Correlations between coagulation abnormalities and inflammatory markers in trauma-induced coagulopathy.

Introduction: In multiple trauma patients, the occurrence of trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) is closely associated with tissue damage and coagulation function abnormalities in the pathophysiological process.

Methods: This study established a multiple trauma and shock model in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and comprehensively utilized histological staining and radiographic imaging techniques to observe injuries in the intestine, liver, skeletal muscles, and bones. Monitoring activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), platelet (PLT) count, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and other physiological indicators revealed time-dependent alterations in coagulation function and physiological indicators.

Microscale Humidity Sensor Based on Iron-Coated Elaters of Spores.

Humidity sensors deeply influence human manufacturing production and daily life, while researchers generally focus on developing humidity sensors with higher stability, higher linearity, rapid response time, etc. Yet, few people discuss measuring humidity in the microenvironment by miniaturizing sensor size into a microscale, in which the existing humidity sensors are difficult to reach. Accordingly, this study proposes a methodology for measuring relative humidity in the microscale by utilizing the distinctive morphologies of spores across a range of relative humidities between 50% and 90%.

Nano/Micromotors for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy: Innovative Designs to Improve Biocompatibility.

Nano/micromotors are artificial robots at the nano/microscale that are capable of transforming energy into mechanical movement. In cancer diagnosis or therapy, such "tiny robots" show great promise for targeted drug delivery, cell removal/killing, and even related biomarker sensing. Yet biocompatibility is still the most critical challenge that restricts such techniques from transitioning from the laboratory to clinical applications.

Association between plasma metal elements and platelet dysfunction in trauma-induced coagulopathy rat model.

Background: Disorders of metal elements and platelet dysfunction are common in patients with trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC).

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the potential role of plasma metal elements in platelet dysfunction in TIC.

Methods: Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, hemorrhage shock (HS) and multiple injury (MI) groups.

Smartphone-based hand-held polarized light microscope for on-site pharmaceutical crystallinity characterization.

Polarized light microscopy (PLM) is a common but critical method for pharmaceutical crystallinity characterization, which has been widely introduced for research purposes or drug testing and is recommended by many pharmacopeias around the world. To date, crystallinity characterization of pharmaceutical solids is restricted to laboratories due to the relatively bulky design of the conventional PLM system, while little attention has been paid to on-site, portable, and low-cost applications. Herein, we developed a smartphone-based polarized microscope with an ultra-miniaturization design ("hand-held" scale) for these purposes.

Potential Antioxidative Activity of Homocysteine in Erythrocytes under Oxidative Stress.

Homocysteine is an amino acid containing a free sulfhydryl group, making it probably contribute to the antioxidative capacity in the body. We recently found that plasma total homocysteine (total-Hcy) concentration increased with time when whole blood samples were kept at room temperature. The present study was to elucidate how increased plasma total-Hcy is produced and explore the potential physiological role of homocysteine.

Comparing the Effect of Piperine and Ilepcimide on the Pharmacokinetics of Curcumin in SD Rats.

The poor bioavailability and rapid metabolism of curcumin (CUR) restrict its clinical application. Piperine (PIP), which was extracted from natural compounds, can increase the plasma concentration of curcumin in humanidad. As an artificial synthetic piperine analog, silepcimide (ILE) has significant advantages because of the low price and simple synthesis process.

Arachidonic Acid-Dependent Pathway Inhibition in Platelets: its Role in Multiple Injury-Induced Coagulopathy and the Potential Mechanisms.

Background: Our previous study demonstrated the types of platelet dysfunction varied at early stage (∼3 h) in trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC) caused by different types of injuries. And arachidonic acid (AA)-dependent pathway inhibition in platelet seemed to be specific for TIC caused by multiple injury (MI). The aim of this research was to further study AA-dependent pathway inhibition in platelets in a rat model of TIC caused by MI and to explore its potential mechanisms.

Determination of plasma homocysteine with a UHPLC-MS/MS method: Application to analyze the correlation between plasma homocysteine and whole blood 5-methyltetrahydrofolate in healthy volunteers.

An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for determination of homocysteine (HCY) in human plasma. The HCY was derivatized with 2-chloro-1-methylquinolinium tetrafluoroborate and isolated using solid-phase extraction. Derivatization, isolation and detection procedures were optimized.

Study on coagulation profiles and platelet function in trauma-induced coagulopathy caused by three types of injury.

Background: Traumatic coagulopathy is a major public health issue globally with undefined mechanisms. We established rat models of hemorrhagic shock (HS), multiple injury (MI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) to investigate the diversity of traumatic coagulopathy, especially platelet dysfunction.

Methods: Seventy male SD rats were divided randomly into seven groups(n = 10): control, HS, HS, MI, MI, TBI and TBI.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Pyridoxal Hydrazone and Acylhydrazone Compounds as Potential Angiogenesis Inhibitors.

Background/aims: Hydrazone and acylhydrazone derivatives, which are produced from aldehyde reacting with hydrazine or acylhydrazine, have been reported to exhibit antitumor activities. However, the angionenic effects of this kind of derivatives haven't been elucidated. Here, we synthesized 12 pyridoxal hydrazone and acylhydrazone compounds and investigated their antiangiogenic effects and the underlying mechanisms.

The Alterations of Copper and Zinc Homeostasis in Acute Appendicitis and the Clinical Significance.

Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are involved in inflammatory process. This study was to investigate the clinical significance of Cu and Zn homeostasis alterations in acute appendicitis (AA). One hundred twenty-two AA patients and 102 healthy controls were enrolled in this study.

