Transcriptome profiling in oral cavity and esophagus tissues from (S)-N'-nitrosonornicotine-treated rats reveals candidate genes involved in human oral cavity and esophageal carcinogenesis.

Recently, we have shown that (S)-N'-Nitrosonornicotine [(S)-NNN], the major form of NNN in tobacco products, is a potent oral cavity and esophageal carcinogen in rats. To determine the early molecular alterations induced by (S)-NNN in the oral and esophageal mucosa, we administered the carcinogen to rats in the drinking water for 10 wk and global gene expression alterations were analyzed by RNA sequencing. At a false discovery rate P-value < 0.

Downregulated ECRG4 is associated with poor prognosis in renal cell cancer and is regulated by promoter DNA methylation.

Esophageal cancer-related gene 4 (ECRG4) has been proposed as a putative tumor suppressor gene in several tumors. However, the role and regulation of ECRG4 in the pathogenesis of human renal cancer remain largely unknown. Our current study revealed that expression of ECRG4 is downregulated in renal cell lines and renal cancer tissues.

Nonlinear optical properties tuning in meso-tetraphenylporphyrin derivatives substituted with donor/acceptor groups in picosecond and nanosecond regimes.

meso-Tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) and its two substituted derivatives (meso-tetrakis(4-cyanophenyl)porphyrin [TPP(CN)4] and meso-tetrakis(4-methoxyphenyl)porphyrin [TPP(OMe)4]) were synthesized. Their nonlinear absorption and refraction properties were studied using the Z-scan technique in the picosecond (ps) and nanosecond (ns) regimes. The open aperture Z-scan results reveal that TPP and TPP(CN)4 display an identical reverse saturable absorption (RSA) character in the ps and ns regimes.

RNA-sequencing studies identify genes differentially regulated during inflammation-driven lung tumorigenesis and targeted by chemopreventive agents.

Introduction: Chronic pulmonary inflammation has been consistently shown to increase the risk of lung cancer. Therefore, assessing the molecular links between the two diseases and identification of chemopreventive agents that inhibit inflammation-driven lung tumorigenesis is indispensable.

Materials And Methods: Female A/J mice were treated with the tobacco smoke carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent inflammatory agent and constituent of tobacco smoke, and maintained on control diet or diet supplemented with the chemopreventive agents indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and/or silibinin (Sil).

Self-catalyzed growth of large-area nanofilms of two-dimensional carbon.

The graphdiyne (GD), a carbon allotrope with a 2D structure comprising benzene rings and carbon-carbon triple bonds, can be synthesized through cross-coupling on the surface of copper foil. The key problem is in understanding the dependence of layers number and properties, however, the controlled growth of the layers numbers of GD film have not been demonstrated, its controlled growth into large-area and high ordered films with different numbers of layers is still an important challenge. Here, we show that a new strategy for synthesizing GD films with 2D nanostructures on ZnO nanorod arrays through a combination of reduction and a self-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid growth process, using GD powder as the vapor source and ZnO nanorod arrays as the substrate.

Dietary diindolylmethane suppresses inflammation-driven lung squamous cell carcinoma in mice.

Inflammatory conditions of the lung such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are known to increase lung cancer risk, particularly lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). In the present study, we developed a mouse model of inflammation-driven LSCC that was induced by N-nitroso-trischloroethylurea (NTCU) and enhanced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a potent proinflammatory agent contained in tobacco and tobacco smoke, and determined the chemopreventive effects of BioResponse diindolylmethane (DIM) in the same model. Compared with mice treated with NTCU alone, mice treated with the combination of NTCU and LPS had a 9-fold increase in the number of bronchioles with LSCC.

Intranasal delivery of liposomal indole-3-carbinol improves its pulmonary bioavailability.

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a constituent of commonly consumed Brassica vegetables, has been shown to have anticancer effects in a variety of preclinical models of lung cancer. However, it has shown only limited efficacy in clinical trials, likely due to its poor oral bioavailability. Intranasal administration of I3C has the potential to enhance the pulmonary accumulation of the drug, thereby improving its availability at the target site of action.

