (95% confidence limits: 1.3-20 micrograms.L-1) and 0.09 mg.L-1 (95% confidence limits: 0.011-0.755 mg.L-1), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Trichobitacin is a novel ribosome-inactivating protein with anti-HIV-1 activity.

PKC-dependent activation of p46/p54 JNKs during ischemic preconditioning in conscious rabbits

A conscious rabbit model was used to study the effect of ischemic preconditioning (PC) on stress-activated kinases [c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinases (JNKs) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)] in an environment free of surgical trauma and attending external stress. Ischemic PC (6 cycles of 4-min ischemia/4-min reperfusion) induced significant activation of protein kinase C (PKC)-epsilon in the particulate fraction, which was associated with activation of p46 JNK in the nuclear fraction and p54 JNK in the cytosolic fraction; all of these changes were completely abolised by the PKC inhibitor chelerythrine. Selective enhancement of PKC-epsilon activity in adult rabbit cardiac myocytes resulted in enhanced activity of p46/p54 JNKs, providing direct in vitro evidence that PKC-epsilon is coupled to both kinases. Studies in rabbits showed that the activation of p46 JNK occurred during ischemia, whereas that of p54 JNK occurred after reperfusion. A single 4-min period of ischemia induced a robust activation of the p38 MAPK cascade, which, however, was attenuated after 5 min of reperfusion and disappeared after six cycles of 4-min ischemia/reperfusion. Overexpression of PKC-epsilon in cardiac myocytes failed to increase the p38 MAPK activity. These results demonstrate that ischemic PC activates p46 and p54 JNKs via a PKC-epsilon-dependent signaling pathway and that there are important differences between p46 and p54 JNKs with respect to the subcellular compartment (cytosolic vs. nuclear) and the mechanism (ischemia vs. reperfusion) of their activation after ischemic PC.

Demonstration of selective protein kinase C-dependent activation of Src and Lck tyrosine kinases during ischemic preconditioning in conscious rabbits

Src tyrosine kinases have been shown to mediate cellular responses to stress in noncardiac cells. However, the effect of myocardial ischemia on Src tyrosine kinases is unknown. Furthermore, the identity of the tyrosine kinase(s) involved in the genesis of ischemic preconditioning (PC) remains obscure. Here, we present the first evidence that ischemic PC (6 cycles of 4-minute coronary occlusion and 4-minute reperfusion) induces selective activation of 2 members of the Src family of tyrosine kinases, Src and Lck, in the heart of conscious rabbits. The activation of Src in the particulate fraction was not evident at 5 minutes after ischemic PC but became apparent at 30 minutes (+119% versus control), whereas the activation of Lck in the particulate fraction was apparent both at 5 minutes (+103% versus control) and at 30 minutes (+89%) after ischemic PC. The activity of the other 5 members of the Src tyrosine kinases expressed in the rabbit heart (Fyn, Fgr, Yes, Lyn, and Blk) was not affected by ischemic PC. Ischemic PC had no effect on the activity of epidermal growth factor receptor kinases, either at 5 or at 30 minutes. The activation of Src and Lck was completely abrogated by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor lavendustin A, given at doses that have previously been shown to block the protective effect of ischemic PC in this same conscious rabbit model, suggesting that Src and Lck kinases are essential for the development of ischemic PC. The activity of the epsilon isoform of protein kinase C (PKC) in the particulate fraction increased at 5 minutes (+72%) and at 30 minutes (+67%) after ischemic PC. Pretreatment with lavendustin A had no effect on the activation of PKCepsilon, whereas pretreatment with the PKC inhibitor chelerythrine (given at doses that have previously been shown to block ischemic PC) blocked not only the activation of PKCepsilon but also that of Src and Lck, indicating that Src and Lck are downstream of PKCepsilon in the signaling cascade of ischemic PC. This study identifies a new component of the signaling mechanism of ischemic PC. The results support the concept that, in conscious rabbits, 2 specific members of the Src family of tyrosine kinases, Src and Lck, play an important role in the genesis of late PC by serving as downstream elements of PKC-mediated signal transduction.

Alpha-momorcharin inhibits HIV-1 replication in acutely but not chronically infected T-lymphocytes

AIM

To identify the anti-human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) activities of alpha-momorcharin (alpha-MMC) from Momordica charantia in acutely and chronically infected T-lymphocytes.

METHODS

The anti-HIV activities of alpha-MMC were examined by 1) the inhibition of syncytia formation induced by HIV-1 III B; 2) reduction of p24 core antigen expression level and decrease in numbers of HIV antigen positive cells in acutely and chronically infected cultures. The cytotoxic effects of alpha-MMC was tested by trypan blue dye exclusion or colorimetric MTT assay.

