Biological evaluation of curdlan sulfate-based nanoparticles in trained immunity enhancement: In vitro and in vivo approaches.

Objectives: Recently, more and more evidences suggest that β-glucans can induce trained immunity and non-specific protections against pathogens. However, most of the reports evaluated the immunological activities of β-glucans through injection route but no nasal inhalation. In this study, the effects of curdlan sulfate-based nanoparticles, CS/O-HTCC on trained immunity through intranasal administration were evaluated.

Preparation and immunological activity evaluation of an intranasal protein subunit vaccine against ancestral and mutant SARS-CoV-2 with curdlan sulfate/O-linked quaternized chitosan nanoparticles as carrier and adjuvant.

Chitosan and its derivatives are ideal nasal vaccine adjuvant to deliver antigens to immune cells. Previously, we successfully used a chitosan derivative, O-(2-Hydroxyl) propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium chitosan chloride (O-HTCC), and a β-glucan derivative, curdlan sulfate (CS), to prepare a nanoparticle adjuvant CS/O-HTCC which could deliver ovalbumin to antigen presenting cells (APCs) through nasal inhalation. In this article, we used SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (S-RBD) as the antigen and CS/O-HTCC nanoparticles as the adjuvant to develop a nasal mucosal protein subunit vaccine, CS/S-RBD/O-HTCC.

Rakicidin J and K, two cytotoxic and antibacterial cyclic depsipeptides from the marine bacterium .

Rakicidin J () and rakicidin K (), two new cyclic depsipeptides, were isolated from culture broth of FIM-R150103. Their structures were elucidated by extensive analysis of NMR, HR-ESI-MS, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. The two compounds showed strong cytotoxic activity against human colon carcinoma HCT-8 and human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions in the range of IC values from 0.

Preparation and characterization of curdlan-chitosan conjugate nanoparticles as mucosal adjuvants for intranasal influenza H1N1 subunit vaccine.

Intranasal vaccination offers crucial protection against influenza virus pandemics. However, antigens, especially subunit antigens, often fail to induce effective immune responses without the help of immune adjuvants. Our research has demonstrated that a polyelectrolyte complex, composed of curdlan sulfate/O-(2-hydroxyl) propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium chitosan chloride (CS/O-HTCC), effectively triggers both mucosal and systemic immune responses when administrated intranasal.

Warming, rather than drought, remains the primary factor limiting carbon sequestration.

Steppe ecosystems in arid and semiarid regions are particularly sensitive to climate change and strongly regulate the global carbon balance. However, carbon fluxes respond differently to climate change in different growing seasons, and the mechanism of this control is not yet clear. Therefore, we (i) obtained carbon flux data observed by a field eddy station in Inner Mongolia from 2006 to 2021; (ii) investigated the constraint effects of climatic factors on carbon fluxes; (iii) explored the response mechanisms of carbon fluxes to coupled changes in temperature and moisture; (iv) investigated the adaptation of steppe ecosystem to changes in temperature and drought.

Meta-analysis of the timing of laparoscopic cholecystectomy after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) combined with laparoscopic cholecystectomy plays an important role in the treatment of cholecystolithiasis combined with choledocholithiasis; however, there is no unified standard for the interval of ERCP before laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We conducted a literature search, data extraction and meta-analysis on this topic. Twelve articles with 1142 patients were included, including 567 patients in the E-laparoscopic cholecystectomy group (laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed within 72 h after ERCP) and 575 patients in the D-laparoscopic cholecystectomy group (laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed 72 h after ERCP).

Transcytosable Peptide-Paclitaxel Prodrug Nanoparticle for Targeted Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an extremely aggressive subtype associated with a poor prognosis. At present, the treatment for TNBC mainly relies on surgery and traditional chemotherapy. As a key component in the standard treatment of TNBC, paclitaxel (PTX) effectively inhibits the growth and proliferation of tumor cells.

Two new rakicidin derivatives from marine FIM-R160609.

The establishment of structure activity relationship (SAR) for rakicidin derivatives is pretty vital to develop rakicidins as a new type of anti-cancer agents. Herein, two novel rakicidin derivatives, compounds B1-1 () and B1-2 (), a cyclic depsipeptide and a chain lipopeptide, respectively, were isolated from culture broth of FIM-R160609, and their structures were elucidated clearly by extensive NMR and HR-ESI-MS analyses. Following, their cytotoxic activities were evaluated against HCT-8 and PANC-1 human cancer cell lines under hypoxic and normoxic conditions.

