Fluorogenic Chemical Probe Strategy for Precise Tracking of Mitochondrial Polarity.

Mitochondrial polarity is a critical indicator of numerous pathological and biological processes; thus, the development of fluorescent probes capable of targeting mitochondria and visually monitoring its polarity is of great significance. In this study, fluorescent probes were designed with a N, N-dialkylamino rhodol scaffold as the fluorophore sensitive to polarity environments, in which the alkyl chain length was adjusted rationally to obtain distinct polarity recognition modes. By integrating mitochondria targeting groups, three fluorogenic chemical probes , , and have been obtained, featuring the capability to target mitochondria and monitor its polarity precisely, dynamically and visually.

N,N-dimethylformamide-induced acute liver damage is driven by the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in liver macrophages of mice.

N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) is a non-negligible volatile hazardous material in indoor and outdoor environments. Although the hepatotoxicity of DMF has been well recognized, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear and prophylactic medicine is still lacking. Herein, we established a DMF-induced acute liver injury mouse model and investigated the underlying mechanisms focusing on oxidative stress and the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain (PYD)-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome.

Diallyl disulfide ameliorates ethanol-induced liver steatosis and inflammation by maintaining the fatty acid catabolism and regulating the gut-liver axis.

Diallyl disulfide (DADS) has been suggested to possess hepatoprotection against alcoholic liver disease (ALD) by a couple of pilot studies, while the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of DADS against ethanol-induced liver steatosis and early inflammation by using the chronic-plus-binge mice model and cultured J774A.1 macrophages and AML12 hepatocytes.

Iron overload in alcoholic liver disease: underlying mechanisms, detrimental effects, and potential therapeutic targets.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a global public health challenge due to the high incidence and lack of effective therapeutics. Evidence from animal studies and ALD patients has demonstrated that iron overload is a hallmark of ALD. Ethanol exposure can promote iron absorption by downregulating the hepcidin expression, which is probably mediated by inducing oxidative stress and promoting erythropoietin (EPO) production.

Efficacy and safety of argatroban in treatment of acute ischemic stroke: A meta-analysis.

Background: Argatroban is a novel direct thrombin inhibitor that has been used for treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). To our knowledge, no systematic analysis has assessed the efficacy and safety of argatroban for treatment of AIS.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of argatroban for treatment of AIS.

Treatment of biliary stenosis using percutaneous transhepatic cholangiobiopsy with biopsy forceps of varying diameter.

Background: The present study aimed to compare the clinical results and pathological diagnostic quality of percutaneous transhepatic cholangiobiopsy for biliary obstruction using biopsy forceps (BFs) of varying diameter.

Methods: A total of 57 patients with obstructive jaundice who underwent percutaneous transhepatic cholangiobiopsy and drainage with 1 of 2 BFs diameters (6.0-mm BFs, n=30; 4.

Diallyl disulfide suppresses the lipopolysaccharide-driven inflammatory response of macrophages by activating the Nrf2 pathway.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-driven activation of Kupffer cells plays critical roles in the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Accumulating evidence has revealed that nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) can modulate the polarization of macrophages. The current study aimed to investigate the roles of diallyl disulfide (DADS) in LPS-driven inflammation in vitro and in vivo.

A deep-red lysosome-targetable fluorescent probe for detection of hypochlorous acid in pure water and its imaging application in living cells and zebrafish.

Hypochlorite plays a significant role in physiological processes, particularly regulation of lysosomal functions, and is involved in various diseases. Thus, it is crucial to develop highly sensitive and selective molecule tools to detect HClO in lysosomes. Herein, a novel 2H-benzo[h]chromene-pyridine derivative (1) was synthesized through condensation reaction, which exhibited a notable deep-red emission at 640 nm in pure water.

Biliary microbiota and mucin 4 impact the calcification of cholesterol gallstones.

Background: Cholesterol gallstones account for over 80% of gallstones, and the pathogenesis of gallstone formation involves genetic and environmental factors. However, data on the evolution of cholesterol gallstones with various densities are limited. This study aimed to determine the roles of microbiota and mucins on the formation of calcified cholesterol gallstones in patients with cholelithiasis.

Cryotherapy in Semirigid Thoracoscopy for Debridement of Multiloculated Empyema.

Surgical intervention is occasionally required for the treatment of pleural empyema. Semirigid thoracoscopy is a safe and successful surgical approach utilized by interventional pulmonologists, conventionally utilizing flexible forceps and suction as the main tools, but they can sometimes be inefficient for more complicated cases. In debriding a case of multiloculated empyema with semirigid thoracoscopy, we report the novel use of cryotherapy in clearing adhesions from the pleural cavity.

SRSF3 functions as an oncogene in colorectal cancer by regulating the expression of ArhGAP30.

Background: Splicing factor SRSF3 is an oncogene and overexpressed in various kinds of cancers, however, the function and mechanism involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) remained unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between SRSF3 and carcinogenesis and progression of CRC.

