Interaction of characteristic structural elements of persimmon tannin with Chinese cobra PLA2.

To more fully understand the mechanism by which persimmon tannin (PT) inhibited phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and the structural requirements of PT for the inhibition, the interactions between PLA2 and seven characteristic structural elements of PT including epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), myricetin, epicatechin-3-gallate (ECG), epicatechin-3-gallate-(4β → 8, 2β → O → 7)-epicatechin-3-gallate (A-type ECG dimer), epigallocatechin-3-gallate-(4β → 8, 2β → O → 7)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (A-type EGCG dimer), epicatechin-(4β → 8, 2β → O → 7)-epicatechin (A-type EC dimer) and epicatechin-(4β → 8)-epicatechin (B-type EC dimer) were studied by enzymatic and spectroscopic methods. Molecular docking was also used to explore the possible residues involved in the interactions. The results revealed that A-type EGCG dimer and A-type ECG dimer showed higher inhibitory effects on the catalytic activity of PLA2 than monomers and B-type dimer.

Synthesis of BSA/Fe3O4 magnetic composite microspheres for adsorption of antibiotics.

BSA/Fe3O4 magnetic composite microspheres with high saturation magnetization and paramagnetic property were prepared via inverse emulsion technology at room temperature, bovine serum albumin (BSA, 60 KD), magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) and glutaraldehyde as macromonomer, inorganic particles and cross-linking agent, respectively. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), metalloscope, and particle size analyzer were used to characterize morphology and structure of composite microspheres. Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to test magnetic properties of the synthesized samples, adsorption capacity of microspheres was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometer (UV).

Site-directed mutagenesis improves the thermostability and catalytic efficiency of Aspergillus niger N25 phytase mutated by I44E and T252R.

Aspergillus niger phytase (PhyA) has been used as a feed supplement to improve the bioavailability of phytate phosphorus to swine and poultry. However, it is unable to maintain its stability due to high temperature during the feed pelleting process. In this study, we performed site-directed mutagenesis in the Aspergillus niger N25 phyA (m) gene at residue 44I and 252 T, and they were replaced by glutamic acid and arginine.

Ligusticum chuanxiong prevents ovariectomy-induced liver and vascular damage in rats.

Post-menopause, there is an increase in body weight, visceral adiposity, and risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which leads to various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Some natural products have proven useful for counteracting the detrimental effects of menopause. The rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.

Detection of prostate cancer in peripheral zone: comparison of MR diffusion tensor imaging, quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, and the two techniques combined at 3.0 T.

Background: Previous studies have shown that the diagnostic accuracy for prostate cancer improved with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) or quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) only. However, the efficacy of combined DTI and quantitative DCE-MRI in detecting prostate cancer at 3.0 T is still indeterminate.

Aristolochia debilis Sieb. et Zucc. induces apoptosis and reactive oxygen species in the HT-29 human colon cancer cell line.

In this study, we investigated the potential anticancer effect and mechanisms of action of a methanol extract from Aristolochia debilis Sieb. et Zucc (A. debilis) stems on human colon cancer cells (HT-29).

A spherical nucleic acid platform based on self-assembled DNA biopolymer for high-performance cancer therapy.

Based on their enhanced cellular uptake, stability, biocompatibility, and versatile surface functionalization, spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) have become a potentially useful platform in biological applications. It still remains important to expand the SNAs' "toolbox", especially given the current interest in multimodal or theranostic nanomaterials, that is, composites capable of multiple simultaneous applications such as imaging, sensing, and drug delivery. In this paper, we have engineered a nanoparticle-conjugated initiator that triggers a cascade of hybridization reactions resulting in the formation of a long DNA polymer as the nanoparticle shell.

Bioelectric modulation of wound healing in a 3D in vitro model of tissue-engineered bone.

Long-standing interest in bioelectric regulation of bone fracture healing has primarily focused on exogenous stimulation of bone using applied electromagnetic fields. Endogenous electric signals, such as spatial gradients of resting potential among non-excitable cells in vivo, have also been shown to be important in cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and tissue regeneration, and may therefore have as-yet unexplored therapeutic potential for regulating wound healing in bone tissue. To study this form of bioelectric regulation, there is a need for three-dimensional (3D) in vitro wound tissue models that can overcome limitations of current in vivo models.

