Exposure to a Mixture of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Metabolic Outcomes in Belgian Adolescents.

Childhood exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), either alone or in mixtures, may affect metabolic outcomes, yet existing evidence remains inconclusive. In our study of 372 adolescents from the Flemish Environment and Health Study (FLEHS IV, 2017-2018), we measured 40 known and suspected EDCs and assessed metabolic outcomes, including body mass index -score (zBMI), abdominal obesity (AO), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG). We applied Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and Bayesian penalized horseshoe regression for variable selection and then built multivariate generalized propensity score (mvGPS) models to provide an overview of the effects of selected EDCs on metabolic outcomes.

Prenatal Exposure to Metabolism-Disrupting Chemicals, Cord Blood Transcriptome Perturbations, and Birth Weight in a Belgian Birth Cohort.

Prenatal exposure to metabolism-disrupting chemicals (MDCs) has been linked to birth weight, but the molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated gene expressions and biological pathways underlying the associations between MDCs and birth weight, using microarray transcriptomics, in a Belgian birth cohort. Whole cord blood measurements of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (-DDE), polychlorinated biphenyls 153 (PCB-153), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and transcriptome profiling were conducted in 192 mother-child pairs.

Prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants and changes in infant growth and childhood growth trajectories.

Background: Children are born with a burden of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which may have endocrine disrupting properties and have been postulated to contribute to the rise in childhood obesity. The current evidence is equivocal, which may partly because many studies investigate the effects at one time point during childhood. We assessed associations between prenatal exposure to POPs and growth during infancy and childhood.

Spatiotemporal Trends, Sources and Ecological Risks of Heavy Metals in the Surface Sediments of Weitou Bay, China.

Heavy metals are extremely harmful materials to marine ecosystems and human health. To determine the anthropogenic contributions and ecological risks in Weitou Bay, China, the spatiotemporal variations in the concentrations of heavy metals in surface sediment were investigated during spring 2008 and 2017. The results indicated that high concentrations of pollutants were generally located near the river mouths and along the coast of industrial areas.

Synthesis of β-cyclodextrin-PEG-G molecules to delay tumor growth and application of β-cyclodextrin-PEG-G aggregates as drug carrier.

The clinical use of many chemotherapeutic drugs is considerably greatly limited due to their serious side effects. This problem can be solved by using a low-toxic or nontoxic drug carrier that exhibits excellent performance in entrapping chemotherapeutic drugs. Accordingly, β-cyclodextrin-PEG-guanosine (β-CD-PEG-G) molecule was first synthesized.

Preparation of β-CD-DPPE-Dox Nanomedicine and Its' Application as the Anticancer and Antitumor Drug.

β-CD-DPPE molecule was synthesized through the conjugation of β-CD-NH and the DPPE molecule, and its' water-solubility was more excellent than the traditional phospholipid molecule. The spherical micelles was formed by β-CD-DPPE molecule in aqueous solution, and the β-CD-DPPE-Dox nanomedicine can be prepared through loading Dox (Doxorubicin) into the micelles, and the Dox loading ratio was about 82.3 ± 7.

Plasmonic microgels of Au nanorods: Self-assembly and applications in chemophotothermo-synergistic cancer therapy.

Plasmonic microgels (PMgels) of the self-assembled gold nanorods (Au NRs) with side-by-side piles in ionic liquid microgels were prepared. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed unique self-growth and self-arrangement of Au NRs in the microgel systems. The fabrication of PMgels occurs through co-assembling Au NRs and an ionic liquid microgel system, therefore differs from the fabrication of conventional plasmonic hybrid nanocomposites.

A liposome preparation based on β-CD-LPC molecule and its application as drug-delivery system.

Aim: The β-CD-LPC molecule was synthesized based on the conjugation of LPC and β-CD molecules and it could self-assemble into liposome which was used to encapsulate the Dox to form nanomedicine for the cancer therapy.

Materials & Methods: The anticancer and antitumor effect of β-CD-LPC-Dox nanomedicine was studied with the vitro and vivo experimental methods.

Results: The result showed that β-CD-LPC liposome had high Dox drug-loading rate and a good sustained-release effect.