Sesamin protects against DSS-induced colitis in mice by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

Objective: To investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of sesamin (SES) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced experimental colitis in mice.

Methods: SES (50, 100, and 200 mg kg-1) were orally administered to C57BL/6 male mice after DSS instillation. The anti-inflammatory effect of SES on colonic damage was assessed by clinical, macroscopic, microscopic, and inflammatory signaling pathways.

A retrospective survey of infection rates in paediatric patients from a single centre in Wuxi, China.

Objective: To provide some epidemiological data on infection rates in paediatric patients at a single centre in Wuxi, China.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of serum samples from paediatric patients (<12 years) with a respiratory tract infection (RTI) and who had been admitted to the Department of Paediatrics, Wuxi No.2 People's Hospital, China, from 01 January 2015 to 31 December 2016.

Different transcriptome profiles between human retinoblastoma Y79 cells and an etoposide-resistant subline reveal a chemoresistance mechanism.

Background: Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most frequent pediatric retinal tumor. In the present study, to elucidate chemoresistance mechanisms and identify potential biomarkers in RB, we utilized RNA sequencing (RNAseq) technological platforms to reveal transcriptome profiles and identify any differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between an etoposide drug-resistant subline (Y79/EDR) and parental Y79 cells.

Methods: To test whether Y79/EDR cells showed resistance to antineoplastic agents for RB, we treated the cells with etoposide, carboplatin and vincristine and analyzed them with a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8).

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties of helicid protect against CCl induced acute liver injury in mice.

Acute liver injury can be caused by chemicals and can lead to liver failure. We investigated the protective effect of helicid (HEL) on acute liver injury caused by CCl in mice. We found that ALT and AST levels as well as hepatic pathological damage in mice treated with CCl was increased significantly, while the effects were decreased by HEL treatment.

Effect of danefukang on symptoms and biomarkers in women with endometriosis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to observe the efficacy of Danefukang (DEFK) soft extract for the treatment of symptoms associated with endometriosis, and its effect on quality of life, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores, and on levels of carbohydrate antigen (CA)-125, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6.

Materials And Methods: A total of 174 patients with endometriosis treated from January 2010 to December 2013 were randomly divided into a control group treated with mifepristone (n = 87) or DEFK (n = 87). Both groups were treated for 3 months.

Establishment of the cytoplasmic incompatibility-inducing Wolbachia strain wMel in an important agricultural pest insect.

The wMel Wolbachia strain was known for cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI)-induction and blocking the transmission of dengue. However, it is unknown whether it can establish and induce CI in a non-dipteran host insect. Here we artificially transferred wMel from Drosophila melanogaster into the whitefly Bemisia tabaci.

Nano-impacts of bifunctional organic nanoparticles.

The synthesis and characterization of Oil Blue Dye nanoparticles is reported along with their use for nano-impacts experiments in aqueous solution. The latter reveal current spikes corresponding to quantitative two electron reductions due to the reduction of the quinone groups and quantitative two electron oxidations from the 1,4-phenylenediamine groups presented in the Oil Blue Dye molecules within the nanoparticles. In both cases, the oxidation or reduction leads to size distributions in good agreement with independent measurements made using dynamic light scattering showing that the redox events accompanying the nano-impacts lead to the full dissolution of the nanoparticles.

Electrochemical sizing of organic nanoparticles.

The size of organic nanoparticles (NPs) can be electrochemically determined by Faradaic charge transfer when nanoparticles strike an electrode. Indigo NPs were used as a model (see distribution of the NP diameter). This strategy could be used for monitoring the size of a wide range of organic nanoparticles.

[Dispersion and analysis of odor pollution in landfill area under the enclosed operation condition].

Odor pollution of landfill site is a serious problem accompanied with the urbanization process that influences city life. Generally, odor emission points in landfill boundary are detected by experience, but the pollution intensity, distribution and variation in the scope of landfill boundary are difficulty to describe. In this research, odor emission points were disclosed with equal odor concentration curves that were delineated using electric nose and GPS instrument.

Poly[[di-aqua-(μ4-benzene-1,2,4,5-tetra-carboxyl-ato)tetrakis-(1H-imidazole-κN (3))dicopper(II)] N,N-di-methyl-formamide monosolvate].

The asymmetric unit of the polymeric title compound, {[Cu2(C10H2O8)(C3H4N2)4(H2O)2]·C3H7NO} n , contains two independent Cu(II) ions, each coordinated by one water mol-ecule, two imidazole N atoms and two carboxyl-ate O atoms from benzene-1,2,4,5-tetra-carboxyl-ate anions in a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. The benzene-1,2,4,5-tetra-carboxyl-ate anion bridges four Cu(II) ions, forming a polymeric sheet parallel to (010). In the crystal, extensive N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the polymeric sheets and di-methyl-formamide solvent mol-ecules into a three-dimensional supra-molecular structure.

TRIM28 mediates chromatin modifications at the TCRα enhancer and regulates the development of T and natural killer T cells.

T-cell receptor-α (TCRα) rearrangement in CD4(+)CD8(+) double-positive immature thymocytes is a prerequisite for production of αβ T cells and invariant natural killer T cells. This developmental event is regulated by the TCRα enhancer (Eα), which induces chromatin modification and recruitment of the recombination-activating proteins Rag1 and Rag2. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the activation and long-range action of Eα remains incompletely understood.