Inorganic/organic small molecular semiconductor self-assembly to functional core-shell nanoarchitectures for ultrasensitive chemiresistors to aniline vapor.

We developed a new method combining the in situ liquid-solid phase reaction and self-assembly in solution to synthesize novel inorganic/organic small molecular semiconductor core-shell nanoparticles of ZnS/PTCDA (ZPNPs). This method is a one-step process which can produce stoichiometric inorganic/organic core-shell nanoparticles and does not introduce any impurity. The film of ZPNPs exhibited an ultrasensitive detection of aniline vapor.

Dimethylaminoparthenolide, a water soluble parthenolide, suppresses lung tumorigenesis through down-regulating the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Lung cancer is the most fatal cancer and development of agents that suppress lung tumorigenesis is a crucial strategy to reduce mortality related to this disease. In the present study, we showed, using an in vitro model of lung tumorigenesis, that dimethylamino-parthenolide (DMAPT), a water soluble parthenolide analog, selectively inhibited the growth and survival of premalignant and malignant cells with minimal effects on parental immortalized cells. These effects were paralleled by suppression of pSTAT3, Mcl-1 and cyclin D1 and PARP cleavage, suggesting that the antiproliferative and apoptotic effects of DMAPT could be mediated, at least in part, via suppression of the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Selectively recognizing organic semiconducting molecules on solid state molecular cages based on ZnOTCPP.

In this study, we constructed a novel solid state supramolecular system-the molecular cage ZnOTCPP, based on an inorganic/organic hybrid nanostructure, through the assembly of 5,10,15,20-tetra(3-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (TCPP) onto the surfaces of ZnO nanorod (NR) arrays. The ZnOTCPP molecular cage exhibited highly selective recognition of 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) by optical and photoelectrical signals. The ZnOTCPP@TPP exhibited high emission efficiency, with a six-fold increase in the intensity of the emission relative to that of ZnOTCPP after the molecular cage ZnOTCPP captured TPP.

Synthesizing axial inserting p-n heterojunction nanowire arrays for realizing synergistic performance.

Consideration of the material design and components match on structure and energy, the solid-solid combined nanowires of p-type conductive polymer of poly[3-thiophene carboxylic acid methyl ester] (PTCM) and n-type inorganic semiconductor PbS was prepared with a 2.57 μm(2) heterojunction interface. The axial deeply inserting heterojunction nanowire arrays exhibited excellent rectifying features and diode nature, as well as obvious electrical switching behavior, which are much excelled individual components of PTCM and PbS nanowire arrays for realizing synergistic performance.

Inorganic-organic p-n heterojunction nanotree arrays for a high-sensitivity diode humidity sensor.

Large-area and ordered arrays (16 cm(2)) of an inorganic-organic p-n heterojunction nanotree (NT) were successfully fabricated. The nanotree arrays consist of ZnO nanorods (NRs) as backbones and CuTCNQ (TCNQ = 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane) NRs as branches. The sizes of CuTCNQ NRs can be tuned by the thickness of the Cu layer deposited on the surface of ZnO NR.

DNA adduct formation of 2-amino-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole and 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline in mouse liver and extrahepatic tissues during a subchronic feeding study.

Tobacco smoking is a risk factor for cancers of the liver and gastrointestinal (GI) tract, but the causal agents responsible for these cancers are uncertain. 2-Amino-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (AαC) is an abundant heterocyclic aromatic amine present in tobacco smoke. AαC is a liver carcinogen and both a transgene mutagen and inducer of aberrant crypt foci in the colon of mice.

Porous conjugated polymer nanotip arrays for highly stable field emitter.

Large area (26.7 cm2) nanotip arrays of porous conducting poly [5, 10, 15, 20-tetra (4-ethynylphenyl) porphyrin] diyne (TEPPD) have been successfully fabricated by an in situ cross-coupling reaction on the surface of the copper foil, which will open a new routine for large-area nanofabrication of porous conducting polymer on a conducting substrate. The surface-area of TEPPD nanotip arrays is up to 146 m2/g.

DNA adducts in aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive lung stem cells of A/J mice treated with the tobacco specific lung carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK).

