Fabrication and evaluation of nanoparticle-assembled BSA microparticles for enhanced liver delivery of glycyrrhetinic acid.

The aim of the present study was to prepare and evaluate microparticle formulation encapsulated with glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) based on bovine serum albumin (BSA). The drug-loaded nanoparticles were firstly formed by a simple desolvation method, and were further assembled into microparticles using zinc chloride and glutaraldehyde as crosslinkers. The obtained microparticles contained approximately 30% (w/w) drug and showed as spherical particles with a size of about 2 μm.

Annual risk of tuberculosis infection in rural China: a population-based prospective study.

Prospective population data on the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) infection has been sparsely reported in the global literature.A population-based prospective study was conducted in rural China to investigate the annual risk of TB infection, and its persistence using serial tuberculin skin tests (TSTs) and an interferon-γ release assay. In total, 13 580 eligible participants from four rural sites, identified as TST negative (<10 mm) or QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) (an interferon-γ release assay) negative from a baseline survey, were included in the first year's follow-up examination.

Ursolic acid inhibits proliferation and reverses drug resistance of ovarian cancer stem cells by downregulating ABCG2 through suppressing the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in vitro.

Hypoxia in tumors is closely related to drug resistance. It has not been verified whether hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) or ABCG2 is related to hypoxia-induced resistance. Ursolic acid (UA), when used in combination with cisplatin can significantly increase the sensitivity of ovarian cancer stem cells (CSCs) to cisplatin, but the exact mechanism is unknown.

Enhanced oral bioavailability of glycyrrhetinic acid via nanocrystal formulation.

The purpose of this study was to prepare solid nanocrystals of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) for improved oral bioavailability. The anti-solvent precipitation-ultrasonication method followed by freeze-drying was adopted for the preparation of GA nanocrystals. The physicochemical properties, drug dissolution and pharmacokinetic of the obtained nanocrystals were investigated.

Inhibitory effect of baicalin on allergic response in ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis guinea pigs and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human mast cells.

Objective: Baicalin, a flavonoid compound purified from the dry roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, has generally been used for the treatment of various allergic diseases. However, there is little information about the anti-inflammatory effects of baicalin for allergic rhinitis. This study aims to investigate the anti-allergic effect of baicalin on allergic response in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic rhinitis guinea pigs and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human mast cells.

Hyperoside exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects in LPS-stimulated human fibroblast-like synoviocytes in vitro and in mice with collagen-induced arthritis.

Aim: Hyperoside is a flavonol glycoside mainly found in plants of the genera Hypericum and Crataegus, which has shown anti-oxidant, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we investigated the effects of hyperoside on human rheumatoid fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) in vitro and on mouse collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in vivo.

Methods: FLSs were isolated from primary synovial tissues obtained from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and exposed to LPS (1 μg/mL).

Family and College Environmental Exposures Mediate the Relationship between Parental Education and Depression among College Students.

Background: Depression is a major health concern for college students due to its substantial morbidity and mortality. Although low parental education has been identified as a factor in depression in college students, the mechanisms through which parental educational achievement affects students' depression are not well understood. We tested whether adverse family and college environments mediate the relationship between parental educational level and depression among Chinese college students.

Display of fungal hydrophobin on the Pichia pastoris cell surface and its influence on Candida antarctica lipase B.

To modify the Pichia pastoris cell surface, two classes of hydrophobins, SC3 from Schizophyllum commune and HFBI from Trichoderma reesei, were separately displayed on the cell wall. There was an observable increase in the hydrophobicity of recombinant strains. Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) was then co-displayed on the modified cells, generating strains GS115/SC3-61/CALB-51 and GS115/HFBI-61/CALB-51.

Hyperoside induces both autophagy and apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer cells in vitro.

Aim: Hyperoside (quercetin-3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside) is a flavonol glycoside found in plants of the genera Hypericum and Crataegus, which exhibits anticancer, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study we investigated whether autophagy was involved in the anticancer mechanisms of hyperoside in human non-small cell lung cancer cells in vitro.

Methods: Human non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549 was tested, and human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B was used for comparison.

Menstrual Disturbances in Premenopausal Women with End-Stage Renal Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: To evaluate menstrual disturbances and sex hormonal status in premenopausal women with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Subjects And Methods: The study consisted of 184 patients with ESRD treated with one of four treatment modalities (46/modality): conventional hemodialysis (CHD), continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), nocturnal hemodialysis (NHD) and renal transplantation (RT). Blood samples were collected to determine sex hormone levels.

NPs/NPRs Signaling Pathways May Be Involved in Depression-Induced Loss of Gastric ICC by Decreasing the Production of mSCF.

It is well known that natriuretic peptides (NPs) are involved in the regulation of gastrointestinal motility. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are the pacemaker cells of gastrointestinal motility and gastrointestinal dyskinesia is one of the important digestive tract symptoms of depression. However, it is unclear whether they are involved in depression-induced loss of ICC.

Overexpression of CXCL3 can enhance the oncogenic potential of prostate cancer.

Purpose: CXCL3 and its receptor CXCR2 were considered to play particularly important roles in the progression of malignancies. However, the investigations about CXCL3/CXCR2 axis in prostate cancer have been poorly involved. Herein we firstly reported our studies on the expression and biological roles of CXCL3 and CXCR2 in prostate cancer.

Unattached kinetochores rather than intrakinetochore tension arrest mitosis in taxol-treated cells.

Kinetochores attach chromosomes to the spindle microtubules and signal the spindle assembly checkpoint to delay mitotic exit until all chromosomes are attached. Light microscopy approaches aimed to indirectly determine distances between various proteins within the kinetochore (termed Delta) suggest that kinetochores become stretched by spindle forces and compact elastically when the force is suppressed. Low Delta is believed to arrest mitotic progression in taxol-treated cells.