PRELP promotes myocardial fibrosis and ventricular remodelling after acute myocardial infarction by the wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway.

Objectives: Proline/arginine-rich end leucine-rich repeat protein (PRELP) has been reported to contribute to the remodelling of cardiovascular tissues in the ischaemia-reperfusion injury model. However, research is lacking on the role of PRELP in myocardial fibrosis and ventricular remodelling, and the mechanism through which PRELP brings about these changes is not clear. This study aimed to evaluate the role of PRELP in ventricular remodelling and myocardial fibrosis following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to explore the underlying mechanism.

Protective effects of melatonin in cisplatin-induced cardiac toxicity: possible role of BDNF-TNF-α signaling pathway.

Purpose: The present study explored the role of melatonin in cisplatin-induced cardiac injury along with the possible role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in melatonin-mediated effects.

Methods: Wistar rats were administered cisplatin (10 mg/kg), and cardiac injury was assessed by measuring the levels of cardiac troponin (cTnT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH-1).The extent of apoptosis was measured by measuring caspase-3 (pro-apoptotic) and Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic) in hearts.

Widespread decline in winds promoted the growth of vegetation.

Vegetation dynamics are sensitive to climate change. Wind is an important climate factor that can affect carbon fluxes by altering carbon uptake and emission rates; however, the impact of wind has not been fully considered in previous studies; therefore, exploring the characteristics of vegetation responses to wind speed is crucial to sustainable natural resource utilization and ecological restoration. In this study, the global leaf area index (LAI) from 1984 to 2013 was used to investigate the vegetation spatial heterogeneities, change processes, and relative contributions of climate change.

Association of Genetic Variants in miR-217 Gene with Risk of Coronary Artery Disease: A Case-Control Study.

Objective: To evaluate the associations of genetic variants of the miR-217 gene with coronary artery disease (CAD) risk, as well as plasma level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Methods: A case-control study with 498 CAD patients and 499 frequency-matched healthy controls was conducted to evaluate the associations of four tagSNPs of the miR-217 gene, including rs6724872, rs4999828, rs10206823, and rs41291177, with CAD risk and plasma level of VEGF.

Results: SNP rs6724872 and rs4999828 were significantly associated with increased risk of CAD (P value was smaller than 0.

Vegetation responses to extreme climatic indices in coastal China from 1986 to 2015.

Climate extremes have resulted in substantial vegetation changes in the marine-terrestrial transitional zone. As a climatically-sensitive region, coastal China is currently experiencing prominent environmental climate change. To identify how climatic extremes affect ecosystem function, we calculated eleven indices of climatic extremes and four mean indices for six sub-regions of coastal China.

Determining the contributions of climate change and human activities to vegetation dynamics in agro-pastural transitional zone of northern China from 2000 to 2015.

The vegetation in the agro-pastoral transitional zone of northern China (APTZNC) was significantly restored, and both climate change and ecological restoration projects contributed to vegetation activities with varied proportion. Since few decades ago, APTZNC has undergone significant land degradation and climate change, threatening regional sustainable development, and in response to such ecological crises, multiple ecological restoration projects were implemented, which have caused a profound impact on the terrestrial ecosystem. Taking agro-pastural transitional zone of northern China (APTZNC) as the study area, this study used 16-year (2000-2015) net primary productivity (NPP) as an important indicator of the arid and semi-arid ecosystem's productivity, combing meteorological data in same period to (1) monitor the vegetation dynamics affected by both climate and ecological restoration projects; (2) detect climate changing trend, including annual precipitation, air temperature, and sunlight hours; (3) explicitly distinguish driving forces of climate change and ecological restoration projects on vegetation dynamics based on correlation analysis.

Curdlan sulfate/O-linked quaternized chitosan nanoparticles acting as potential adjuvants promote multiple arms of immune responses.

Nasal immunization to prevent and treat diseases caused by infection through the respiratory tract cannot be actualized because of the lack of effective adjuvants. We have proven that compared with antigens loaded on CS or O-HTCC alone in nasal vaccination, antigens loaded on the nanoparticles of curdlan sulfate/O-(2-hydroxyl) propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium chitosan chloride (CS/O-HTCC) can induce stronger systemic and mucosal immune responses. In this study, we evaluated the immunostimulatory activity and mechanisms of CS/O-HTCC nanoparticles.