RESULTS

alpha-MMC was found to obviously inhibit HIV-1 III B-inducing C8166 syncytia formation and markedly reduced both expression of p24 core antigen and the numbers of HIV antigen positive cells in acutely but not chronically HIV-1-infected culture. The median effective concentration (EC50) in these assays were 0.016, 0.07, and 0.32 mg.L-1, respectively.

CONCLUSION

alpha-MMC is a unique component of momorcharin with anti-HIV activity, and markedly inhibited HIV-1 replication in acutely but not chronically HIV-1-infected T-lymphocytes.

In vitro immunotoxicity and cytotoxicity of trichosanthin against human normal immunocytes and leukemia-lymphoma cells

Trichosanthin (TCS) is a ribosome-inactivating protein from root tubers of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. In this paper, the effects of TCS on the viability of human peripheral blood immunocytes, on the proliferation of lymphocytes, and its cytotoxicity to twelve cell lines of lymphoma or leukemia had been observed. TCS at high concentration (> 12.5 micrograms/ml) affected the viability of human B lymphocytes, but not that of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), T lymphocytes and granulocytes. Human peripheral blood-derived monocytes/macrophages were highly sensitive to TCS (ID50 at 1.70 micrograms/ml). TCS suppressed lymphocyte proliferation stimulated by Concanavalin A (Con A) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Human T cell lines and macrophage cell lines were more sensitive (ID50 < 0.9 microgram/ml) to TCS than B cell lines and myeloid lines. These results suggest that selective cytotoxicity of TCS to human macrophages/monocytes may be implicated in anti-HIV activity, and that selectively killing some leukemia-lymphoma cells by TCS merit further evaluation in treatment of some lymphoma and leukemia.

[TRBC receptor on T lymphocytes of human and macaque and its ligand are different from E2 molecule and ligands for CD2]

CD2 (E receptor, LFA-3 receptor) and E2 molecules (Bernard, 1988) on human T lymphocytes, CD58 (LFA-3, lymphocyte function associated antigen 3) on human erythrocytes and S14,S42,S110-220 molecules (Bernard, 1987) of sheep erythrocytes are involved in rosette formation of human T lymphocytes with human or sheep erythrocytes. Rosette formation of human and macaque pan-T lymphocytes with tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) red blood cells (TRBC) (TRBC rosette) has shown different physicochemical properties from that of rosette formation with sheep red blood cells (E rosette) (Ben, 1985). CD2, CD3/TCR complex, CD5, CD6, and CD7 are not involved in TRBC rosette formation (Zheng, 1990). In order to know whether E2, LFA-3,S14,S42 and S110-220 molecules are involved in TRBC rosette formation or human and macaque T lymphocytes, rosette inhibition and antigenic modulation or co-modulation were performed with relevant monoclonal antibodies (McAbs), and hemolytic assay and slide agglutination were also conducted. TRBC rosette formation of human and rhesus monkey PBL was not blocked by E2 McAb (inhibition rate 2.8% and 2.1%, respectively). In contrast, human E rosette formation was obviously blocked at inhibition rate of 49.8% and macaque E rosette formation was slightly inhibited (13.3%). The modulation or co-modulation of E2 molecule with E2 McAb did not affect human TRBC rosette formation. Similar results were shown in rosette formation inhibition of Jurkat cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Comparative study of TRBC receptor and E receptor on T lymphocytes of human and macaque]

In 1985, rosette formation of human and macaque pan-T lymphocytes with tree shrew red blood cells (TRBC) (TRBC rosette) was first found by Ben K et al, showing different physico-chemical properties from that of rosette formation with sheep red blood cells (E-rosette). In order to approach the correlation between TRBC receptor, E receptor (CD2) and other differentiation antigens (CDs) on T lymphocytes, rosette inhibition assay and antigenic modulation or co-modulation were performed with monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) to CDs, and the distribution of TRBC receptor in other peripheral immunocytes, cell lines was also examined. TRBC rosette appeared in 88.8% of E rosette positive peripheral blood lymphocytes (E(+)-PBL) and in 4.16% of E(-)-PBL. TRBC receptor was also found on all T cell lines tested (CEM, H33 HJ-JA 1, Jurkat, MLA-144, Molt-3, Molt-4, Molt-4 clone 8, PEER) and some myeloid lines (U 937 and HL 60), but not on human granulocytes, B cell lines (Daudi, Raji and Reh) and myeloid line K 562. The modulation or co-modulation of CD 3, TCR, CD 5, CD 6 and CD 7 with McAbs OKT 3, T 108 (F 1), T 136 (F 101-15), T 149 (M-T 604) and T 152 (7 G 5) did not affect TRBC rosette formation of PBL. TRBC rosette of human and rhesus monkey PBL was not inhibited by T 11.1 McAb OKT 11 (CD 2 McAb), in contrast human and rhesus monkey E rosette formations were obviously blocked at inhibition rates of 77.9% and 49.3%, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)