Carrier-Free, Hyaluronic Acid-Modified Self-Assembled Doxorubicin, and Chlorin e6 Nanoparticles Enhance Combined Chemo- and Photodynamic Therapy in vivo.

Background: Developing carrier-free nanomedicines via self-assembly of two antitumor drug molecules is a potential strategy for enhancing the combination treatment of tumors. Similarly, conventional chemotherapy combined with photodynamic therapy may synergistically improve the antitumor effect while minimizing the adverse reactions associated with antitumor treatment. Hyaluronic acid (HA) can bind to overexpressed HA receptors on the tumor cell surface, increasing cell internalization and resulting in good tumor-targeting properties.

rhFGF-21 accelerates corneal epithelial wound healing through the attenuation of oxidative stress and inflammatory mediators in diabetic mice.

Diabetic keratopathy, commonly associated with a hyperactive inflammatory response, is one of the most common eye complications of diabetes. The peptide hormone fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, whether administration of recombinant human (rh) FGF-21 can potentially regulate diabetic keratopathy is still unknown.

Photodynamic Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Using Chlorin e6-Loaded Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)- Based Nanoparticles.

We prepared poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) encapsulated with chlorin e6 (Ce6) in an effort to increase the stability and efficiency of photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). We determined that Ce6-loaded PLGA nanoparticles (PLGA-Ce6 NPs) had drug-loading efficiency of 5%. The efficiency of encapsulation was 82%, the zeta potential was- 25 mV, and the average diameter was 130 nm.

Nerve Growth Factor Protects Retinal Ganglion Cells Related to Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress by Inhibiting IRE1-JNK-CHOP Signaling Pathway.

Background: Under various physiological conditions, endoplasmic reticulum stress can induce apoptotic cell death, leading to brain and retinal neuronal cell death, but the relations of ER stress-induced apoptosis and the nerve growth factor's therapeutic effect in Glaucoma optic neuropathy still unclear.

Methods: An endoplasmic reticulum stress model was established in ganglion cells using TG, the endoplasmic reticulum stress inducer. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the protective effect of NGF on retinal ganglion cells.

Effects of puerarin on the retina and STAT3 expression in diabetic rats.

The effects of puerarin on electroretinogram, oxidative stress and STAT3 expression were determined, in diabetic rat retina and serum. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the normal control (NC), the diabetic model (DM), the low dose (250 mg/kg) puerarin (LP) or the high dose (500 mg/kg) puerarin group (HP). A diabetic rat model was induced by streptozotocin and animals were continuously treated for 4 weeks; fasting blood glucose was measured at 2 and 4 weeks after modeling.