Splicing factor SRSF1 attenuates cardiomyocytes apoptosis via regulating alternative splicing of Bcl2L12.

Background: Aberrant alternative splicing (AS) events, triggered by the alterations in serine/arginine splicing factor 1 (SRSF1), a member of the SR protein family, have been implicated in various pathological processes. However, the function and mechanism of SRSF1 in cardiovascular diseases remain unclear.

Results: In this study, we found that the expression of SRSF1 was significantly down-regulated in the hearts of mice with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and H9C2 cells exposed to HO.

Ramelteon alleviates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI) through Sirt3--dependent regulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Reperfusion stands as a pivotal intervention for ischemic heart disease. However, the restoration of blood flow to ischemic tissue always lead to further damage, which is known as myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MIRI). Ramelteon is an orally administered drug used to improve sleep quality, which is famous for its high bioadaptability and absence of notable addictive characteristics.

Berberine inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation by regulating mTOR/mtROS axis to alleviate diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Diabetes cardiomyopathy (DCM) refers to myocardial dysfunction and disorganization resulting from diabetes. In this study, we investigated the effects of berberine on cardiac function in male db/db mice with metformin as a positive control. After treatment for 8 weeks, significant improvements in cardiac function and a reduction in collagen deposition were observed in db/db mice.

Preventive effects of Ramelteon on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a devastating lung disease that leads to impaired lung function and ultimately death. Several studies have suggested that melatonin, a hormone involved in regulating sleep-wake cycles, may be effective in improving PF. Ramelteon, an FDA-approved melatonin receptor agonist, has shown promise in exerting an anti-PF effect similar to melatonin.

Vincristine-doxorubicin co-loaded artificial low-density lipoproteins towards solid tumours.

To construct an artificial low-density lipoprotein (aLDL) that highly mimics low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in vivo, and deliver vincristine (VCR) - doxorubicin (DOX) simultaneously, the 100 nm and 35 nm DOX-VCR-aLDLs (DV-aLDLs) were constructed, then the physicochemical characteristics were evaluated. Through in vitro inverse gravity diffusion experiment, the tumour cake and sphere model experiment, draw a conclusion that the diffusion of 35 nm DV-aLDLs was stronger than 100 nm DV-aLDLs, and the tumour retention of 35 nm DV-aLDLs was better than the DV-solution. In addition, the three-dimension (3D) in vivo distribution imaging of aLDLs was performed on HepG-2 tumour-bearing nude mice, followed by the biodistribution and therapeutic efficacy on these xenograft models.

A novel preparative method for nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel with high drug loading and its evaluation both in vitro and in vivo.

We developed a novel preparative method for nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab) paclitaxel with high drug loading, which was based on improved paclitaxel solubility in polyethylene glycol (PEG) and self-assembly of paclitaxel in PEG with albumin powders into nanoparticles. That is, paclitaxel and PEG were firstly dissolved in ethanol, which was subsequently evaporated under vacuum. The obtained liquid was then mixed with human serum albumin powders.

Epidemiological analysis of respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases in three counties of Sichuan: the baseline survey of Disaster Mitigation Demonstration Area in western China.

Background: Natural disasters can indirectly induce epidemics of infectious diseases through air and water pollution, accelerated pathogen reproduction, and population migration. This study aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of the main infectious diseases in Sichuan, a province with a high frequency of natural disasters.

Methods: Data were collected from the local Centers for Disease Control infectious disease reports from Lu, Shifang and Yuexi counties from 2011 to 2015 and from the baseline survey of the Disaster Mitigation Demonstration Area in Western China in 2016.

In vitro toxicity assessment of nanocrystals in tissue-type cells and macrophage cells.

Nanocrystals (NCs), a type of innovative material particle, are a potential drug delivery platform that aims to improve the bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs. However, due to the lack of consideration of their toxicity, existing studies have not investigated whether the nanoscale properties of NCs, such as particle sizes, may lead to NC-induced toxicity. Because of the disparity between the rapid development of NCs and the lack of studies regarding NC toxicity, the present study investigated possible NC toxicity and clarified the relationship between particle sizes and NC toxicity.

Preparation and Evaluation of Oxaliplatin Thermosensitive Liposomes with Rapid Release and High Stability.

Oxaliplatin (OXP) was reported to show low anti-tumor activity when used alone and to display side effects; this low activity was attributed to high partitioning to erythrocytes and low accumulation in tumors. Thermosensitive liposomes (TSL) were considered able to specifically deliver drugs to heated tumors and to resolve the OXP distribution problem. Regretfully, TSL encapsulating doxorubicin did not demonstrate significant improvement in progression-free survival.

