Aspirin-triggered resolvin D1 down-regulates inflammatory responses and protects against endotoxin-induced acute kidney injury.

The presence of endotoxin in blood can lead to acute kidney injury (AKI) and septic shock. Resolvins, the endogenous lipid mediators derived from docosahexaenoic acid, have been reported to exhibit potent anti-inflammatory action. Using a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced AKI, we investigated the effects of aspirin-triggered resolvin D1 (AT-RvD1) on inflammatory kidney injury.

A new triterpenoid glycoside from Vitex negundo.

Aim: To investigate the chemical constituents of Vitex negundo.

Method: Compounds were isolated by different chromatographic methods and their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR spectroscopy.

Results: Four compounds were isolated and identified as 2α, 3α, 24-trihydroxyurs-12, 20(30)-dien-28-oic acid-28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (1), corosolic acid (2), vulgarsaponin A (3) and 2α, 3α, 24-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid-28-O-β-Dglucopyranosyl ester (4), respectively.

IMM-H004 prevents toxicity induced by delayed treatment of tPA in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia involving PKA-and PI3K-dependent Akt activation.

Ischemic stroke is currently treated with thrombolytic therapy with a drawback to induce hemorrhagic transformation (HT) if applied beyond its relatively narrow treatment time window. The present study was designed to examine the role of IMM-H004, a derivative of coumarin, in recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)-induced HT. Rats subjected to 6 h of thromboembolic occlusion or middle cerebral artery occlusion received tPA with or without IMM-H004.

Is there a role of TNFR1 in acute lung injury cases associated with extracorporeal circulation?

The signaling pathway for tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and its receptors is up-regulated during extracorporeal circulation (ECC), and recruits blood neutrophil into the lung tissue, which results in acute lung injury (ALI). In this study, we evaluated the role of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) in ECC-induced ALI by blocking TNF-α binding to TNFR1 with CAY10500. Anesthetized Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were pretreated intravenously with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) or vehicle (0.

Asp120Asn mutation impairs the catalytic activity of NDM-1 metallo-β-lactamase: experimental and computational study.

New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) has attracted extensive attention in recent years for its high activity for hydrolyzing almost all β-lactam antibiotics. Like other metallo-β-lactamases (MβLs), NDM-1 features an invariant Asp120 that ligates the zinc ion (ZN2) in the active site. Previous studies showed that substitutions of Asp120 with residues such as Ala, Ser, Asn and Glu dramatically impaired the MβL (BcII, IMP-1, L1) activity, but no consensus about the exact role of Asp120 has reached.

Photosensitive fluorescent dye contributes to phototoxicity and inflammatory responses of dye-doped silica NPs in cells and mice.

Dye-doped fluorescent silica nanoparticles provide highly intense and photostable fluorescence signals. However, some dopant dye molecules are photosensitive. A widely-used photosensitive fluorescent dopant, RuBpy, was chosen to systematically investigate the phototoxicity of the dye-doped silica nanoparticles (NPs).

Pure ultraviolet emission from ZnO nanowire-based p-n heterostructures.

Well-aligned ZnO nanowires have been prepared on sapphire substrate, and structural and optical characterizations indicate that the nanowires are of single crystalline and have relatively high luminescent quality. By employing the ZnO nanowires as an active layer, p-Zn0.68Mg0.

Therapeutic potentials of gene silencing by RNA interference: principles, challenges, and new strategies.

During recent decades there have been remarkable advances in biology, in which one of the most important discoveries is RNA interference (RNAi). RNAi is a specific post-transcriptional regulatory pathway that can result in silencing gene functions. Efforts have been done to translate this new discovery into clinical applications for disease treatment.

Ultrasensitive detection of 3'-5' exonuclease enzymatic activity using molecular beacons.

An ultrasensitive and rapid turn-on fluorescence assay has been developed for the detection of 3'-5' exonuclease activity of exonuclease III (Exo III) using molecular beacons (MBs). This method has a linear detection range from 0.04 to 8.

Polygalasaponin F against rotenone-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells via mitochondria protection pathway.

To investigate the protective effect and the underlying mechanism of polygalasaponin F (PS-F) against rotenone-induced PC12 cells, the cell viability was evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay. The cell apoptosis rate was analyzed using flow cytometry. The reactive oxygen species was examined using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate, and the adenosine triphosphate depletion was examined using a luciferase-coupled quantification assay.

[Review on sustained effect of acupuncture].

The sustained effect of acupuncture refers to the lasting effect after the cease of acupuncture. Through large amount of acupuncture clinical practices and experimental researches, the objective existence of the sustained effect of acupuncture is approved. However, the lasting period of acupuncture effect may be related with category and stage of disease, individualized acupuncture reaction, acupuncture methods, intervals between treatments and therapeutic course.

Structural elucidation of co-eluted triglycerides in the marine diatom model organism Thalassiosira pseudonana by ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Rationale: The precise identification of fatty acids at the sn-2 position of triacylglycerols (TAGs), especially for positional regioisomers (AAB/ABA), needs to be established during mass spectrometry analysis. The detailed structural information about TAGs is significant not only for the assessment of biofuel quality, but also for the tracing of biosynthetic precursors.

Methods: Total lipid was extracted from T.

The nucleosome regulates the usage of polyadenylation sites in the human genome.

Background: It has been reported that 3' end processing is coupled to transcription and nucleosome depletion near the polyadenylation sites in many species. However, the association between nucleosome occupancy and polyadenylation site usage is still unclear.

Results: By systematic analysis of high-throughput sequencing datasets from the human genome, we found that nucleosome occupancy patterns are different around the polyadenylation sites, and that the patterns associate with both transcription termination and recognition of polyadenylation sites.

