Novel intervention for alcohol-associated liver disease.

A recently published article in the clarified that elafibranor, a dual peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α/δ (PPARα/δ) agonist, reduced inflammation and fibrosis in alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). This letter aims to discuss the findings presented in that article. ALD is a global health problem, and no effective drugs has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to cure it.

Innovative mesenchymal stem cell treatments for fatty liver disease.

The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is increasing year by year due to changes in the contemporary environment and dietary structure, and is an important public health problem worldwide. There is an urgent need to continuously improve the understanding of their disease mechanisms and develop novel therapeutic strategies. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown promise as a potential therapeutic strategy in therapeutic studies of NAFLD and ALD.

The long-term survival of the doublet regimen of concurrent chemoradiation therapy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective study.

Objective: This study introduces innovative strategies, the doublet regimen of concurrent chemoradiotherapy, to ensure longer survival for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 104 locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who underwent taxane combined platinum-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy in our center between January 2013 and December 2018. All statistical analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method (SPSS 23.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α-mediated upregulation of CD99 promotes the proliferation of placental mesenchymal stem cells by regulating ERK1/2.

Background: As human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hP-MSCs) exist in a physiologically hypoxic microenvironment, various studies have focused on the influence of hypoxia. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be further explored.

Aim: The aim was to reveal the possible mechanisms by which hypoxia enhances the proliferation of hP-MSCs.

Antitumor activity of the pachymic acid in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

Objective: To investigate the antitumour efficacy of pachymic acid (PA), which is a fungal extract component, on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells CNE-1, CNE-2.

Methods: We have chosen NPC cell line CNE-2 for the study, and the cells were treated with PA before the detection. CCK-8 assay was used to detect the proliferative ability, and Annexin V-PI double staining was used for the detection of apoptosis rate; and the nucleus damage was detected by transmission electron microscope, the protein expression of the DNA damage pathway were detected by Western blot.

Down-regulation of PTEN by HCV core protein through activating nuclear factor-κB.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is an important causative agent in HCV related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Tumor suppressor gene PTEN appears to act in the liver at the crossroad of processes controlling cell proliferation. In this study we investigated the effect of the HCV core protein on the PTEN pathway in hepatocarcinogenesis.

Dual-energy CT: clinical application in differentiating an adrenal adenoma from a metastasis.

Background: Application of dual-energy CT in characterization of adrenal nodules has not been well evaluated.

Purpose: To evaluate the ability of dual-energy CT scan to differentiate an adrenal adenoma from a metastasis.

Material And Methods: Fifty-five patients presenting 63 adrenal nodules underwent dual-energy CT scan at tube voltages of 80 kVp and 140 kVp.

His-tagged protein purification by metal-chelate affinity extraction with nickel-chelate reverse micelles.

Di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) was used as a transition metal ion chelator and introduced to the nonionic reverse micellar system composed of equimolar Triton X-45 and Span 80 at a total concentration of 30 mmol/L. Ni(II) ions were chelated to the HDEHP dimers in the reverse micelles, forming a complex denoted as Ni(II)R(2). The Ni(II)-chelate reverse micelles were characterized for the purification of recombinant hexahistidine-tagged enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expressed in Escherichia coli.

Gadolinium triggers unfolded protein responses (UPRs) in primary cultured rat cortical astrocytes via promotion of an influx of extracellular Ca2+.

Gadolinium (Gd) and its complexes are utilized widely in industrial and clinical diagnoses. As a rare earth metal ion, free gadolinium (Gd(3+)) in the human body poses neurotoxic risks during its in vivo release and retention. In the central nervous system, astrocytes play a pivotal role in processing toxic metal ions.

Synthesis, biocompatibility and cell labeling of L-arginine-functional beta-cyclodextrin-modified quantum dot probes.

A series of quantum dots (QDs), CdSe, CdSe/CdS and CdSe/ZnSe, coated with L-arginine-modified beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD-L-Arg) were prepared in a solution of H2O and hexane by ultrasonic method and characterized using PL, UV-vis, TEM, EDX and FTIR techniques. We observed that beta-CD-L-Arg-coated QDs are water-soluble and stable with high colloidal properties in water. Their photophysical properties are similar to those of trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO)-coated nanocrystals.

A metal-chelate affinity reverse micellar system for protein extraction.

A new nonionic reverse micellar system is developed by blending two nonionic surfactants, Triton X-45 and Span 80. At total surfactant concentrations lower than 60 mmol/L and molar fractions of Triton X-45 less than 0.6, thermodynamically stable reverse micelles of water content (W(0)) up to 30 are formed.

High doses of bifendate elevate serum and hepatic triglyceride levels in rabbits and mice: animal models of acute hypertriglyceridemia.

Aim: To investigate the effects of bifendate on serum and hepatic lipids level in rabbits and mice.

Methods: Animals were administered bifendate [powdered pill suspended in 0.5% sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)] at increasing doses (0.