Thermo-Sensitive Liposome co-Loaded of Vincristine and Doxorubicin Based on Their Similar Physicochemical Properties had Synergism on Tumor Treatment.

Purpose: To develop vincristine (VCR) and doxorubicin (DOX) co-encapsulated thermo-sensitive liposomes (VD-TSL) against drug resistance, with increased tumor inhibition rate and decreased system toxicity, improving drug targeting efficiency upon mild hyperthermia (HT) in solid tumor.

Methods: Based on similar physicochemical properties, VCR and DOX were co-loaded in TSL with pH gradient active loading method and characterized. The time-dependent drug release profiles at 37 and 42°C were assessed by HPLC.

Synchronous delivery of felodipine and metoprolol tartrate using monolithic osmotic pump technology.

The synchronous sustained-release of two drugs was desired urgently for patients needing combination therapy in long term. However, sophisticated technologies were used generally to realize the simultaneous delivery of two drugs especially those with different physico-chemical properties. The purpose of this study was to obtain the concurrent release of felodipine and metoprolol tartrate, two drugs with completely different solubilities, in a simple monolithic osmotic pump system (FMOP).

[Current status and prospect of translational medicine in nanotechnology].

Nowadays, nanotechnologies have shown wide application foreground in the biomedical field of medicine laboratory tests, drug delivery, gene therapy and bioremediation. However, in recent years, nanomaterials have been labeled poisonous, because of the disputes and misunderstandings of mainstream views on their safety. Besides, for the barriers of technical issues in preparation like: (1) low efficacy (poor PK & PD and low drug loading), (2) high cost (irreproducibility and difficulty in scale up), little of that research has been successfully translated into commercial products.

Preparation, characterization, and efficacy of thermosensitive liposomes containing paclitaxel.

To increase the anti-tumor activity of paclitaxel (PTX), novel temperature-sensitive liposomes loading paclitaxel (PTX-TSL) were developed. In vitro, characteristics of PTX-TSL were evaluated. The mean particle diameter was about 100 nm, and the entrapment efficiency was larger than 95%.

Preparation, characterization and pulmonary pharmacokinetics of a new inhalable zanamivir dry powder.

This work describes a new dry powder for inhalation containing zanamivir, which is less hygroscopic than Relenza®. The powders were prepared via a spray-drying technique using mannitol as the carrier. A 5(3) central composite design was used to optimize the formulations.

A novel drug-polyethylene glycol liquid compound method to prepare 10-hydroxycamptothecin loaded human serum albumin nanoparticle.

Drug loading strategies and the methods derived for implementing those strategies are crucially important to the preparation of drug loaded human serum albumin nanoparticles (HSA-NPs), because each of them is focused on wrapping up specific types of drugs via certain physical and chemical properties. However, poor adaptability still exists to load drugs like model substance 10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) by conventional methods. Because it typically represents a large class of water-insoluble drugs, who also structurally possess a certain number of hydrophilic groups.

In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluations of PLGA Microspheres Containing Nalmefene.

Poor patient compliance, untoward reactions and unstable blood drug levels after the bolus administration are impeding the pharmacotherapy for insobriety. A long-acting preparation may address these limitations. The aim of this paper was to further investigate the in vitro characteristics and in vivo performances of nalmefene microspheres.

Experimental and numerical investigations on reliability of air barrier on oil containment in flowing water.

Air barriers have been recently developed and employed as a new type of oil containment boom. This paper presents systematic investigations on the reliability of air barriers on oil containments with the involvement of flowing water, which represents the commonly-seen shearing current in reality, by using both laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. Both the numerical and experimental investigations are carried out in a model scale.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of the uterine vascular supply through vascular casting and thin slice computed tomography scanning.

It was the objective of this study to construct a model of the uterine vascular supply through vascular casting and thin slice computed tomography scanning. This will provide a teaching aide for the understanding of uterine artery embolization (UAE) procedures, as well as normal uterine and ovarian arterial anatomy. Using 20% chlorinated poly vinyl chloride, we infused and cast a set of a normal uterus, vagina and bilateral adnexa through the uterine artery and ovarian artery.

[Effect of nitrogen and phosphorous on the production of microcystin under laboratory conditions].

Objective: To explore the effect of phosphorus, nitrogen on the production of microcystin under specific laboratory condition.

Methods: The microcystis were ampliatively cultured for three times in N and P free culture. Then the microcysitis were inoculated in the culture at the concentrations of 0, 0.

[Toxicological study of fresh water microcystins].

Microcystins are a group of toxins that are produced by fresh water cyanobacteria. They are bioactive materials which are hepatotoxic. They can inhibit serine/threonine protein phosphatase (PP1 and PP2A), breaking the balance between protein phosporylation and phosphorylysis.