CD-g-CS nanoparticles for enhanced antibiotic treatment of Staphylococcus xylosus infection.

Staphylococcus xylosus (S. xylosus)-induced cow mastitis is an extremely serious clinical problem. However, antibiotic therapy does not successfully treat S.

The role of DCs in the immunopathogenesis of chronic HBV infection and the methods of inducing DCs maturation.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the result of an inadequate immune response towards the virus. Dendritic cells (DCs), as the most efficient professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), possess the strongest antigen presenting the effect in the body and can stimulate the initial T cell activation and proliferation. DCs of patients with chronic HBV infection are impaired, resulting in more tolerogenic rather than immunogenic responses, which may contribute to viral persistence.

The adiponectin-SIRT1-AMPK pathway in alcoholic fatty liver disease in the rat.

Background: Our previous work showed that binge drinking in the rat induced hepatic steatosis which correlated with reduced expression of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). In this study, we used the rat model to investigate the role of adiponectin (Adip), sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), AMPK, and lipin 1 (LIP 1) signaling, a central controlling pathway of lipid metabolism in hepatic steatosis.

Methods: The serum Adip and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) as well as liver Adip receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) SIRT1, AMPK, phosphorylated AMPK (p-AMPK), sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), LIP 1, lipocalin-2 (LCN2), and serum amyloid A1 were assessed in the rat model where 16 weeks of gavaged alcohol were administered.

Involvement of insulin resistance in the protective effect of metformin against alcoholic liver injury.

Background: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) continues to be a major cause of morbidity worldwide. The exact mechanisms for ALD pathogenesis are not fully understood. There is currently no known available drug for ALD.

[Dynamic changes in programmed death-1 expression on the surface of T cells in chronic hepatitis C patients undergoing interferon therapy].

Objective: To investigate the dynamic changes that occur in T cell subsets, particularly involving the surface expression of programmed death 1 (PD-1), in response to pegylated (Peg)-interferon (IFN) a-2a therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Methods: Twenty-five patients with HCV genotype 1b chronic infection and 10 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. All the HCV patients received combination antiviral therapy of Peg-IFNa-2a (180 mug/week) plus ribavirin.

[PD-1 expression in HBcAg-specific CD8+ T cells of adolescents with chronic HBV infection].

Objective: To investigate the differential expression of programmed death-1 (PD-1) in the hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg)17-28-specific CD8+ T cell subsets of adolescent patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection during the immune tolerant phase and the immune clearance phase.

Methods: A total of 105 patients between the ages of 12-28 years old (mean age 17.20+/-6.

Virological responses in chronic hepatitis C patients undergoing prolonged therapy with low-dose Peg-IFNα-2a.

Background/aims: Standard dose therapy with pegylated interferon α-2a (Peg-IFNα-2a) and ribavirin is not suitable for all patients because of the side effects. This study aims to evaluate the virological responses of low-dose but long-course Peg-IFNα-2a therapy compared with standard therapy.

Methodology: Ninety patients with chronic hepatitis C were divided into three groups according to their tolerance to Peg-IFNα-2a.

[Role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in alcoholic liver disease-related hepatocyte apoptosis].

Objective: To investigate the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in alcoholic liver disease (ALD)-related hepatocyte apoptosis.

Methods: A rat model of ALD was established by continuous intragastric administration of ethanol. At 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks later, randomly selected rats were sacrificed for serum and liver sample collection.

The formation of a luminescent Mn(III,IV) intermediate of bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine and acetone assistant its intramolecular C-H oxidation.

The dinuclear Mn(II) complexes of bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (dpa) reacted with H(2)O(2) producing a fluorescent dioxodimanganese(III,IV) intermediate [(dpa)Mn(2)Cl(2)(μ-O(2))(OHdpa)](3+), which was characterized by IR, UV, ESR, ES-MS and fluorescence spectra. ES-MS data show that this intermediate could bind an acetone molecule forming dioxodimanganese(III,IV)-acetone adduct [(dpa)Mn(2)Cl(2)(μ-O)(CH(3)COCH(3))(OHdpa)](3+). The emission of dioxodimanganese(III,IV)-acetone at 378 nm was stronger than that of dioxodimanganese(III,IV) complex.

Anticancer activity, attenuation on the absorption of calcium in mitochondria, and catalase activity for manganese complexes of N-substituted di(picolyl)amine.

In order to find multifunction anticancer complexes, three Mn(II) complexes of N-substituted di(2-pyridylmethyl)amine were characterized and used as agents to interfere with the functions of mitochondria and the metabolite of O(2) in cancer cells. It was found that carboxylate-bridged dimanganese(II) systems are good models of catalase and exhibit good inhibition of the proliferation of U251 and HeLa cells. The inhibiting activity of these manganese(II) complexes on the tumor cells in vitro was related to their disproportionating H(2)O(2) activity.

[The virological response in prolonged therapy of chronic hepatitis C with low-dose peginterferon alpha-2a].

Objective: To investigate the virological response in prolonged therapy of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with low-dose peginterferon alpha-2a.

Methods: The 92 cases of in-patients with chronic hepatitis C in September 2004 to September 2006 were divided to three groups according the endurance of interferon. The dose of peginterferon alpha-2a was 67.

Synthesis, anticancer activities, interaction with DNA and mitochondria of manganese complexes.

Two new complexes [(Etdpa)MnCl(2)] and [(Adpa)Mn(Cl)(H(2)O)] (Etdpa = ethyl bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino-2-propionate; Adpa = bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino-2-propionic acid) were synthesized and characterized by spectral methods. The crystal structure of [(Etdpa)MnCl(2)] shows that the Mn(II) atom is coordinated by three N atoms (N1, N2, N3), one oxygen atom (O1) of the ligand (Etdpa) and two chloride atoms (Cl1, Cl2), forming a distorted octahedral geometry. The binding interaction between ct-DNA and the synthesized complexes was relatively weak, but they can inhibit the induced swelling of Ca(2+)-loaded mitochondria in a dose-dependent manner.