Analysis of gut microbiota-derived metabolites regulating pituitary neuroendocrine tumors through network pharmacology.

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) are a special class of tumors of the central nervous system that are closely related to metabolism, endocrine functions, and immunity. In this study, network pharmacology was used to explore the metabolites and pharmacological mechanisms of PitNET regulation by gut microbiota. The metabolites of the gut microbiota were obtained from the gutMGene database, and the targets related to the metabolites and PitNETs were determined using public databases.

Network pharmacology analysis and molecular mechanism of paeoniflorin and its metabolite in prolactinoma cells.

Prolactinoma was the most common functional pituitary neuroendocrine tumor tissue type, which was caused by excessive proliferation of pituitary prolactin (PRL) cells. Drug therapy of dopamine receptor agonists was generally considered as the prior treatment for prolactinoma patients. However, there were still prolactinoma patients who were resistant to dopamine agonists.

Prognostic and immunological roles of heat shock protein A4 in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Heat shock protein A4 (HSPA4) belongs to molecular chaperone protein family which plays important roles within variable cellular activities, including cancer initiation and progression. However, the prognostic and immunological significance of HSPA4 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has not been revealed yet.

Aim: To explore the prognostic and immunological roles of HSPA4 to identify a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for LUAD.

Simultaneous Detection of Two Extracellular Vesicle Subpopulations in Saliva Assisting Tumor T Staging of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), acting as important mediators of intercellular communication, play an essential role in physiological processes, which have unique potential in the medical field. However, the heterogeneity of EVs limits their development for disease diagnosis and therapy, making the EV subpopulation analysis extremely valuable. In this article, a simple microfluidic approach was presented for the on-chip specific isolation and detection of two phenotypes of EVs (Annexin V EGFR EVs and Annexin V EGFR EVs) based on different biomolecule-modified magnetic nanospheres and a fluorescence labeling technique.

Neutral 1D Perovskite-Type ABX Phase Transition Material with a Narrowband Emission and Semiconductor Property.

Cyclic organic amines are emerging as excellent building blocks to assemble organic-inorganic hybrid phase transition materials due to their flexible cyclic structure. Here, we have assembled a 1D organic-inorganic hybrid dielectric material C H NOPbBr (1) by alloying the cyclic organic amine 3-hydroxypyridine. 1 displays a remarkable switchable dielectric response induced by an order-disorder transformation of the organic moiety, this transformation behaviour is confirmed by DSC and Hirshfeld surface measurements.

Distinct Proteomic Profiling of Plasma Extracellular Vesicles from Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis Patients.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory cutaneous disorder characterized by a T helper 2 (Th2) immune response phenotype. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous family of cell-derived membranous structures, which transport cellular components such as DNA and proteins, and are involved in multiple physiological and pathological processes. Increasing evidence has shown that EVs secretion took part in the pathogenesis of AD.

Identification of a new azoreductase driven prodrug from bardoxolone methyl and 5-aminosalicylate for the treatment of colitis in mice.

For local treatment of ulcerative colitis, a new azoreductase driven prodrug CDDO-AZO from bardoxolone methyl (CDDO-Me) and 5-aminosalicylate (5-ASA) was designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated. It is proposed that orally administrated CDDO-AZO is stable before reaching the colon, while it can also be triggered by the presence of azoreductase in the colon to fragment into CDDO-Me and 5-ASA, generating potent anti-colitis effects. Superior to olsalazine (OLS, a clinically used drug for ulcerative colitis) and CDDO-Me plus 5-ASA, CDDO-AZO significantly attenuated inflammatory colitis symptoms in DSS-induced chronic colitis mice, which suggested that CDDO-AZO may be a promising anti-ulcerative colitis agent.

Variation in textural parameters of hepatic lesions during contrast medium injection.

Background: Textural parameters extracted using quantitative imaging techniques have been shown to have prognostic value for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Purpose: To evaluate whether the contrast medium timing of the image acquisition affects the reproducibility of textural parameters in HCC and hepatic tissue.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study included 17 patients with 37 HCC lesions.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of ligustrazine/resveratrol hybrids as potential anti-ischemic stroke agents.