Synthesis, self-assembly, and in vitro toxicity of fatty acids-modified Bletilla striata polysaccharide.

Hydrophobic modification of Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) was performed by grafting fatty acids to BSP backbone and then characterized on their physicochemical properties. All neutral derivatives were able to self-assemble into spherical particles within the size range of 250-400 nm, their size and critical micelle concentration decreased with increasing hydrophobicity and substitution degree of the fatty acids. Also, the BSP-stearic acid conjugates showed a preferable performance on hemolysis test and cytotoxicity analysis on HepG2 cells, which suggested their potential application as a drug delivery vector.

[Epidemiological characteristics of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in the Republic of Korea, 2015].

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in the Republic of Korea in 2015 and provide related information for the public health professionals in China.

Methods: The incidence data of MERS were collected from the websites of the Korean government, WHO and authoritative media in Korea for this epidemiological analysis.

Results: Between May 20 and July 13, 2015, a total of 186 confirmed MERS cases (1 index case, 29 secondary cases, 125 third generation cases, 25 fourth generation cases and 6 cases without clear generation data), including 36 deaths (case fatality rate: 19%), were reported in Korea.

Ginsenoside Represses Symptomatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage after Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator Therapy by Promoting Transforming Growth Factor-β1.

Background: Currently, the most effective treatment for brain ischemic stroke is recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA); however, increased incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage severely reduced its favorable treatment outcome.

Methods: We aimed to investigate the effect of ginsenoside (Gs) on symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage after rt-PA treatment. Stroke patients were randomly divided into 2 treatment groups, one receiving rt-PA + placebo (Pc) and the other rt-PA + Gs.

[Dietary intake and risk assessment of diisononyl phthalate (DINP) in Chinese population].

Objective: To study DINP concentration level in the main food, evaluate DINP dietary intake level in Chinese population and its potential health risks.

Methods: Based on the deterministic assessment model, using concentration level of 25 kinds of food in 2011 - 2013 and Chinese national nutrition and health survey data in 2002, to calculate dietary intake of DINP in Chinese population.

Results: The average DINP concentration level in 24 kinds of foods was 0.

Evodiamine Suppresses ABCG2 Mediated Drug Resistance by Inhibiting p50/p65 NF-κB Pathway in Colorectal Cancer.

Evodiamine (Evo), extracted from the Chinese herbal medicine Evodia rutaecarpa, has cytotoxic effects on different types of human cancer cells. However, its effects on drug resistance and their molecular mechanism and therapeutic target in colorectal cancer are not well understood. In the present study, we observed that Evo inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in adose-and time-dependent manner in HCT-116/L-OHP cells.

Comparative studies on the properties of glycyrrhetinic acid-loaded PLGA microparticles prepared by emulsion and template methods.

The O/W emulsion method has been widely used for the production of poly (lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles. Recently, a template method has been used to make homogeneous microparticles with predefined size and shape, and shown to be useful in encapsulating different types of active compounds. However, differences between the template method and emulsion method have not been examined.

The Metabonomic Studies of Tongue Coating in H. pylori Positive Chronic Gastritis Patients.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), tongue diagnosis (TD) has been an important diagnostic method for the last 3000 years. Tongue coating can be used as a very sensitive marker to determine the progress of chronic gastritis. Therefore, the scientific, qualitative, and quantitative study for the pathophysiologic basis of tongue coating (TC) emerged as a major direction for the objective research of TD.

Modeling the adsorption of PAH mixture in silica nanopores by molecular dynamic simulation combined with machine learning.

The persistence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soils is largely controlled by their molecular fate in soil pores. The adsorption and diffusion of 16 PAHs mixture in silica nanopore with diameter of 2.0, 2.

[Inhibitory effect of kaempferol on inflammatory response of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human mast cells].

This study is to investigate the inhibitory effect of kaempferol on inflammatory response of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated HMC-1 mast cells. The cytotoxicity of kaempferol to HMC-1 mast cells were analyzed by using MTT assay and then the administration concentrations of kaempferol were established. Histamine, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β and TNF-α were measured using ELISA assay in activated HMC-1 mast cells after incubation with various concentrations of kaempferol (10, 20 and 40 µmol.

Resveratrol improves delayed r-tPA treatment outcome by reducing MMPs.

Objectives: Although recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) is currently the most effective treatment for brain ischemic stroke, the 3-h narrow therapeutic windows severely limits its clinical efficacy. We aim to investigate the effect of resveratrol on improving treatment outcomes of delayed r-tPA administration.

Materials & Methods: Patients were randomly divided according to their onset-to-treatment time (OTT), as early OTT or delayed OTT.

Self-Esteem and Problematic Drinking in China: A Mediated Model.

Background: Although self-esteem is related to problematic drinking, the mechanisms by which it affects drinking remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether coping mechanisms mediate the relationship between self-esteem and problematic drinking among Chinese men and women with alcohol use disorders and to recommend appropriate interventions for drinking problems.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.

Theoretical Investigation of the Methanol Decomposition by Fe+)and Fe(C2H4)+: A π-Type Ligand Effect.

Density functional theory has been used to probe the mechanism of gas-phase methanol decomposition by bare Fe(+) and ligated Fe(C(2)H(4))(+) in both quartet and sextet states. For the Fe(+)/methanol system, Fe(+) could directly attach to the O and methyl-H atoms of methanol, respectively, forming two encounter isomers. The methanol reaction with Fe(+) prefers initial C-O bond activation to yield methyl with slight endothermicity, whereas CH(4) elimination is hindered by the strong endothermicity and high-energy barrier of hydroxyl-H shift.