In vivo and in vitro studies of Alloimperatorin induced autophagy in cervical cancer cells via reactive oxygen species pathway.

Alloimperatorin (Alloi) has been shown to have anti-proliferative effects in our previous studies. we aimed to investigate whether Alloimperatorin induces autophagy through the reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway and anticancer activity in vivo. The anti-proliferative effect of Alloimperatorin was evaluated using a cell counting kit (CCK-8 kit).

Comparative Study on Topological Properties of the Whole-Brain Functional Connectome in Idiopathic Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder and Parkinson's Disease Without RBD.

Purpose: Idiopathic rapid eye movement Sleep Behavior Disorder (iRBD) is considered as a prodromal and most valuable warning symptom for Parkinson's disease (PD). Although iRBD and PD without RBD (nRBD-PD) are both α-synucleinopathies, whether they share the same neurodegeneration process is not clear enough. In this study, the pattern and extent of neurodegeneration were investigated and compared between early-stage nRBD-PD and iRBD from the perspective of whole-brain functional network changes.

Sparse-aperture photonics-integrated interferometer (SPIN) imaging system: structural design and imaging quality analysis.

The burgeoning field of astrophotonics, the interface between astronomy and photonics, is redefining astronomical instrumentation to replace traditional bulk optical systems with integrated optics. This drives the development of a new promising photonics-integrated interferometric imaging technique, called the segmented planar imaging detector for electro-optical reconnaissance (SPIDER). Compared to conventional imaging systems, SPIDER can reduce the size, weight, and power (SWaP) by one to two orders of magnitude for an equivalent imaging resolution in virtue of photonics-integrated technology.

Abnormal Striatal-Cortical Networks Contribute to the Attention/Executive Function Deficits in Idiopathic REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Resting State Functional MRI Study.

Introduction: The structural and functional damages of the striatum were evident in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). With the research on iRBD deepens, cognitive impairment in iRBD is getting increasing attention. However, the mechanism of cognitive impairment in iRBD was poorly understood.

Noninvasive Identification of Renal Hypoxia in Experimental Myocardial Infarctions of Different Sizes by Using BOLD MR Imaging in a Mouse Model.

Purpose To test the feasibility of using blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to measure alterations in renal oxygenation in a mouse model with experimental myocardial infarctions (MIs) of different sizes. Materials and Methods The study was approved by the local animal ethics committee. One hundred eighty-nine male C57BL/6 J mice were randomly subjected to MI surgery (with different locations of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion) or sham surgery, defined as the exposure of the heart but no ligation.

Diabetes mellitus stimulates pancreatic cancer growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-mediated metastasis via a p38 MAPK pathway.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and its accompanying chronic inflammation promote tumor progression. p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is an essential kinase for inflammation. The effects of p38 MAPK on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-mediated diabetic pancreatic cancer metastasis remain unclear.

Role of P38 MAPK on MMP Activity in Photothrombotic Stroke Mice as Measured using an Ultrafast MMP Activatable Probe.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) exert a dual effect in ischemic stroke and thus represent an ideal target for detection and therapy. However, to date, all clinical trials of MMP inhibitors have failed, and alternative drug candidates and therapeutic targets are urgently required. Nonetheless, further investigations are limited by the lack of non-invasive imaging techniques.

Bone Marrow Endothelial Progenitor Cell Transplantation After Ischemic Stroke: An Investigation Into Its Possible Mechanism.

Aims: We tested the hypothesis that endothelial progenitor cell (EPC)-mediated functional recovery after stroke may be associated with the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)/brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling pathway.

Methods: Mice were infused with either EPCs or saline after being subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion. The EPC-treated mice also received intravenous injections of either Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, the NOS inhibitor) or saline.

Visualizing myocardial inflammation in a rat model of type 4 cardiorenal syndrome by dual-modality molecular imaging.

Type 4 cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is a life-threatening world health problem in which chronic kidney disease leads to progressive cardiovascular disease. In type 4 CRS, cardiac inflammation is an excellent target for both detection and therapy; however, this progression was underestimated by previous studies due to the lack of effective detection methods. To noninvasively visualize cardiac inflammation and monitor therapeutic efficacy of anti-inflammatory treatment in type 4 CRS, we here synthesized a dual-modality magneto-fluorescent nanoparticle (MNP) by combining ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle and Rhodamine B for both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical imaging.

Salvaging brain ischemia by increasing neuroprotectant uptake via nanoagonist mediated blood brain barrier permeability enhancement.

Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of adult disability and cognitive impairment worldwide. Neuroprotective therapy aims to save neurons by impeding the deleterious ischemic insults. However, the low efficiency of the neuroprotectants crossing blood brain barrier (BBB) prevents their clinical translation.

Synergistic Effects of Transplanted Endothelial Progenitor Cells and RWJ 67657 in Diabetic Ischemic Stroke Models.

