Restoration of intrahepatic regulatory T cells through MMP-9/13-dependent activation of TGF-β is critical for immune homeostasis following acute liver injury.

During the acute liver injury, immune responses are provoked into eliciting inflammation in the acute phase. In the healing phase, the inflammation is terminated for wound healing and restoration of immune homeostasis. In this study, we sought to address how regulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in the progression of liver injury and repair.

NMR studies of the dynamics of nitrophorin 2 bound to nitric oxide.

The Rhodnius nitrophorins are β-barrel proteins of the lipocalin fold with a heme protruding from the open end of the barrel. They are found in the saliva of the blood-sucking insect Rhodnius prolixus, which synthesizes and stores nitric oxide (NO) in the salivary glands, where NO is bound to iron. NO is released by dilution and an increase in pH when the insect spits its saliva into the tissues of a victim, to aid in obtaining a blood meal.

Enantioseparation and determination of the chiral fungicide furametpyr enantiomers in rice, soil, and water by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The chiral fungicide furametpyr is widely used in the rice field to control rice sheath blight; however, furametpyr enantiomers are treated as just one compound in traditional achiral analysis, which gives only partial information. An effective chiral analytical method was developed for the resolution and determination of the fungicide furametpyr enantiomers in rice, soil, and water samples. Furametpyr enantiomers were excellently separated and determined on a Chiralpak AD-H column with n-hexane/ethanol (90:10, v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.

[A clinical study on effects of distalization of whole upper arch in borderline Class II malocclusion using microscrew anchorages in inferiozygomatic area].

Purpose: To investigate the effect of distalization of upper dentition using microscrew anchorages placed in inferiozygomatic area to correct borderline Class II malocclusion.

Methods: Nine borderline Class II cases aged from 13-17 years old, with moderate convex profile were selected. All cases were designed to extract upper second molars or third molar germs to provide space for distalization of upper dentition using microscrew anchorages placed in inferiozygomatic area.

Role of activin A in carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury.

Aim: To investigate the expression and role of activin A in a mouse model of acute chemical liver injury.

Methods: Acute liver injury in C57BL/6 male mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) (0.5 mL/kg, body weight) dissolved in olive oil (1:19 v/v).

Rapid fabrication of surface micro/nano structures with enhanced broadband absorption on Cu by picosecond laser.

A surface micro/nano structuring technique was demonstrated by utilizing a picosecond laser beam to rapidly modify the optical property of copper surfaces with a scanning speed up to tens of millimeters per second. Three kinds of surface micro/nanostructures corresponding to three levels of reflectance were produced which are obviously different from those induced by a femtosecond or nanosecond laser. Specifically, a porous coral-like structure results in over 97% absorptivity in the visible spectral region and over 90% absorptivity in average in the UV, visible, and NIR regions (250 - 2500 nm).

Anti-inflammatory secondary metabolites from the leaves of Rosa laevigata.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of a n-BuOH-soluble extract of the leaves of Rosa laevigata led to the isolation of three new 19-oxo-18,19-seco-ur-sane-type triterpenoids, laevigins A-C (1-3), a new oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin, laevigin D (4), a new geranylmethylbenzoate, 5-[(2″E,6″S)-6″,7″-dihydroxy-3″,7″-dimethyl-2″-octen-1″-yl]-2-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-methyl benzoate (5), together with 9 known compounds (6-14). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Compounds 4, 9, 11, and 12 significantly suppressed the LPS-stimulated NF-κB transcriptional activity and the release of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 in mouse RAW 264.

Therapeutic effect of minimally invasive decompression combined with impaction bone grafting on osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

The aim of this study was to observe the therapeutic effect of minimally invasive decompression combined with impaction bone grafting on osteonecrosis of the femoral head. A total of 67 patients underwent minimally invasive lightbulb decompression combined with impaction bone grafting. The therapeutic effect was evaluated according to Harris scores, and fluoroscopic and magnetic resolution imaging results at different time points.

Electron spin density on the axial His ligand of high-spin and low-spin nitrophorin 2 probed by heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy.

The electronic structure of heme proteins is exquisitely tuned by the interaction of the iron center with the axial ligands. NMR studies of paramagnetic heme systems have been focused on the heme signals, but signals from the axial ligands have been rather difficult to detect and assign. We report an extensive assignment of the (1)H, (13)C and (15)N resonances of the axial His ligand in the NO-carrying protein nitrophorin 2 (NP2) in the paramagnetic high-spin and low-spin forms, as well as in the diamagnetic NO complex.