Efficacy of fast track surgery in laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer:a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review of efficacy and security of fast track surgery (FTS) in laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library Databases and supplemented by other searches to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the comparison of fast track surgery combined with laparoscopy versus laparoscopy separately used in radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer before December 2016. After screening for inclusion, data extraction, and quality assessment, meta-analysis was conducted by the Review Manager 5.

Effect of gum chewing on ameliorating ileus following colorectal surgery: A meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials.

Background And Objective: Chewing gum, as an alternative to sham feeding, had been shown to hasten the recovery of gut function following abdominal surgery. However, conclusions remained contradictory. We sought to conduct an updated meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of gum chewing in alleviating ileus following colorectal surgery.

Eupafolin Exhibits Potent Anti-Angiogenic and Antitumor Activity in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Eupafolin is a flavonoid extracted from the common sage herb which has been used in China as traditional medicine. Previous studies had reported that eupafolin had antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects. However, the function and the mechanism of eupafolin to exert its antitumor activity, especially its effect on tumor angiogenesis, have not been elucidated.

Chrysin inhibited tumor glycolysis and induced apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting hexokinase-2.

Background: Hexokinase-2(HK-2) plays dual roles in glucose metabolism and mediation of cell apoptosis, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy. Chrysin is a natural flavone found in plant extracts which are widely used as herb medicine in China. In the present study, we investigated the antitumor activity of chrysin against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the role of HK-2 played for chrysin to exert its function.

Association of acylation-stimulating protein and receptor gene polymorphisms with coronary heart disease in Han and Hui populations.

Objective: This study was to analyze the acylation-stimulating protein (ASP) (301T>C) and C5a-like receptor 2 (C5L2) (698C>T) gene polymorphisms in Han and Hui populations, and investigate their association with coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods: 245 Han CHD patients and 110 Hui CHD patients from Shandong, Jinan, China were included in this study. Biochemical analysis was performed to assess the blood sugar and lipid levels in these patients, and the TaqMan genotyping assay was used to determine the genotype distribution.

A canine model of osteonecrosis of the femoral head induced by MRI guided argon helium cryotherapy system.

Objective: This study is to identify the reliability of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) modeling established by MRI guided argon helium cryotherapy system in beagles.

Methods: A total of 15 beagles were used to establish the ONFH model. The left femoral heads of the beagles received two cycles of argon helium freezing-thawing under MRI guidance and were considered as experimental group while the right femoral heads received only one cycle of argon helium freezing-thawing and were considered as the control group.

Spatial distribution and source analysis of heavy metals in the marine sediments of Hong Kong.

A data matrix, obtained during a 3-year monitoring period (2010-2012) from 45 sampling locations in the marine of Hong Kong, was subjected to pollution indicator and multivariate statistical technique analysis to investigate the spatial distribution and origin of the selected 12 heavy metals. Results suggested that V, Ni, and Ba were at safe levels, and there was a significant anthropogenic effect on Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, and Cr, which were moderate to severe enrichment at some locations. Sampling locations 1, 2, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 30, 31, and 32 were identified as pollution hot spots.

Levels of acylation stimulating protein and the complement component 3 precursor are associated with the occurrence and development of coronary heart disease.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether acylation stimulating protein (ASP) and complement component 3 (C3) are associated with the occurrence and development of coronary heart disease (CHD). The participants of the study were divided into three groups, including the healthy control (n=42), metabolic syndrome (MS, n=56) and CHD (n=62) groups. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the ASP concentrations, while an immunoturbidimetric assay was employed to determine the C3 concentrations.

DAX-1 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation by inhibiting β-catenin transcriptional activity.

Background/aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the most common type of liver cancer. DAX1 (dosage-sensitive sex reversal adrenal hypoplasia congenital critical region on X chromosome, gene 1), an atypical member of the nuclear receptor family due to lack of classical DNA-binding domains, has been known for its fundamental roles in the development, especially in the sex determination and steroidogenesis. Previous studies also showed that DAX-1 played a critical role in endocrine and sex steroid-dependent neoplasms such as adrenocortical, pituitary, endometrial, and ovarian tumors.