Smart Hairpins@MnO Nanosystem Enables Target-Triggered Enzyme-Free Exponential Amplification for Ultrasensitive Imaging of Intracellular MicroRNAs in Living Cells.

Sensitive and specific imaging of microRNA (miRNA) in living cells is of great value for disease diagnosis and monitoring. Hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and DNAzyme-based methods have been considered as powerful tools for miRNA detection, with low efficient intracellular delivery and limited amplification efficiency. Herein, we propose a Hairpins@MnO nanosystem for intracellular enzyme-free exponential amplification for miRNA imaging.

Highly accelerated isothermal nucleic acid amplifications by butanol dehydration: simple, more efficient, and ultrasensitive.

Enzyme-free isothermal amplification reactions for nucleic acid analysis usually take several hours to obtain sufficient detection sensitivity, which limits their practical applications. Herein, we report a butanol dehydration-based method to greatly improve both the efficiency and the sensitivity of nucleic acid detections by three types of enzyme-free isothermal amplification reactions. The reaction time has been shortened from 3 h to 5-20 min with higher sensitivities.

The effects of borneol on the pharmacokinetics and brain distribution of tanshinone IIA, salvianolic acid B and ginsenoside Rg in Fufang Danshen preparation in rats.

Fufang Danshen preparation (FDP) is consisted of Salviae Miltiorrhizar Radix et Rhizoma (Danshen), Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma (Sanqi) and Borneolum Syntheticum (borneol). FDP is usually used to treat myocardial ischemia hypoxia, cerebral ischemia and alzheimer's disease, etc. In the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, borneol is usually used to promote the absorption and distribution of the bioactive components to proper organs, especially to the brain.

A protein triggering exponential amplification reaction enables label- and wash-free one-pot protein assay with high sensitivity.

Methods capable of sensitive and facile quantification of low-abundant proteins play critical roles in disease diagnosis and treatment. Herein, on a rationally designed aptamer-based hairpin structure-switching template, we developed a protein triggering exponential amplification reaction (PTEXPAR) method. The platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) is used as model analyte in the current proof-of-concept experiments.

Water-Stable Silver-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks of Quaternized Carboxylates and Their Antimicrobial Activity.

Three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) Ag-based zwitterionic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) [Ag(Cedcp)] (, 3D, HCedcpBr denotes -(carboxyethyl)-(3,5-dicarboxyl)-pyridinium bromide) and {[Ag(Cmdcp)(HO)]·4HO} (, 2D, HCmdcpBr denotes -(carboxymethyl)-(3,5-dicarboxyl)-pyridinium bromide) have been prepared and investigated for antimicrobial activity via minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) test and killing kinetic assay. Both MOFs and show good water stability and solubility ascribed to their characteristic aromatic rings and positively charged pyridinium of the ligands, as well as the presence of Ag on their surface, leading to strong antimicrobial activity and a wide antimicrobial spectrum toward Gram-negative and positive bacteria. The results indicated that MOF possesses a faster antibacterial activity (60 min) than MOF (120 min).

Speedy, Specific, Synchronous Sensing Platforms with Ruthenium Complexes for Multiplexed MicroRNA Detection.

Inspired by our previous study on Ru(II)-based compounds for the construction of a sensing platform toward detection of microRNA-185 (miR-185), we herein report new analytical platforms based on two additional Ru(II) compounds, and , with larger aromatic ring structures and richer hydrogen bond donor/acceptor sites in comparison to the previously reported , as simultaneous detection agents for miR-221/222, which work together to promote the occurrence and development of breast cancer. Molecular simulation docking was first used to predict the nucleic acid sequence binding affinity toward Ru(II) compounds to guide the experiment. The experimental results reveal that and can form a P-DNA@ sensing platform with the introduction of carboxyfluorescein (FAM)/5-carboxy-X-rhodamine (ROX) tagged single-chained probe DNA (P-DNA), to realize the discernment of the complementary P-DNA sequence of miR-221/222, giving the limit of detection (LOD) at the nanomolar level with a specific and speedy response.

Oleanolic acid inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis via ER alpha/miR-503/RANK signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells.

Oleanolic acid (OA) has recently become a research hotspot in the treatment of many human diseases, especially osteoporosis and arthritis. However, the mechanisms are not elucidated completely. We aimed to elucidate the target and the mechanism via which OA inhibited osteoclast differentiation.

