Selective bowel decontamination improves the survival of 90% hepatectomy in rats.

Background: Clinically, hepatectomy is a clean procedure performed without routine antimicrobial prophylaxis, regardless of the extent of liver loss. Translocation of endotoxin has been recognized as a fatal complication leading to liver failure. After extended hepatectomy, the portal hypertension, mucosal damage, intrahepatic bile acid retention, inhibited enterokinesia, and so forth are likely to contribute to enhanced endotoxin absorption.

Simultaneous bile duct and portal vein ligation induces faster atrophy/hypertrophy complex than portal vein ligation: role of bile acids.

Portal vein ligation (PVL) induces atrophy/hypertrophy complex (AHC). We hypothesised that simultaneous bile duct and portal vein ligation (BPL) might induce proper bile acid (BA) retention to enhance AHC by activating BA-mediated FXR signalling in the intact liver and promoting apoptosis in the ligated liver. We established rat models of 90% BPL and 90% PVL and found that BPL was well-tolerated and significantly accelerated AHC.

Expression and prognostic role of ubiquitination factor E4B in primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Ubiquitination factor E4B (UBE4B) has been speculated to have contradictory functions upon tumorigenesis as an oncogene or tumor suppressor in different types of cancers. We investigated the expression and prognostic role of UBE4B in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using cell lines and 149 archived HCC samples. Correlation between the functions of UBE4B in HCC was also explored.

Suppressive effects of total alkaloids of Lycopodiastrum casuarinoides on adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Lycopodiastrum casuarinoides is a folk medicine used to treat inflammation-associated diseases including rheumatoid arthritis in South China. Since the major secondary metabolites in Lycopodiastrum casuarinoides are alkaloids, the present study aims to investigate the suppressive effects of total alkaloids of Lycopodiastrum casuarinoides (ALC) on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) in rats.

Materials And Methods: AA was induced (day 0) in male Sprague-Dawley rats by intradermal injection of complete Freund׳s adjuvant (CFA) in right hind footpad.

Predicting the impacts of climate change on the potential distribution of major native non-food bioenergy plants in China.

Planting non-food bioenergy crops on marginal lands is an alternative bioenergy development solution in China. Native non-food bioenergy plants are also considered to be a wise choice to reduce the threat of invasive plants. In this study, the impacts of climate change (a consensus of IPCC scenarios A2a for 2080) on the potential distribution of nine non-food bioenergy plants native to China (viz.

Annexin A3 as a potential target for immunotherapy of liver cancer stem-like cells.

Cancer stem-like cells/cancer-initiating cells (CSCs/CICs) are considered to represent a small population of cancer cells that is resistant to conventional cancer treatments and responsible for tumor recurrence and metastasis. The aim of this study was to establish CSC/CIC-targeting immunotherapy. In this study, we found that Annexin A3 (ANXA3) was preferentially expressed in CSCs/CICs derived from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells compared to non-CSCs/CICs.

Galectin-3 is associated with a poor prognosis in primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Galectin-3, a member of the beta-galactoside-binding lectin family, is a multifunctional protein with various biological functions, including the proliferation and differentiation of tumor cells, angiogenesis, cancer progression, and metastasis. We aimed to clarify if expression of galectin-3 is related to the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, and to explore the possible mechanisms of galectin-3 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods: First, we investigated galectin-3 mRNA and protein expression by using RT-PCR and Western blotting.

Effects of high ammonium level on biomass accumulation of common duckweed Lemna minor L.

Growing common duckweed Lemna minor L. in diluted livestock wastewater is an alternative option for pollutants removal and consequently the accumulated duckweed biomass can be used for bioenergy production. However, the biomass accumulation can be inhibited by high level of ammonium (NH4 (+)) in non-diluted livestock wastewater and the mechanism of ammonium inhibition is not fully understood.

In situ quantification and visualization of lithium transport with neutrons.

A real-time quantification of Li transport using a nondestructive neutron method to measure the Li distribution upon charge and discharge in a Li-ion cell is reported. By using in situ neutron depth profiling (NDP), we probed the onset of lithiation in a high-capacity Sn anode and visualized the enrichment of Li atoms on the surface followed by their propagation into the bulk. The delithiation process shows the removal of Li near the surface, which leads to a decreased coulombic efficiency, likely because of trapped Li within the intermetallic material.

High expression of thymosin beta 10 predicts poor prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy.

Background: Thymosin beta 10 (Tbeta10) overexpression has been reported in a variety of human cancers. However, the role of Tbeta10 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to analyze Tbeta10 expression in tumor and matched non-tumorous tissues, and to assess its prognostic significance for HCC after hepatectomy.

Bamboo: a new source of carbohydrate for biorefinery.

Bamboo is perennial woody grass, which distributed widely in the world and belonged to the Gramineae family and Bambuseae subfamily. It may be consider as a candidate lignocellulosic substrate for bio-ethanol production for its environmental benefits and higher annual biomass yield. The conversion of bamboo into bio-ethanol, bio-methane, natural food, flavonoids, and functional xylo-oligosaccharides production were reviewed in this paper.

Zymomonas mobilis: a novel platform for future biorefineries.

Biosynthesis of liquid fuels and biomass-based building block chemicals from microorganisms have been regarded as a competitive alternative route to traditional. Zymomonas mobilis possesses a number of desirable characteristics for its special Entner-Doudoroff pathway, which makes it an ideal platform for both metabolic engineering and commercial-scale production of desirable bio-products as the same as Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae based on consideration of future biomass biorefinery. Z.