Regulation of Th17 cell differentiation and EAE induction by MAP3K NIK.

Th17 cells play an important role in mediating autoimmune diseases, but the molecular mechanism underlying Th17 differentiation is incompletely understood. We show here that NF-kappaB-inducing kinase (NIK), which is known to regulate B-cell maturation and lymphoid organogenesis, is important for the induction of Th17 cells. NIK-deficient naive CD4 T cells are attenuated in the differentiation to Th17 cells, although they are competent in committing to the other effector lineages.

Effects of retrorsine on mouse hepatocyte proliferation after liver injury.

Aim: To study the effect of retrorsine on mouse hepatocyte proliferation.

Methods: Mice and rats were treated respectively with two injections of retrorsine (as retrosine-treated group) or saline (as non-treated group) at 2 wk intervals. They received a single injection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) 4 wk later.

[Biological characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow of patients with aplastic anemia].

To investigate the differences of proliferation capacity and phenotype properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow (BM) of aplastic anemia patients, fetuses and children, MSCs were isolated from BM of patients with aplastic anemia and expanded in vitro; MSCs derived from BM of fetuses and children were used as normal control groups, three sources of MSCs were compared by morphology, in vitro proliferation capacity, phenotype and immunocytochemistry. The results showed that MSCs could be isolated and expanded from aplastic anemia patient BM. MSCs derived from BM of aplastic anemia patients shared a similar morphology and phenotype with derived MSCs from BM of fetuses and children.

Quantitative structure-activity relationship and quantitative structure-pharmacokinetics relationship of 1,4-dihydropyridines and pyridines as multidrug resistance modulators.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop quantitative structure-activity/pharmacokinetic relationships (QSAR/QSPKR) for a series of synthesized 1,4-dihydropyridines (DHPs) and pyridines as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitors.

Methods: Molecular descriptors of test compounds were generated by 3D molecular modeling using SYBYL and KowWin programs. Forward inclusion coupled with multiple linear regression (MLR) was used to derive a QSAR equation for Ca2+ channel binding.

Effects of new 4-aryl-1,4-dihydropyridines and 4-arylpyridines on drug efflux mediated by multidrug resistance-associated protein 1.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of newly synthesized 4-aryl-1,4-dihydropyridine and pyridines on drug efflux mediated by multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1, ABCC1). These compounds were designed to maximize inhibition of P-glycoprotein and minimize calcium channel binding activity, based on structure modifications of niguldipine. A [3H]vinblastine accumulation study was conducted in human small cell lung cancer H69AR (overexpressing MRP1) and wild type H69 cells.

Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of a newly synthesized dihydropyridine compound with multidrug resistance reversal activity.

(+/-)3-(3-(4,4-diphenylpiperidin-1-yl)propyl) 5-methyl 4-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2,6-dimethyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate ((+/-)-DHP-014), is a new 4-aryl-1,4-dihydropyridine that can reverse multidrug resistance mediated by the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transport proteins, P-glycoprotein, multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 and breast cancer resistance protein; it exhibits negligible calcium channel blocking activity. The objective of this work was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of this new compound in rats. Three intravenous (1, 2 and 5 mg/kg) and two oral (25 and 50 mg/kg) doses were administered to female Sprague-Dawley rats.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method for determination of the niguldipine analogue DHP-014.

A simple and reliable reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed and validated for the determination of DHP-014, a niguldipine analogue with potent P-glycoprotein inhibitory and negligible calcium channel blocking properties, in rat plasma. DHP-014 and niguldipine hydrochloride (the internal standard) were extracted from rat plasma by liquid extraction using hexane. DHP-014 was then separated by HPLC on a C18 column and quantified by ultraviolet detection at 238 nm.

Effects of dihydropyridines and pyridines on multidrug resistance mediated by breast cancer resistance protein: in vitro and in vivo studies.

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP, ABCG2) is a recently identified member of the ATP-binding cassette family of cell surface transport proteins. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of a series of newly synthesized 1,4-dihydropyridines and pyridines, designed as potent P-glycoprotein inhibitors, on BCRP-mediated drug efflux both in vitro and in vivo. The effects of 25 synthesized dihydropyridines and corresponding pyridines along with 4 commercially available dihydropyridines (niguldipine, nicardipine, nifedipine, and nitrendipine) on the intracellular accumulation of the BCRP substrate mitoxantrone were evaluated in BCRP-expressing human breast cancer MCF-7/MX100 and human non-small cell lung cancer H460/MX20 cells.

New 4-aryl-1,4-dihydropyridines and 4-arylpyridines as P-glycoprotein inhibitors.

Efflux of cytotoxic agents mediated by P-glycoprotein is believed to be an important mechanism of multidrug resistance, which remains a serious limitation to successful chemotherapy in cancers such as metastatic breast cancer. A series of 4-aryl-1,4-dihydropyridines and corresponding aromatized 4-arylpyridines have been synthesized based on structure modifications of niguldipine to enhance multidrug resistance reversal activity, while minimizing calcium channel binding. Thirty new compounds were characterized.