Methods: The expression of SRSF3 in CRC tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry.

Downregulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in chronic ethanol-induced fatty liver.

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are versatile proteins that have been suggested to be involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism. This study was designed to investigate the responses of MAPK signaling to chronic ethanol exposure and , and try to explore its role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic fatty liver (AFL). Mice were fed with Lieber-Decarli liquid diet (5% ethanol, w/v) for 4 weeks to induce fatty liver, and the chronological changes of MAPK phosphorylation were measured using western blotting.

Association between fetal fraction at the second trimester and subsequent spontaneous preterm birth.

Objective: To evaluate the association between the fetal fraction of cell-free DNA at the second trimester and subsequent spontaneous preterm birth.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data were collected from women with singleton pregnancies who underwent noninvasive prenatal testing at 14 to 25 weeks of gestation. The eligible patients were classified into three groups according to pregnancy outcome: birth at ≥37 weeks of gestation (term group), delivery at <34 weeks of gestation (early spontaneous preterm), and delivery at 34 to 36  weeks of gestation (late spontaneous preterm).

Exchange-biased hybrid γ-FeO/NiO core-shell nanostructures: three-step synthesis, microstructure, and magnetic properties.

A two-step solvothermal method combining a calcination process was conducted to synthesize γ-Fe2O3/NiO core-shell nanostructures with controlled microstructure. The formation mechanism of this binary system has been discussed, and the influence of microstructures on magnetic properties has been analyzed in detail. Microstructural characterizations reveal that the NiO shells consisted of many irregular nanosheets with disordered orientations and monocrystalline structures, packed on the surface of the γ-Fe2O3 microspheres.

Hypoxia promotes differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells into endothelial cells through demethylation of ephrinB2.

Background: Delivery of endothelial cells into the ischemic tissue is emerging as an alternative approach in revascularization of injured tissues by means of angiogenesis to restore organ function. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are a readily accessible source of the mesenchymal stem cell with rapid expansion and multidifferentiation potential. The view has emerged that endothelial cells (ECs) differentiated from ASCs is a step forward for adult vascular repair in regenerative medicine and construction of the blood vessel by tissue engineering approach.

Study on Hesitant Fuzzy Information Measures and Their Clustering Application.

At present, research on hesitant fuzzy operations and measures is based on equal length processing, and an equal length processing method will inevitably destroy the original data structure and change the data information. This is an urgent problem to be solved in the development of hesitant fuzzy sets. Aiming at solving this problem, this paper firstly defines a hesitant fuzzy entropy function as the measure of the degree of uncertainty of hesitant fuzzy information and then proposes the concept of hesitant fuzzy information feature vector.

Targeting Nrf-2 is a promising intervention approach for the prevention of ethanol-induced liver disease.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) remains to be a worldwide health problem. It is generally accepted that oxidative stress plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of ALD, and antioxidant therapy represents a logical strategy for the prevention and treatment of ALD. Nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (NFE2L2 or Nrf-2) is essential for the antioxidant responsive element (ARE)-mediated induction of endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and glutamate-cysteine ligase [GCL, the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of glutathione (GSH)].

Downregulation of ZNF278 arrests the cell cycle and decreases the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells via inhibition of the ERK/MAPK pathway.

Zinc finger protein 278 is a zinc finger transcription factor encoded on the 22q12.2 chromosome. Previous studies revealed that ZNF278 expression was significantly upregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissue compared to adjacent non-tumor tissue.

Emerging Roles of Hydrogen Sulfide in Inflammatory and Neoplastic Colonic Diseases.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a toxic gas that has been recognized as an important mediator of many physiological processes, such as neurodegeneration, regulation of inflammation, blood pressure, and metabolism. In the human colon, H2S is produced by both endogenous enzymes and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). H2S is involved in the physiological and pathophysiological conditions of the colon, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC), which makes the pharmacological modulation of H2S production and metabolism a potential chemical target for the treatment of colonic diseases.

Noninvasive detection of fetal subchromosomal abnormalities by semiconductor sequencing of maternal plasma DNA.

Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) using sequencing of fetal cell-free DNA from maternal plasma has enabled accurate prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidy and become increasingly accepted in clinical practice. We investigated whether NIPT using semiconductor sequencing platform (SSP) could reliably detect subchromosomal deletions/duplications in women carrying high-risk fetuses. We first showed that increasing concentration of abnormal DNA and sequencing depth improved detection.

Sensitive detection of carcinoembryonic antigen using surface plasmon resonance biosensor with gold nanoparticles signal amplification.

A new method for real-time detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in human serum with high sensitivity and selectivity using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor was developed. Two kinds of antibodies were used to recognize CEA at different epitopes with high affinity and specificity. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) modified with streptavidin (SA) were used to further enhance signal specifically via biotin-streptavidin interaction.