Engineering of switchable aptamer micelle flares for molecular imaging in living cells.

Simultaneous monitoring of the expression, distribution, and dynamics of biological molecules in living cells is one of the most challenging tasks in the analytical sciences. The key to effective and successful intracellular imaging is the development of delivery platforms with high efficiency and ultrasensitive molecular probes for specific targets of interest. To achieve these goals, many nanomaterials are widely used as carriers to introduce nucleic acid probes into living cells for real-time imaging of biomolecules.

Multiple silk coatings on biphasic calcium phosphate scaffolds: effect on physical and mechanical properties and in vitro osteogenic response of human mesenchymal stem cells.

Ceramic scaffolds such as biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) have been widely studied and used for bone regeneration, but their brittleness and low mechanical strength are major drawbacks. We report the first systematic study on the effect of silk coating in improving the mechanical and biological properties of BCP scaffolds, including (1) optimization of the silk coating process by investigating multiple coatings, and (2) in vitro evaluation of the osteogenic response of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on the coated scaffolds. Our results show that multiple silk coatings on BCP ceramic scaffolds can achieve a significant coating effect to approach the mechanical properties of native bone tissue and positively influence osteogenesis by hMSCs over an extended period.

[Insulin-like growth factor 1 induces bone mesenchymal stem cells differentiation into cardiomyocyte-like cells].

Objective: To explore the ability and mechanism of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) induced bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) differentiation into cardiomyocyte-like cells (CLCs).

Methods: BMSCs were isolated and purified in vitro. BMSCs were treated with control medium and 15 ng/ml IGF-1 for 3, 7, 14 and 21 d, respectively.

The underling mechanism of bacterial TetR/AcrR family transcriptional repressors.

Bacteria transcriptional regulators are classified by their functional and sequence similarities. Member of the TetR/AcrR family is two-domain proteins including an N-terminal HTH DNA-binding motif and a C-terminal ligand recognition domain. The C-terminal ligand recognition domain can recognize the very same compounds as their target transporters transferred.

Differential changes of left ventricular myocardial deformation in diabetic patients with controlled and uncontrolled blood glucose: a three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography-based study.

Background: Preclinical left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction has been documented in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) with preserved LV ejection fractions (LVEFs). The aims of this study were to investigate whether there is any difference in myocardial deformation between patients with DM with controlled (defined as glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] < 7%) and uncontrolled (HbA1c ≥ 7%) blood glucose using three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography and to explore whether the level of HbA1c is associated with preclinical LV systolic dysfunction.

Methods: Thirty-one patients with DM with controlled blood glucose, 37 patients with DM with uncontrolled blood glucose, and 63 matched controls were studied.

Protective effects of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 on whole body heat stress-induced oxidative damage in the mouse testis.

Background: Whole body heat stress had detrimental effect on male reproductive function. It's known that the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activates expression of cytoprotective genes to enable cell adaptation to protect against oxidative stress. However, it's still unclear about the exactly effects of Nrf2 on the testis.

Magnetic properties and temperature-dependent half-metallicity of Co2Mn(Ga(1-x)Z(x)) (Z=Si, Ge, Sn) from first-principles calculation.

Using the first-principles exact muffin-tin orbitals method in combination with the coherent potential approximation, we investigated the magnetic properties, exchange interactions, and temperature-dependent half-metallicity of the Co2Mn(Ga1-xZx) (Z=Si, Ge, Sn) alloys. The total magnetic moment follows perfectly a previously proposed Slater-Pauling relation, i.e.

The interaction of a polymeric persimmon proanthocyanidin fraction with Chinese cobra PLA2 and BSA.

To elucidate the anti-venom mechanism of persimmon tannin, the interaction between a polymeric persimmon proanthocyanidin fraction (PT40) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2) or bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied using a competitive binding assay and spectroscopic methods including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), circular dichroism (CD), and resonance light scattering (RLS) spectroscopy. The results revealed that PT40 has a higher affinity for PLA2 than for BSA at physiological pH and induced greater conformational changes in PLA2 than in BSA. PT40 covalently bound to PLA2 in a reaction probably involving Lys residues.