[Expression and significance of growth-associated protein 43 in a rat model of intervertebral disc inflammation].

Objective: To investigate the expression and significance of growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and intervertebral disc in the rat model of intervertebral disc inflammation.

Methods: A total of 103 adult male Sprague Dawley rats (weighing, 200-250 g) were randomly divided into the experimental group (n = 48), the control group (n = 48), and the blank control group (n = 7). Fluoro-gold (F-G) as tracer was injected into the L6, 6 intervertebral disc of 3 groups; after 7 days of F-G injection, complete Freund's adjuvant (50 microL) and the same volume of saline were injected in the experimental group (to prepare the model of intervertebral disc inflammation) and the control group, respectively, and the blank control group had no further treatment.

Changes in levels of T cell subpopulations to monitor the response to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-1-infected patients during two years of HIV-1 replication suppression.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of 2 y of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the percentage of activated CD38⁺CD8⁺ T cells and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR⁺CD8⁺ T cells, and the expression of the co-stimulatory molecule CD28 on CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in the peripheral blood of HIV-infected adults, and to assess the use of immune activation markers to predict the virological response to ART in a cohort of HIV-1-infected patients in the north-western part of China.

Methods: We analyzed changes in the CD4⁺ T cell count, viral load, and the percentages of CD38⁺CD8⁺ T cells, HLA-DR⁺CD8⁺ T cells, CD28⁺CD4⁺ T cells, and CD28⁺CD8⁺ T cells in 48 patients with HIV diseases during 2 y of suppressive highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Good virological responders (n = 20) were defined as those who had suppressed and maintained a plasma viral load below the detection limit of the assay for at least 12 months.

[The role of Smad ubiquitination regulatory factor 1 in hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To determine the expression level of Smad ubiquitination regulatory factor 1 (SMURF1) gene in hepatocellular carcinoma, and to explore its role in liver cancer.

Methods: With non-neoplastic adjacent normal tissues as controls, real-time PCR and Western blotting were used for measuring the expression of SMURF1 mRNA and protein in 89 samples of hepatocellular carcinoma. Correlations between SMURF1 expression and clinical features were explored.

Native N-terminus nitrophorin 2 from the kissing bug: similarities to and differences from NP2(D1A).

The first amino acid of mature native nitrophorin 2 is aspartic acid, and when expressed in E. coli, the wild-type gene of the mature protein retains the methionine-0, which is produced by translation of the start codon. This form of NP2, (M0)NP2, has been found to have different properties from its D1A mutant, for which the Met0 is cleaved by the methionine aminopeptidase of E.

[Epidemiological studies on close contacts of smear-positive tuberculosis patients in Shijiazhuang city from 2007 to 2008].

Objective: To analyze the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in people who were in close contact with smear-positive TB patients.

Methods: A total of 19 159 subjects, including 17 334 family members and 1825 classmates of patients, in close contact with 6653 smear-positive TB patients in Shijiazhuang city from 2007 to 2008 were observed. All the classmates were tested by purified protein derivative (PPD) test and symptom screening, and all family members were screened by symptoms.

Simplexolides A-E and plakorfuran A, six butyrate derived polyketides from the marine sponge .

Six new polyketides, simplexolides A-E () and a furan ester, plakorfuran A (), together with four known furanylidenic methyl esters () were isolated from the marine sponge . Compounds feature a tetrahydrofuran ring opened skeleton. These new structures, including relative configurations, were determined on the basis of extensive analysis of spectroscopic data.

Surface enhanced fluorescence of Rh6G with gold nanohole arrays.

Five gold nanohole arrays with distinct aperture size were fabricated by magnetron sputtering technique. Fluorescence enhancements of Rh6G fluorophore in the close vicinity of gold nanohole arrays were observed. Up to 40 times increase of fluorescence intensity was obtained from gold nanohole arrays as compared with a smooth gold surface control sample.

Nuclear inelastic scattering and Mössbauer spectroscopy as local probes for ligand binding modes and electronic properties in proteins: vibrational behavior of a ferriheme center inside a β-barrel protein.

In this work, we present a study of the influence of the protein matrix on its ability to tune the binding of small ligands such as NO, cyanide (CN(-)), and histamine to the ferric heme iron center in the NO-storage and -transport protein Nitrophorin 2 (NP2) from the salivary glands of the blood-sucking insect Rhodnius prolixus. Conventional Mössbauer spectroscopy shows a diamagnetic ground state of the NP2-NO complex and Type I and II electronic ground states of the NP2-CN(-) and NP2-histamine complex, respectively. The change in the vibrational signature of the protein upon ligand binding has been monitored by Nuclear Inelastic Scattering (NIS), also called Nuclear Resonant Vibrational Spectroscopy (NRVS).