Probing the effect of the non-active-site mutation Y229W in New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 by site-directed mutagenesis, kinetic studies, and molecular dynamics simulations.

New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) has attracted extensive attention for its high catalytic activities of hydrolyzing almost all β-lactam antibiotics. NDM-1 shows relatively higher similarity to subclass B1 metallo-β-lactamases (MβLs), but its residue at position 229 is identical to that of B2/B3 MβLs, which is a Tyr instead of a B1-MβL-conserved Trp. To elucidate the possible role of Y229 in the bioactivity of NDM-1, we performed mutagenesis study and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

Evaluating the prophylaxis and long-term effectiveness of acupuncture for migraine without aura: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The instant-treatment effect of acupuncture for patients with migraines has been corroborated in numerous studies. However, most diseases are chronic and tend to recur, so the long-term effect of acupuncture can verify the existence of sustained efficacy or the placebo effect. Evaluating the efficacy of acupuncture in the prophylaxis of migraine without aura (MWoA) in China is also important because such studies are lacking.

Association between DNA methyltransferases 3B gene polymorphisms and the susceptibility to acute myeloid leukemia in Chinese Han population.

DNMT3B plays a crucial role in the generation of aberrant methylation during carcinogenesis. Polymorphisms in the DNMT3B gene may influence the DNA methylation enzymatic activity of DNMT3B, thereby modulating the susceptibility to AML. Thus, we investigated the association between SNPs in the DNMT3Bgene and their haplotypes with the risk of AML in the Chinese Han population.

Fabrication of highly fluorescent graphene quantum dots using L-glutamic acid for / imaging and sensing.

A facile bottom-up method for the synthesis of highly fluorescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) has been developed using a one-step pyrolysis of a natural amino acid, L-glutamic acid, with the assistance of a simple heating mantle device. The developed GQDs showed strong blue, green and red luminescence under the irradiation of ultra-violet, blue and green light, respectively. Moreover, the GQDs emitted near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence in the range of 800-850 nm with the excitation-dependent manner.

A tumor-penetrating peptide modification enhances the antitumor activity of thymosin alpha 1.

A serious limitation of numerous antitumor drugs is the incapacity to penetrate solid tumors. However, addition of an RGD fragment to peptide drugs might solve this problem. In this study, we explored whether the introduction of a permeability-enhancing sequence, such as iRGD (CRGDK/RGPD/EC) fragments, would enhance the activity of thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1).

Visualized characterization for cerebral response of acupuncture deqi: paradox underway.

Acupuncture as an oriental natural healing therapy with prolonged history has been extensively utilized in the management of great numbers of disorders. Deqi, a renowned acupuncture needling sensation, is profoundly regarded as the predictor and also the prerequisite of a preferable acupuncture treatment efficacy. Till now, there is still no consistency being reached towards the mechanism of acupuncture Deqi as a result of the discrepancy for publicly acknowledged evidence.

Treatment of large cystic medial osteochondral lesions of the talus with autologous osteoperiosteal cylinder grafts.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical, radiologic, and second-look arthroscopic outcomes of autologous iliac crest osteoperiosteal cylinder graft transplantation for medial osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs) with large subchondral cysts.

Methods: Between January 2008 and December 2010, 17 consecutive cases of medial OLT with a subchondral cyst larger than 10 mm in diameter received transplantation of autologous osteoperiosteal cylinder graft, which was harvested from the ipsilateral iliac crest. The visual analog scale score for pain during daily activities, American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society hindfoot and ankle scores, and subjective satisfaction survey rating were obtained.

β-Lactamase inhibitors: an update.

β-lactamase-mediated resistance to β-lactam antibiotics is an increasing threat to clinical antimicrobial chemotherapy. The combinations of β-lactam antibiotics and β-lactamase inhibitors (such as sulbactam, tazobactam and clavulanic acid) have been successfully used for overcoming class A β-lactamase-mediated resistance. However, none of the inhibitors effective against class B, C or D β-lactamases are available in the clinic, which alarms an urgent need to discover/design broad-spectrum β-lactamase inhibitors or new β-lactam antibiotics capable of evading bacterial enzymatic inactivation.

A reversible fluorescent logic gate for sensing mercury and iodide ions based on a molecular beacon.

A simple, rapid, and reversible fluorescent DNA INHIBIT logic gate has been developed for sensing mercury (Hg(2+)) and iodide (I(-)) ions based on a molecular beacon (MB). In this logic gate, a mercury ion was introduced as the first input into the MB logic gate system to assist in the hybridization of the MB with an assistant DNA probe through the thymine-Hg(2+)-thymine interaction, which eventually restored the fluorescence of MB as the output. With this signal-on process, mercury ions can be detected with a limit of detection as low as 7.

Inflammation promotes oral squamous carcinoma immune evasion via induced programmed death ligand-1 surface expression.

The association between inflammation and cancer provides a new target for tumor biotherapy. The inflammatory cells and molecules within the tumor microenvironment have decisive dual roles in antitumor immunity and immune evasion. In the present study, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was used to stimulate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to simulate the tumor inflammatory microenvironment.

A turn-on fluorescent nanoprobe for selective determination of selenium(IV).

A turn-on fluorescent nanoprobe was developed for selective determination of selenium(IV). A trace amount of selenium, as an essential nutrient, plays an important role in human health. It has been proven that a selenium deficiency will result in serious health problems.

Inhibitor discovery of full-length New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1).

New Delhi metallo-β-lactmase-1 (NDM-1) has recently attracted extensive attention for its biological activities to catalyze the hydrolysis of almost all of β-lactam antibiotics. To study the catalytic property of NDM-1, the steady-kinetic parameters of NDM-1 toward several kinds of β-lactam antibiotics have been detected. It could effectively hydrolyze most β-lactams (k cat/K m ratios between 0.