[Relationship between genetic polymorphisms of 3 SNP loci in 5-HTT gene and paranoid schizophrenia].

Objective: To investigate the population genetic data of 3 SNP loci (rs25533, rs34388196 and rs1042173) of 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter (5-HTT) gene and the association with paranoid schizophrenia.

Methods: Three SNP loci of 5-HTT gene were examined in 132 paranoid schizophrenia patients and 150 unrelated healthy individuals of Northern Chinese Han population by PCR-RFLP technique. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium test was performed using the chi-square test and the data of haplotype frequency and population genetics parameters were statistically analyzed.

Autophagy during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and implications for future tuberculosis medications.

Autophagy is a cellular homeostasis mechanism to eliminate unwanted or excessive organelles, or for the turnover of long-life cytosolic macromolecules. During Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, autophagy represents not only an antimicrobial mechanism for the clearance of the intracellular pathogen, but also prevents excessive inflammation, avoiding the adverse effects on host. Here we focus on the anti-tuberculosis autophagy and signal pathways involved, and attempt to depict an integrative map of the interaction between autophagy and cytokine, ROS production, vitamin D, and inflammatory response.

The role of TRAIL signal pathway in acute pancreatitis.

Background/aims: The incidence of acute pancreatitis has been increasing recently. This study aims to elucidatethe role of TRAIL signal pathway in the process of acute pancreatitis.

Methodology: Pancreatitis models were constructed by cerulein or cerulein plus lipopolysaccharide.

Thymic extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue: a gene methylation study.

Although rare, thymic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is considered to be a distinct clinicopathological entity. Using a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, we analyzed thymic MALT lymphomas (n = 18) for their methylation of the following seven tumor suppressor genes: DAPK1, p16(INK4A), p14(ARF), CDH1, RARB, TIMP3 and MGMT. Reactive lymph nodes (n = 16) were used as a control.

The biology of Mycobacterium cord factor and roles in pathogen-host interaction.

Mycobacterium cord factor was long held as a virulence factor contributing to the pathogenesis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Abundant studies have shed light on its unique chemical structures, metabolism, and receptors on macrophages. The mechanisms underlying cord factor virulence remain elusive.

Effects of exposure to nanoparticle-rich diesel exhaust on pregnancy in rats.

Pollutants from burning of diesel fuel are hazardous to human health. Nanoparticles in diesel exhaust potentially have profound impact on fetal development and maternal endocrine function during pregnancy due to their ability to penetrate deeply into the body. To investigate the effects of nanoparticle-rich diesel exhaust (NR-DE) on pregnancy, pregnant rats were exposed to NR-DE, filtered diesel exhaust (F-DE) or clean air for 19 days of gestation.

Function and evolution of ubiquitous bacterial signaling adapter phosphopeptide recognition domain FHA.

Forkhead-associated domain (FHA) is a phosphopeptide recognition domain embedded in some regulatory proteins. With similar fold type to important eukaryotic signaling molecules such as Smad2 and IRF3, the role of bacterial FHA domain is intensively pursued. Reported bacterial FHA domain roles include: regulation of glutamate and lipids production, regulation of cell shape, type III secretion, ethambutol resistance, sporulation, signal transduction, carbohydrate storage and transport, and pathogenic and symbiotic host-bacterium interactions.

A subchronic dietary toxicity study of rice hull fiber in rats.

We conducted a 90-day feeding study to investigate subchronic toxicity of rice hull fiber. Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups; each received a diet containing 0%, 2.5%, 3.

High-volume hemofiltration reduces the expression of myocardial tumor necrosis factor-alpha in septic shock pigs.

Increasing evidence indicates that the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in myocardium correlates with the severity of cardiac dysfunction in septic shock. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of high-volume hemofiltration (HVHF) on the expression of TNF-α in myocardium in septic shock pigs. Sixteen male Landrace pigs weighing 31 ± 5 kg were randomly assigned to control group (n = 4), septic shock group (n = 6), and HVHF group (septic shock + HVHF, n = 6).