Successive and Specific Detection of Hg and I by a DNA@MOF Biosensor: Experimental and Simulation Studies.

A 2D metal-organic framework (MOF) of {[Cu(Dcbb)(Bpe)]·Cl} (1, HDcbbBr = 1-(3,5-dicarboxybenzyl)-4,4'-bipyridinium bromide, Bpe = trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene)) has been prepared. MOF 1 associates with the thymine-rich (T-rich), single-stranded probe DNA (ss-DNA, denoted as P-DNA) labeled with fluorophore FAM (FAM = carboxyfluorescein) and quenches the FAM emission to give a nonemissive P-DNA@1 hybrid (off state). The P-DNA in the hybrid subsequently captures the Hg to give a rigid double-stranded DNA featuring T-Hg-T motif (ds-DNA@Hg) and detach from MOF 1, triggering the recovery of the FAM fluorescence (on state).

[Psoralen inhibits RAW264.7 differentiation into osteoclasts and bone resorption by regulating CD4+T cell differentiation].

This paper aimed to investigate whether psoralen inhibits the differentiation and bone resorption by regulating CD4+T cell differentiation in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in RAW264.7 cells, and elucidate its mechanism for osteoporosis. CD4+T cells were isolated from spleen cells of Balb/c mice by immunomagnetic separation method.

Synchronous detection of ebolavirus conserved RNA sequences and ebolavirus-encoded miRNA-like fragment based on a zwitterionic copper (II) metal-organic framework.

From a three-dimensional (3D) metal-organic framework (MOF) of {[Cu(Cmdcp)(phen)(HO)]·9HO} (1, HCmdcpBr = N-carboxymethyl-(3,5-dicarboxyl)pyridinium bromide, phen = phenanthroline), a sensitive and selective fluorescence sensor has been developed for the simultaneous detection of ebolavirus conserved RNA sequences and ebolavirus-encoded microRNA-like (miRNA-like) fragment. The results from molecular dynamics simulation confirmed that MOF 1 absorbs carboxyfluorescein (FAM)-tagged and 5(6)-carboxyrhodamine, triethylammonium salt (ROX)-tagged probe ss-DNA (probe DNA, P-DNA) by ππ stacking and hydrogen bonding, as well as additional electrostatic interactions to form a sensing platform of P-DNAs@1 with quenched FAM and ROX fluorescence. In the presence of targeted ebolavirus conserved RNA sequences or ebolavirus-encoded miRNA-like fragment, the fluorophore-labeled P-DNA hybridizes with the analyte to give a P-DNA@RNA duplex and released from MOF 1, triggering a fluorescence recovery.

Fluorescence sensing platform based on ruthenium(II) complexes as high 3S (sensitivity, specificity, speed) and "on-off-on" sensors for the miR-185 detection.

Inspired by the enormous importance attributed to the biological function of miRNA, we pour our attention into the design and synthesis of four ruthenium(II) complexes and evaluate their applications as miR-185 detection agents by spectroscopic measurements. It was found that all complexes can form sensing platform for the detection of the complementary target miR-185 through the introduction of carboxyfluorescein (FAM) labeled single stranded DNA (P-DNA), giving the detection limits of 0.42nM for Ru 1, 0.

Sequence-specific fluorometric recognition of HIV-1 ds-DNA with zwitterionic zinc(II)-carboxylate polymers.

Four water-stable zwitterionic zinc-carboxylate polymers are prepared by reacting N-carboxymethyl-(3,5-dicarboxy)-pyridinium bromide (HCmdcpBr) with zinc(II) nitrate in the presence of NaOH, through adjusting the solvents and ancillary ligands. With HO as the solvent and the absence of an ancillary ligand, a two-dimensional (2D) polymer network [Zn(Cmdcp)(HO)] (1) is formed. In a mixed HO/DMF solvent and with the presence of chelating ligands 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and 2-(4-pyridyl)benzimidazole (pbz), a one-dimensional (1D) polymer of {[Zn(Cmdcp)(bipy)(HO)](NO)·3HO} (2), a mononuclear ionic species of [Zn(phen)(HO)][Cmdcp] (3), and a 2D polymer of {[Zn(Cmdcp)(pbz)][pbz]·7HO} (4) are accordingly formed.