Phentolamine and B vitamins for feeding intolerance in late preterm infants: a randomised trial.

Background And Objectives: Feeding intolerance (FI) is a common problem in late preterm infants (34 weeks ≤ gestational age < 37 weeks). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of phentolamine combined with B vitamins in treating FI in late preterm infants and to explore its effects on gastrointestinal symptoms, inflammation and complications.

Methods And Study Design: We randomly assigned 118 late preterm infants with FI to a treatment group (n = 56) or a control group (n = 62).

Tumor Tropic Delivery of Hyaluronic Acid-Poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) Polymeric Micelles Using Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Glioma Therapy.

Tumor penetration and the accumulation of nanomedicines are crucial challenges in solid tumor therapy. By taking advantage of the MSC tumor-tropic property, we developed a mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based drug delivery system in which paclitaxel (PTX)-encapsulating hyaluronic acid-poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) polymeric micelles (PTX/HA-PLGA micelles) were loaded for glioma therapy. The results indicated that CD44 overexpressed on the surface of both MSCs and tumor cells not only improved PTX/HA-PLGA micelle loading in MSCs, but also promoted the drug transfer between MSCs and adjacent cancer cells.

Screening and identification of novel candidate biomarkers of focal cortical dysplasia type II via bioinformatics analysis.

Purpose: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is the most common developmental malformation that causes refractory epilepsy. FCD II is a common neuropathological finding in tissues resected therapeutically from patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. However, its molecular genetic etiology remains unclear.

Manganese(III) porphyrin oligomers as high-relaxivity MRI contrast agents.

Manganese(III) porphyrins (MnPs) as MRI contrast agents (CAs) have drawn particular attention due to their high longitudinal relaxivity (r) and unique biodistribution. In this work, two MnP-based oligomers, MnPD and MnPT, were designed to further improve the relaxivity with ease of synthesis. The two compounds were fully characterized and their nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD) profiles were acquired with a fast field cycling NMR relaxometer.

Porphyrinic Probe for Fluorescence "Turn-On" Monitoring of Cu in Aqueous Buffer and Mitochondria.

A zinc(II) porphyrin derivative (ZPSN) was designed and synthesized, and this probe exhibited rapid, selective and reversible binding to Cu for fluorescence monitoring in pure aqueous buffer. The detection mechanism is based on Cu-activated disruption of axial coordination between the pyridyl ligand and the zinc center, which changes the molecular geometry and inhibits intramolecular electron transfer (ET), leading to fluorescence enhancement of the probe. The proposed sensing mechanism was supported by UV-vis spectroscopy/fluorescence spectral titration, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and time-resolved fluorescence decay studies.

Inhibition of CTHRC-1 by its specific monoclonal antibody attenuates cervical cancer cell metastasis.

Although combination of surgery and chemo-radiotherapy could cure 80-95% of patients with early cervical cancer, there is still no satisfactory therapeutic strategies for locally advanced and metastatic cervical cancer patients. Our previous study has already investigated that CTHRC-1 is highly expressed not only in the local tissue but also in circulating serum of patients with cervical cancer and played important function on metastasis of cervical cancer cells. In present study, we aimed to see whether circulating specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) to CTHRC-1could inhibit the metastasis of advanced cervical cancer.

Elucidation of Arctigenin Pharmacokinetics and Tissue Distribution after Intravenous, Oral, Hypodermic and Sublingual Administration in Rats and Beagle Dogs: Integration of and Findings.

Although () has diverse bioactivities, such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, immunoregulatory and neuroprotective activities, its pharmacokinetics have not been systematically evaluated. The purpose of this work was to identify the pharmacokinetic properties of AG via various experiments and . In this research, rats and beagle dogs were used to investigate the PK (pharmacokinetics, PK) profiles of AG with different drug-delivery manners, including intravenous (i.

[Effects of sub-micro emulsion composition on cellular disposition of incorporated lipophilic drug].

Objective: To investigate the effects of sub-micro emulsion composition on cellular uptake and disposition of incorporated lipophilic drug.

Methods: Sub-micro emulsions containing 10 % oil, 1.2 % lecithin and 2.

Optical fiber light source directs neurite growth.

Guiding the growth of a neurite by directing ~800 nm laser light to the leading edge of the neurite's growing region can be accomplished by controlling the position and direction in three dimensional space of a tapered optical fiber through which the light is projected. We control the position, angle and power of the laser beam to direct the growth of actin accumulations in neurites which affects their mobility.