NMR studies of nitrophorin distal pocket side chain effects on the heme orientation and seating of NP2 as compared to NP1.

The nitrophorins (NP) of the adult blood-sucking insect Rhodnius prolixus fall into two pairs based on sequence identity (NP1,4 (90%) and NP2,3 (79%)), which differ significantly in the size of side chains of residues which contact the heme. These residues include those in the distal pocket of NP2 (I120) and NP1 (T121) and the "belt" that surrounds the heme of NP2 (S40, F42), and NP1(A42, L44). To determine the importance of these residues and others conserved or very similar for the two pairs, including L122(123), L132(133), appropriate mutants of NP2 and NP1 have been prepared and studied by (1)H NMR spectroscopy.

Simplextones A and B, unusual polyketides from the marine sponge Plakortis simplex.

Two novel polyketides, simplextones A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the sponge Plakortis simplex. Their structures were established by spectroscopic methods. The absolute configurations were assigned by modified Mosher's method, X-ray crystallographic analysis, and quantum mechanical calculation of the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectrum.

Hippolides A-H, acyclic manoalide derivatives from the marine sponge Hippospongia lachne.

Eight new acyclic manoalide-related sesterterpenes, hippolides A-H (1-8), together with two known manoalide derivatives, (6E)-neomanoalide (9) and (6Z)-neomanoalide (10), were isolated from the South China Sea sponge Hippospongia lachne. The absolute configurations of 1-8 were established by the modified Mosher's method and CD data. Compound 1 exhibited cytotoxicity against A549, HeLa, and HCT-116 cell lines with IC50 values of 5.

A follow-up study of women with a history of severe preeclampsia: relationship between metabolic syndrome and preeclampsia.

Background: Women with a history of preeclampsia have twice the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and there is a graded relationship between the severity of preeclampsia and the risk of cardiac disease. Moreover, metabolic scores are associated with developing preeclampsia. However, since there are no diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome during pregnancy and pregnant women undergo metabolic changes, it is difficult to elucidate the relationship between preeclampsia and metabolic syndrome.

Addressing the stereochemistry of complex organic molecules by density functional theory-NMR: vannusal B in retrospective.

We have employed density functional theory (DFT) protocols to calculate the NMR properties of the vannusals, a class of natural products whose structures have been the subject of recent investigations. The originally assigned structure of vannusal B was revised after a long synthetic journey which generated a series of closely related diastereomers. In this work we show how DFT calculations based on density functionals and basis sets designed for the prediction of NMR spectra (M06/pcS-2 level of theory) can be used to reproduce the observed parameters, thereby offering to the synthetic chemist a useful tool to discard or accept putative structures of unknown organic molecules.

Rapid noninvasive continuous monitoring of oxygenation in cerebral ischemia and hypoxia.

The brain is most sensitively dependent on oxygen to maintain its normal function. Methods to assess the degree of its oxygenation have generally been invasive and indirect. Rapid assessment of brain oxygenation is particularly vital during cerebrospinal ischemia and hypoxia.

Unprecedented peroxidase-like activity of Rhodnius prolixus nitrophorin 2: identification of the [FeIV=O Por•]+ and [FeIV=O Por](Tyr38•) intermediates and their role(s) in substrate oxidation.

We have identified a novel enzymatic reaction for nitrophorin 2 (NP2), a heme protein previously characterized as a nitric oxide carrier in the saliva of the Rhodnius prolixus insect. NP2 exhibited levels of peroxidase activity comparable to those of the bifunctional peroxidases (KatGs), despite their heme pocket structural differences (heme ruffling, Tyr38 and Tyr85 in hydrogen bonding interactions with the propionates in NP2). The intermediates of the peroxidase-like reaction of NP2 were identified by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) and electronic absorption spectroscopies.

[Clinical study of treatment effects on deep overbite: a comparison between Multiloop edgewise arch wire and manufactured artificial NiTi reverse-curve arch].

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of multiloop edgewise arch wire(MEAW) and NiTi reverse-curve arch in correcting deep overbite.

Methods: Twenty cases(12-27 year of age)with deep overbite were treated with MEAW or NiTi reverse-curve arch. Pre-and post-treatment cephalogram were taken and analyzed.