Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential signaling molecules that maintain intracellular redox balance; however, the overproduction of ROS often causes dysfunction in redox homeostasis and induces serious diseases. Antioxidants are crucial candidates for reducing overproduced ROS; however, most antioxidants are less effective than anticipated. Therefore, we designed new polymer-based antioxidants based on the natural amino acid, cysteine (Cys). Amphiphilic block copolymers, composed of a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) segment and a hydrophobic poly(cysteine) (PCys) segment, were synthesized. In the PCys segment, the free thiol groups in the side chain were protected by thioester moiety. The obtained block copolymers formed self-assembling nanoparticles (Nano) in water, and the hydrodynamic diameter was 40-160 nm, as determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. Nano was stable from pH 2 to 8 under aqueous conditions, as confirmed by the hydrodynamic diameter of Nano. Finally, Nano was applied to sepsis treatment to investigate the potential of Nano. Nano was supplied to BALB/cA mice by free drinking for two days, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was intraperitoneally injected into the mice to prepare a sepsis shock model (LPS = 5 mg per kg body weight (BW)). Compared with the Cys and no-treatment groups, Nano prolonged the half-life by five to six hours. Nano, designed in this study, shows promise as a candidate for enhancing antioxidative efficacy and mitigating the adverse effect of cysteine.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15061775 | DOI Listing |
BMJ Case Rep
January 2025
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
A paediatric patient presented with periorbital oedema and fever. Initially, there was low suspicion for cavernous sinus thrombosis and orbital cellulitis due to the presence of full extraocular movements. However, given worsening bilateral periorbital oedema, lethargy and sepsis, neuroimaging was performed demonstrating inflammation and enhancement of the leptomeninges and left cavernous sinus, and raising concern for cavernous sinus thrombosis in the setting of orbital cellulitis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Case Rep
January 2025
Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
A man in his 60s with advanced COPD and lung adenocarcinoma presented with sepsis and acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure. Imaging revealed bilateral pleural effusions, and he was found to have a polymicrobial empyema which included Despite appropriate treatment, he continued to deteriorate and ultimately died of sepsis. species, typically benign constituents of the oral microbiota, rarely can instigate pleuropulmonary infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClin Infect Dis
January 2025
Professor of Medicine, Director, Institute for Therapeutic Innovation at University of Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.
Based on the fact that beta-lactam antibiotics demonstrate time-dependent killing, different dosing strategies have been implemented to increase the time that free (f) (unbound) antibiotic concentrations remain above the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), including prolonged and continuous infusion. Multiple studies have been performed that compared continuous with traditional intermittent infusion to improve outcomes in patients with severe sepsis and/or septic shock. These studies have yielded inconsistent results for patients as measured by clinical response to treatment and mortality due to heterogeneity of included patients, pathogens, dosing strategies and the absence of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExpert Rev Mol Diagn
January 2025
Hebei Provincial Center for Clinical Laboratories, Shijiazhuang, China, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, People's Republic of China.
Introduction: Rapid and accurate laboratory diagnosis is essential for the effective treatment of bloodstream infection (BSI).
Areas Covered: This review aims to address novel and traditional approaches that exhibit different performance characteristics in the diagnosis of BSI. In particular, the authors will discuss the pros and cons of the blood culture-based phenotypic methods, nucleic acid-targeted molecular methods, and host response-targeted biomarker detection in the diagnosis of BSI.
Radiol Case Rep
March 2025
Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysms are a rare but serious complication of infectious processes, often resulting from mycotic (infectious) aneurysms, occurring when the vessel wall is compromised by an infection, leading to the formation of a pseudoaneurysm [1]. Mycotic aneurysms typically result from bacteremia or fungemia, with common sources being infective endocarditis or other systemic infections. Tuberculosis, though a common infectious disease worldwide, is an unusual cause of aortic pseudoaneurysm formation.
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