[Preparation of a zinc porphyrinated nanofibrous membrane and its ammonia sensing property].

Objective: To prepare a zinc porphyrinated polyimide nanofibrous membrane for rapid detection of trace amount of ammonia.

Methods: Zinc porphyrin chromophore was copolymerized into polyimide backbones and the according nanofibrous membrane was prepared by electrospinning technique. Ammonia detection was achieved by recording the color and spectral changes of the membrane before and after exposing to the target gas.

Ursolic acid suppresses IL-6 induced C-reactive protein expression in HepG2 and protects HUVECs from injury induced by CRP.

Objective: To investigate the inhibitory effects of ursolic acid (UA) on the expression of C-reactive protein (CRP) induced by IL-6 in HepG2 cells and the protective effects on the CRP-induced injury to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with IL-6 or IL-6 and different concentrations of UA for 48 h, then the cells were collected. The total protein and RNA of the cells were extracted for western blotting and RT-PCR methods to detect CRP protein and mRNA expression.

[Porphyrinated polyimide nanofibrous membrane for rapid detection of trace amount of methanol vapor].

Objective: To prepare novel electrospun porphyrinated polyimide nanofibrous membrane for rapid detection of trace amount of methanol vapor.

Methods: Porphyrin chromophore was copolymerized into polyimide backbones and the porphyrinated polyimide nanofibrous membrane was prepared by electrospinning technique. By optimizing the processing parameters, such as solution concentration and electrospinning voltage, nanofibrous membrane with three dimensional and large surface-to-area ratio structure was fabricated for trace amount of methanol vapor sensing applications.

Hypoxia down-regulates glucocorticoid receptor alpha and attenuates the anti-inflammatory actions of dexamethasone in human alveolar epithelial A549 cells.

Aims: Glucocorticoids (GCs) are frequently used to treat various pulmonary diseases, which are typically accompanied by hypoxia. Whether hypoxia influences the effects of GCs on human airway cells remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to characterize changes in the expression levels of two isoforms of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and to evaluate the anti-inflammatory actions of GCs under hypoxic conditions in A549 cells.

[Proteomic analysis of myocardial hypertrophy induced by left kidney artery coarctation in rats].

Aim: To identify the expression of proteins in cardiomyocytes in rats with left kidney artery coarctation.

Methods: 16 male SD rats were separated into 2 groups (n=8): 2 kidney 1 Clip group (2K1C) and sham operation group (SO). The postoperational 8th week, after examination by normal doppler and tissue doppler echocardiography, the extracted proteins from cardiomyocytes were isolated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with staining.

Protective effect of tea polyphenols against paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in mice is significantly correlated with cytochrome P450 suppression.

Aim: To investigate the hepatoprotective activity of tea polyphenols (TP) and its relation with cytochrome P450 (CYP450) expression in mice.

Methods: Hepatic CYP450 and CYPb(5) levels were measured by UV-spectrophotometry in mice 2 d after intraperitoneal TP (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg per day). Then the mice were intragastricly pre-treated with TP (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg per day) for six days before paracetamol (1000 mg/kg) was given.

Abrupt onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus during recombinant interferon-alpha 2b therapy in a patient with chronic hepatitis B.

We describe a case of a 33-year-old female patient with chronic hepatitis B who developed type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) after a 13-mo period of treatment with recombinant human interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) 2b. The patient presented with polydipsia, polyuria, hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, combined with C-peptide secretion deficiency and positive islet cell autoantibody (ICAb). IFN-alpha 2b treatment was terminated and instead insulin treatment was initiated.

Proteomic adaptation to chronic high intensity swimming training in the rat heart.

Cardiac hypertrophy induced by exercise is associated with less cardiac fibrosis and better systolic and diastolic function, suggesting that the adaptive mechanisms may exist in exercise-induced hypertrophy. To identify molecular mechanisms by which exercise training stimulates this favorable phenotype, a proteomic approach was employed to detect rat cardiac proteins that were differentially expressed or modified after exercise training. Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into trained (T) and control(C).

The upper limit of physiological cardiac hypertrophy in elite male and female athletes in China.

Physiological hypertrophy in response to physical training is important in the differentiation of physiological and pathological left ventricular hypertrophy. The goal of our study was to define the structural characteristics of the heart in Chinese athletes. Between June 2005 and August 2005, 339 (165 male, 174 female) elite Chinese athletes from 19 sports were profiled.