Decreased ITIH5 expression is associated with poor prognosis in primary gastric cancer.

Inter-α-trypsin inhibitors (ITIs) are a family of serine protease inhibitors that comprise one light chain and a variable set of heavy chains (ITI heavy chains, ITIHs). ITIH5 is a new member of the ITIH family that contains two domains conserved in all known ITIHs: vault protein IT and von Willebrand type A. Recent studies suggest that ITIH5 expression may be altered in certain types of cancer.

Interleukin-37 mediates the antitumor activity in hepatocellular carcinoma: role for CD57+ NK cells.

The biological role of interleukin-37 (IL-37) in cancer is large unknown. Through immunohistochemical detection using 163 primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) clinical specimens, we found the expression of IL-37 was decreased in tumor tissues, and the expression level was negatively correlated with tumor size. High expression of IL-37 in HCC tumor tissues was associated with better overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

A new Lycopodium alkaloid from Phlegmariurus fargesii.

Aim: To investigate the chemical constituents from the whole plants of Phlegmariurus fargesii.

Method: Compounds were isolated by repeated silica gel column chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and chemical correlation.

The monitoring of microvascular liver blood flow changes during ischemia and reperfusion using laser speckle contrast imaging.

Objective: The recovery of microvascular liver blood flow (LBF) after ischemia is an important determinant of the degree of hepatocellular injury. Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) was recently suggested to be a suitable instrument for monitoring the LBF. This study was designed to evaluate LSCI in monitoring the LBF changes during liver ischemia and reperfusion (IR).

Engineered hydrochar composites for phosphorus removal/recovery: Lanthanum doped hydrochar prepared by hydrothermal carbonization of lanthanum pretreated rice straw.

Engineered hydrochar composites (EHC) were synthesized by hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of lanthanum pretreated rice straw. The as-prepared composite with about 30% lanthanum content showed greater P removal potential than La(OH)3, indicating the synergistic effect of hydrochar and lanthanum in P removal. The adsorption results showed that EHC showed great P adsorption capacities (>50mgPg(-1)) in the pH range of 2.

A new alkaloid glycoside from the rhizomes of Aristolochia fordiana.

A new alkaloid glycoside named fordianoside (1), together with three known compounds arabinothalictoside (2), 6-O-p-coumaroyl-β-fructofuranosyl-(2 → 1)-α-d-glucopyranoside (3) and 4-[formyl-5-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl] butanoic acid (4), was isolated from the rhizomes of Aristolochia fordiana. The structure of 1 was established as (1S)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-7-hydroxy-1-[(4-hydroxybenzyl) methyl]-2,2-dimethyl-8-O-isoquinolinyl β-d-glucopyranoside by using chemical and spectroscopic methods including HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR.

Mercury in wild fish from high-altitude aquatic ecosystems in the Tibetan Plateau.

Our understanding of the biogeochemistry of mercury (Hg) in high-altitude aquatic environments remains limited. The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is one of the Earth's most significant continental-scale high lands, yet much remains unknown about the Hg bioaccumulation and biomagnification in these pristine ecosystems. In this study, 166 wild fish samples of 13 species were collected from 13 rivers and lakes across the southern TP.

Reduced expression of uroplakin 1A is associated with the poor prognosis of gastric adenocarcinoma patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and prognostic significance of Uroplakin1A (UPK1A) in gastric adenocarcinoma patients. Functional studies were also analyzed in vitro.

Methodology/principal Findings: Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), western blotting, and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining methods were used to analyze the expression of UPK1A in primary gastric adenocarcinoma tissue samples.

Clinical activity of adjuvant cytokine-induced killer cell immunotherapy in patients with post-mastectomy triple-negative breast cancer.

Purpose: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a high risk form of this disease, even after surgery, due to the absence of targets for hormone treatment and anti-Her-2 therapy. Chemotherapy is the main therapeutic strategy for such patients with breast cancer, although the outcome is often unsatisfactory. Thus, the development of combination adjuvant therapies is essential for improved prognosis in patients with TNBC.

Cytotoxic polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols from Hypericum attenuatum.

Six new polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols, attenuatumiones A-F (1-6), together with twelve known analogs (7-18) were isolated from the whole plant of Hypericum attenuatum. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, and the absolute configuration of C-13 in attenuatumione C (3) was deduced via the circular dichroism datum of the in situ formed [Rh2(OCOCF3)4] complexes. All isolates were evaluated for the cytotoxic activities on three human cancer cell lines.

Annexin A3 promotes tumorigenesis and resistance to chemotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Annexin A3 (ANXA3) has been found to play important roles in cancer progression, metastasis, and drug resistance; however, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the expression level, clinical significance and biologic function of ANXA3 in HCC. Real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and immunohistochemical staining were used to examine ANXA3 expression levels in HCC tumor tissue, and its correlation with the clinicopathological features and prognosis of HCC patients was analyzed.

OK-432 synergizes with IFN-γ to confer dendritic cells with enhanced antitumor immunity.

Generation of functional dendritic cells (DCs) with boosted immunity after the withdrawal of initial activation/maturation conditions remains a significant challenge. In this study, we investigated the impact of a newly developed maturation cocktail consisting of OK-432 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) on the function of human monocyte-derived DCs (MoDCs). We found that OK-432 plus IFN-γ stimulation could induce significantly stronger expression of surface molecules, production of cytokines, as well as migration of DCs compared with OK-432 stimulation alone.