Altered serum copper homeostasis suggests higher oxidative stress and lower antioxidant capability in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Copper homeostasis can be altered by inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the alteration of serum copper homeostasis and to explore its clinical significance in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).Thirty-two patients with CHB and 10 aged- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited.

Serum Copper Homeostasis in Hypertensive Intracerebral Hemorrhage and its Clinical Significance.

This study was to investigate the alterations of serum copper homeostasis after hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), which is not yet clear. We recruited 85 hypertensive ICH patients and determined their serum levels of total copper (TCu), small molecule copper (SMC), and ceruloplasmin (Cp). Sera from 32 healthy persons and 12 primary hypertension patients were collected and analyzed as well.

Renal tubular epithelial cells injury induced by mannitol and its potential mechanism.

Administration of mannitol with high dose could induce extensive isometric renal proximal tubular vacuolization and acute renal failure in clinic. We previously demonstrated that mannitol-induced human kidney tubular epithelial cell (HK-2) injury. The objective of our present work was to further study the cytotoxicity of mannitol in HK-2 cells and its potential mechanism.

Angiogenesis inhibitors as therapeutic agents in cancer: Challenges and future directions.

Angiogenesis has become an attractive target for cancer therapy since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first angiogenesis inhibitor (bevacizumab) for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in 2004. In following years, a large number of angiogenesis inhibitors have been discovered and developed, ranging from monoclonal antibodies, endogenous peptides, to small organic molecules and microRNAs. Many of them are now entering the clinical trial, or achieving approval for clinical use.

Biphasic Effects of Copper on Rat Learning and Memory in the Morris Water Maze.

Dysregulation of copper (Cu) metabolism interrupts neuron function, and subsequently results in neuron degeneration, necrosis, and gliocyte hyperplasia. To further explore the effects of hippocampal Cu concentration on learning and memory, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given once-daily intraperitoneal injections of Copper(II) acetate (Cu(OAc)2) at doses of 0.2, 2, or 20mg/Kg over 5 days.

In vitro and in vivo study of hydralazine, a potential anti-angiogenic agent.

Hydralazine (HYD), an old routine clinical anti-hypertension drug, is rarely used in clinic nowadays. Since the strategy of repositioning old drugs was put forward, HYD has been reported to possess various biological activities, including antitumor efficacy and reducing intra-tumor microvessel. Here, we investigated that whether HYD had the ability of anti-angiogeneis and its underlying mechanism.

Small Molecule Copper and Its Relative Metabolites in Serum of Cerebral Ischemic Stroke Patients.

Background: Copper is a strong pro-oxidant. The most important pro-oxidative form in serum is small molecule copper (SMC), which is copper that is loosely bound to small molecules, such as amino acids and polypeptides. The association between copper and atherosclerotic diseases has been confirmed, but that between SMC and cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS), one of the most principal manifestations and causes of death of atherosclerotic disease, is not yet clear.

Ultrasonic oscillation dialysis-graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer method for determination of "free" copper and exchangeable copper in serum.

Background: The determination of copper (Cu) in human blood is important in medical diagnosis. However, its biological activities strongly depend on the chemical forms, and thus data for total Cu concentration is not sufficient for medical diagnosis or mechanism study. Therefore, analyses of copper species in serum have much more physiologically meaningful.

SSAO inhibitors suppress hepatocellular tumor growth in mice.

Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is both an endothelial adhesion molecule involved in leukocytes emigration, and an oxidase belonging to the family of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidases (SSAOs). The enzyme activity of VAP-1 plays an important role in the migration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) into tumor site, and SSAO inhibitors can block the function of VAP-1. The effects of SSAO inhibitors on leukocyte infiltration and tumor progression were evaluated in H22 hepatocellular carcinoma-bearing C57BL/6 mice.

The alteration of copper homeostasis in inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharides.

Significant changes of copper homeostasis were triggered by lipopolysaccharides, which result in systemic inflammatory response and contribute to hepatic injury. Administration of lipopolysaccharides resulted in the increase of plasma "free" copper and total copper concentrations, whereas, the decrease of "free" copper and total copper contents in liver tissue. Copper-associated proteins were detected and showed a down-regulation of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein, and up-regulation of copper metabolism domain containing 1 and copper transporter 1.

Soluble vascular adhesion protein-1: decreased activity in the plasma of trauma victims and predictive marker for severity of traumatic brain injury.

Background: This study done was to investigate the clinical significance of soluble vascular adhesion protein-1 (sVAP-1) activity in trauma patients with different patterns.

Methods: 96 patients with consecutive trauma ≥15 years who were admitted to emergency department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, China, between January 2007 and December 2009 were enrolled in this study. Plasma was collected at admission.

Benzylamine and methylamine, substrates of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase, attenuate inflammatory response induced by lipopolysaccharide.

Current evidence indicates that semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) substrates possess insulin-mimic effect, which was thought to play an anti-inflammatory role. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether SSAO substrates benzylamine (BZA) and methylamine (MA) attenuate inflammatory response induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). BALB/c mice peritoneal macrophages (PMs) that express SSAO and RAW264.

[Determination of trace free copper and zinc in serum samples by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after two-step precipitation of protein].

A method was developed for the determination of trace free copper and zinc in serum sample by GFAAS after two-step precipitation. The serum and ethanol were mixed with volume ratio of 1 : 2. The mixture was subsequently denatured at 70 degrees C and centrifuged to precipitate proteins.