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the world. Evidence suggests that lung cancer could originate from mutations accumulating in a subpopulation of self-renewing cells, lung stem cells. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) is a marker of stem cells.

Chemoprevention of lung tumorigenesis by intranasally administered diindolylmethane in A/J mice.

The main reasons for the failure of most chemopreventive agents during clinical trials are poor in vivo bioavailability and dose-limiting side effects. One potential approach to surmount these problems in lung cancer chemoprevention trials could be direct delivery of agents into the pulmonary tissue. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of intranasally delivered bio-response diindolylmethane (BRD) against 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)-induced lung tumorigenesis in mice.

Controllable one-dimension nanostructures of CuTNAP for field emission properties.

One-dimensional nanostructures of the organic charge-transfer (CT) complex CuTNAP (copper 11,11,12,12-tetracyano-2,6-naphthoquinodimethane) were successfully synthesized by an organic vapor-solid phase reaction. The morphologies and field-emission properties of the CuTNAP nanostructures can be easily tuned by controlling the reaction conditions. It was observed that the field emission property is dependent on the morphology.

Architecture of CuS/PbS heterojunction semiconductor nanowire arrays for electrical switches and diodes.

CuS/PbS p-n heterojunction nanowires arrays have been successfully synthesized. Association of template and DC power sources by controllable electrochemistry processes offers a technique platform to efficiently grow a combined heterojunction nanowire arrays driven by a minimization of interfacial energy. The resulting p-n junction materials of CuS/PbS show highly uniform 1D wire architecture.

Water-dispersed quantum dots of coordination polymers with strong photoluminescence.

Coordination polymers PZn quantum dots with a uniform diameter of 3 ± 0.5 nm were successfully prepared. The PZn QDs exhibit excellent water dispersibility, high photoluminescence, outstanding photostability and remarkable biocompatibility.

Construction of graphdiyne nanowires with high-conductivity and mobility.

GDNWs (graphdiyne nanowires) have successfully been constructed which exhibit a very high quality defect-free surface using the VLS growth process. Measurement of electrical properties showed that the GDNWs produced are excellent semiconductors with a conductivity of 1.9 × 10(3) S m(-1) and a mobility of 7.

Synthesis and characterization of axial heterojunction inorganic-organic semiconductor nanowire arrays.

The end-to-end P-N heterojunction nanowire arrays combined organic (poly[1,4-bis(pyrrol-2-yl)benzene], BPB) and inorganic (CdS) molecules have been successfully designed and fabricated. The electrical properties of P-N heterojunctions of organic-inorganic nanowire arrays were investigated. The diode nature and rectifying feature of P-N heterojunction nanowire arrays were observed.

Indole-3-carbinol inhibited tobacco smoke carcinogen-induced lung adenocarcinoma in A/J mice when administered during the post-initiation or progression phase of lung tumorigenesis.

We studied the chemopreventive efficacy of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables, to inhibit tobacco carcinogen-induced lung adenocarcinoma in A/J mice when given following post-initiation or progression protocol. Moreover, we assessed the potential mechanisms responsible for the anticancer effects of I3C. Post-initiation administration of I3C decreased the multiplicity of surface tumors as well as all forms of histopathological lesions, including adenocarcinoma, whereas administration of the compound during tumor progression failed to decrease the multiplicity of surface tumors and early forms of microscopic lesions but reduced the frequency of adenocarcinoma.

Constructing a blue light photodetector on inorganic/organic p-n heterojunction nanowire arrays.

We described a new structure photodetector, which is constructed by p-n heterojunction nanowire arrays of PANI (polyaniline)/CdS. The nanowire arrays exhibit excellent rectifying features and a diode nature and show a sensitive spectral response to blue light under 420 nm. The rectification ratio plots of different illumination intensities show straight line behavior, implying that the quantitative detection of illumination intensity can be achieved.

Field emission and electrical bistable properties of CuTCPQ nanostructures.

The organic charge-transfer (CT) complex nanostructures of CuTCPQ (copper tetracyanopentacenequinodimethane) were first successfully fabricated by organic solid phase reaction. The morphologies of CuTCPQ nanosrods can be prepared by controlling the reaction temperature. The electron field-emission properties on these nanostructures were investigated.