Background And Purpose: An immature vascular phenotype in diabetes mellitus may cause more severe vascular damage and poorer functional outcomes after stroke, and it would be feasible to repair damaged functional vessels using endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) transplantation. However, high glucose induces p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, which can accelerate the senescence and apoptosis of EPCs. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of EPC transplantation and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor administration on diabetic stroke outcomes.

Non-invasively evaluating therapeutic response of nanorod-mediated photothermal therapy on tumor angiogenesis.

Gold nanorod-mediated photothermal therapy has been widely explored for cancer treatment. However, timely evaluation of the therapeutic response is difficult as current diagnostic approaches are largely based on measurements of tumor volume. The present study developed a non-invasive imaging strategy to rapidly assess the efficacy of photothermal therapy in mice bearing human tumor xenografts.

Non-invasive monitoring of transplanted endothelial progenitor cells in diabetic ischemic stroke models.

Endogenous endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are functionally impaired in hyperglycemia through the p38 MAPK signaling pathway. However, the number and function of transplanted exogenous EPCs in diabetic animals remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to establish a non-invasive imaging strategy to monitor the homing of transplanted EPCs in diabetic stroke mice and to assess the effect of RWJ 67657, an inhibitor of p38 MAPK, on the homing ability of exogenous EPCs.

Synthesis of gold nanorods and their functionalization with bovine serum albumin for optical hyperthermia.

Although gold nanorods (GNRs) have been investigated extensively for optical hyperthermia therapies, the synthesis of rods is far from ideal. In this report, we optimized the synthesis of gold nanorods using hydroquinone as a reducing agent. Compared with the GNRs prepared by traditional ways, the as-synthesized rods have a flexibly tunable size and wider range of longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR).

Image-guided pro-angiogenic therapy in diabetic stroke mouse models using a multi-modal nanoprobe.

Purpose: The efficacy of pro-angiogenic therapy is difficult to evaluate with current diagnostic modalities. The objectives were to develop a non-invasive imaging strategy to define the temporal characteristics of angiogenesis and to evaluate the response to pro-angiogenic therapy in diabetic stroke mouse models.

Methods: A home-made ανβ3 integrin-targeted multi-modal nanoprobe was intravenously injected into mouse models at set time points after photothrombotic stroke.

Multimodal nanoprobes evaluating physiological pore size of brain vasculatures in ischemic stroke models.

Ischemic stroke accounts for 80% strokes and originates from a reduction of cerebral blood flow (CBF) after vascular occlusion. For treatment, the first action is to restore CBF by thrombolytic agent recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Although rt-PA benefits clinical outcome, its application is limited by short therapeutic time window and risk of brain hemorrhage.

Renal lipids and oxygenation in diabetic mice: noninvasive quantification with MR imaging.

Purpose: To determine the relationship between renal lipid content and intrarenal oxygenation in diabetic nephropathy by using noninvasive chemical shift-selective (CSS) imaging and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Materials And Methods: The study was approved by the institutional Committee on Animal Research. Lipid and water phantoms for CSS imaging were made, and BOLD MR imaging phantoms from arterial and venous blood samples were collected from rats.

[Effects of telmisartan on the level of Aβ1-42, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor α and cognition in hypertensive patients with Alzheimer's disease].

Objective: To explore the effects of telmisartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ-stimulating activity, on the levels of Aβ1-42, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and cognition in elderly hypertensive patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: A total of 48 patients with probable AD and essential hypertension were randomly assigned into telmisartan group (n = 24, 40 - 80 mg qd) or amlodipine group (n = 24, 5 - 10 mg qd) for 6 months at Henan Provincial People's Hospital during 2008 - 2011. Cognitive evaluations were assessed at pre-treatment and 24 weeks post-treatment by clinical assessment, rating scales and neuropsychological tests while the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of Aβ1-42, IL-1β and TNF-α by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Photophysics of the lanthanide complexes with conjugated carboxylic acids by low temperature fluorescent spectroscopy.

In the context, some lanthanide (Eu(3+), Tb(3+) and Sm(3+)) complexes with conjugated carboxylic acids (pyridine-carboxylic acids derivatives) have been synthesized and characterized. The low temperature fluorescent spectra for these complexes have been measured at nitrogen atmosphere (77 K), indicating that the central Ln(3+) ions locate in an equivalent coordination environment with low symmetry for most of these lanthanide complexes belonging to dimeric or polymeric structure. Therefore, the electronic dipole transition (supersensitive transition) ((5)D(0) --> (7)F(2) for Eu(3+), (5)D(4) --> (7)F(6) for Tb(3+), (4)G(5/2) --> (6)H(9/2) for Sm(3+)) and magnetic dipole transition ((5)D(0) --> (7)F(1) for Eu(3+), (5)D(4) --> (7)F(5) for Tb(3+), (4)G(5/2) --> (6)H(5/2) for Sm(3+)) show the regular change in the corresponding split number of fluorescent spectra, which can be realized to predict the fine structure of lanthanide complexes.