To search for potent anti-ischemic stroke agents, a series of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP)/resveratrol (RES) hybrids 6a-t were designed and synthesized. These hybrids inhibited adenosine diphosphate (ADP)- or arachidonic acid (AA)-induced platelet aggregation, among them, 6d, 6g-i, 6o and 6q were more active than TMP. The most active compound 6h exhibited more potent anti-platelet aggregation activity than TMP, RES, as well as positive control ticlopidine (Ticlid) and aspirin (ASP).

Nitric oxide donating anti-glaucoma drugs: advances and prospects.

Glaucoma is a disease that causes irreversible blindness. Reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) is the main treatment at present. Nitric oxide (NO), an endogenous gas signaling molecule, can increase aqueous humor outflow facility, inhibit aqueous humor production thereby reducing IOP, as well as regulate eye blood flow and protect the optic nerve.

Solvent Effects on Morphology and Electrical Properties of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Electrospun Nanofibers.

Herein, poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) nanofiber-based organic field-effect transistors were successfully prepared by coaxial electrospinning technique with P3HT as the core polymer and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as the shell polymer, followed by extraction of PMMA. Three different solvents for the core polymer, including chloroform, chlorobenzene and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, were employed to manipulate the morphologies and electrical properties of P3HT electrospun nanofibers. Through the analyses from dynamic light scattering of P3HT solutions, polarized photoluminescence and X-ray diffraction pattern of P3HT electrospun nanofibers, it is revealed that the P3HT electrospun nanofiber prepared from the chloroform system displays a low crystallinity but highly oriented crystalline grains due to the dominant population of isolated-chain species in solution that greatly facilitates P3HT chain stretching during electrospinning.

Computed tomography volumetry of esophageal cancer - the role of semiautomatic assessment.

Background: The clinical and research value of Computed Tomography (CT) volumetry of esophageal cancer tumor size remains controversial. Development in CT technique and image analysis has made CT volumetry less cumbersome and it has gained renewed attention. The aim of this study was to assess esophageal tumor volume by semi-automatic measurements as compared to manual.

Body composition evaluation with computed tomography: Contrast media and slice thickness cause methodological errors.

Objective: Although computed tomography (CT) is frequently used to determine body composition, the effects of using different CT protocols is not well known. The aim of this study was to determine whether contrast media phase, radiation dose, and slice thickness in CT affect body composition segmentation.

Methods: Clinically indicated perfusion CTs of the upper abdomen in 20 patients (seven women) between 40 and 87 y of age with high suspicion of hepatocellular carcinoma were analyzed retrospectively.

Influence of tube potential on CT body composition analysis.

Objectives: Our purpose was to investigate whether tube potential in contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) affects body composition analysis.

Methods: Images from dual-source, dual-energy CT from the abdomen with intravenous contrast media administration were used. A total of 17 patients (11 women, mean age 52) with a mean body mass index of 20.

Synthesis and anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity of novel O-vinyl diazeniumdiolate-based nitric oxide-releasing derivatives of oleanolic acid.

Considering that high levels of nitric oxide (NO) exert anti-cancer effect and the derivatives of oleanolic acid (OA) have shown potent anti-cancer activity, new O-vinyl diazeniumdiolate-based NO releasing derivatives (5a-l, 11a-l) of OA were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated in the present study. These derivatives could release different amounts of NO in liver cells. Among them, 5d, 5i, 5j, 11g, 11h, and 11j released more NO in SMMC-7721 cells and displayed stronger proliferative inhibition against SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cells than OA and other tested compounds.

Quantitative texture analysis in the prediction of IDH status in low-grade gliomas.

Objectives: Molecular markers provide valuable information about treatment response and prognosis in patients with low-grade gliomas (LGG). In order to make this important information available prior to surgery the aim of this study was to explore if molecular status in LGG can be discriminated by preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Patients And Methods: All patients with histopathologically confirmed LGG with available molecular status who had undergone a preoperative standard clinical MRI protocol using a 3T Siemens Skyra scanner during 2008-2015 were retrospectively identified.

Synthesis and evaluation of 2-cyano-3, 12-dioxooleana-1, 9(11)-en-28-oate-13β, 28-olide as a potent anti-inflammatory agent for intervention of LPS-induced acute lung injury.

The present study was designed to synthesize 2-Cyano-3, 12-dioxooleana-1, 9(11)-en-28-oate-13β, 28-olide (1), a lactone derivative of oleanolic acid (OA) and evaluate its anti-inflammatory activity. Compound 1 significantly diminished nitric oxide (NO) production and down-regulated the mRNA expression of iNOS, COX-2, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of nitric oxide (NO)-hydrogen sulfide (HS) releasing derivatives of (S)-3-n-butylphthalide as potential antiplatelet agents.

In the present study, a series of novel nitric oxide-hydrogen sulfide releasing derivatives of (S)-3-n-butylphthalide ((S)-NBP) were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as potential antiplatelet agents. Compound NOSH-NBP-5 displayed the strongest activity in inhibiting the arachidonic acid (AA)- and adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation in vitro, with 3.8- and 7.

5d, a novel analogue of 3-n-butylphthalide, decreases NADPH oxidase activity through the positive regulation of CK2 after ischemia/reperfusion injury.

5d, a novel analogue of the racemic 3-n-butylphthalide (NBP), has been reported for its free radical scavenging activity in vitro and preventive neuroprotection in vivo. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which 5d attenuated ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is still unknown. Our results showed that 5d significantly increased CK2 activity as well as CK2α and 2α' protein levels after I/R injury.

[Advances in hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen sulfide-releasing drugs].

Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is considered as a new member of gasotransmitter family, following nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO). H2S exerts important biological effects in mammals, which has drawn more and more attention in recent years. It is proved that H(2)S has a role in the regulation of physiological and pathophysiological processes in the cardiovascular system and the nervous system.

[Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Fluorescence Properties of Two Tb(III) Complexes].

Two coordination polymers with formula of [Tb(3-SBA) (IP)OH(H2O)] · H2O(1) and [Tb(dpdc)1.5 (IP) (H2O)]n (2) (3-SBA==3-sulfobenzoate, dpdc=2,2'-diphenyldicarboxylate and IP=1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]-phenanthroline) have been synthesised under hydrothermal condition and characterizated by X-ray single crystal diffraction. The complex 1 possesses a 1D chain structure constructed from Tb(III) ions by 3-SBA ligands and OH groups.

Expression of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase and effects of inhibitor Wortmannin on expression of tumor necrosis factor-α in severe acute pancreatitis associated with acute lung injury.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common and serious complication of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The study aimed to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitor Wortmannin in SAP associated with ALI.

Methods: Ninety rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham operation (SO) group (n=30), SAP group (n=30), and SAP+Wortmannin (SAP+W) group (n=30).

The edaravone and 3-n-butylphthalide ring-opening derivative 10b effectively attenuates cerebral ischemia injury in rats.

Aim: Compound 10b is a hybrid molecule of edaravone and a ring-opening derivative of 3-n-butylphthalide (NBP). The aim of this study was to examine the effects of compound 10b on brain damage in rats after focal cerebral ischemia.

Methods: SD rats were subjected to 2-h-middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).

[Characteristics and sources of organic carbon and elemental carbon in PM2.5 in Shanghai urban area].

Organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) in PM2.5 samples collected in Shanghai urban area during June 2010 to May 2011 were analyzed with IMPROVE-TOR protocol. The results showed that the annual average concentrations of OC and EC in PM2.

Efficacy and safety of carmustine wafers in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme: a systematic review.

The aim of this study was to a conduct a systematic review of carmustine wafers (Gliadel wafers) for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) to assess the survival benefit and safety of this therapy. The inclusion criteria were 1) prospective or retrospective clinical trial; 2) patients who had undergone resection for primary GBM or first recurrence of GBM with or without carmustine wafer implantation; 3) patients with malignant gliomas that included GBM; 4) outcomes including survival analysis of the GBM population. Six trials met the inclusion criteria; four were randomized, controlled trials and two were retrospective.