AIM: To study the preventive effects of Qianggan-Rongxian Decoction on liver fibrosis induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) in rats.

METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into hepatic fibrosis model group, control group and 3 treatment groups (12 rats in each group). Except for the normal control group, all the rats received 1% DMN (10 μL/kg body weight, i.p), 3 times a week for 4 wk. The rats in the 3 treatment groups including a high-dose DMN group (10 mL/kg), a medium-dose DMN group (7 mL/kg), and a low-dose DMN group (4 mL/kg) were daily gavaged with Qianggan-Rongxian Decoction, and the rats in the model and normal control groups were given saline vehicle. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine the changes in serum hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), and type IV collagen levels. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured using routine laboratory methods. Pathologic changes, particularly fibrosis, were examined by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Sirius red staining. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) were examined by transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTS: Compared with the model control group, the serum levels of HA, LN, type IV collagen, ALT and AST were decreased markedly in the other groups after treatment with Qianggan-Rongxian Decoction, especially in the medium-dose DMN group (P < 0.05). Moreover, the area-density percentage of collagen fibrosis was lower in the Qianggan-Rongxian Decoction treatment groups than in the model group, and a more significant drop was observed in the medium-dose DMN group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Qianggan-Rongxian Decoction can inhibit hepatic fibrosis due to chronic liver injury, delay the development of cirrhosis, and notably ameliorate liver function. It may be used as a safe and effective thera-peutic drug for patients with fibrosis.

The role of spliceosomal intronic structures played in evolution has only begun to be elucidated. Comparative genomic analyses of fungal snoRNA sequences, which are often contained within introns and/or exons, revealed that about one-third of snoRNA-associated introns in three major snoRNA gene clusters manifested polymorphisms, likely resulting from intron loss and gain events during fungi evolution. Genomic deletions can clearly be observed as one mechanism underlying intron and exon loss, as well as generation of complex introns where several introns lie in juxtaposition without intercalating exons. Strikingly, by tracking conserved snoRNAs in introns, we found that some introns had moved from one position to another by excision from donor sites and insertion into target sties elsewhere in the genome without needing transposon structures. This study revealed the origin of many newly gained introns. Moreover, our analyses suggested that intron-containing sequences were more prone to sustainable structural changes than DNA sequences without introns due to intron's ability to jump within the genome via unknown mechanisms. We propose that splicing-related structural features of introns serve as an additional motor to propel evolution.

Dendrobium spp. are traditional Chinese medicinal plants, and the main effective ingredients (polysaccharides and alkaloids) have pharmacologic effects on gastritis infection, cancer, and anti-aging. Previously, we confirmed endophytic xylariaceous fungi as the dominant fungi in several Dendrobium species of tropical regions from China. In the present study, the diversity, taxonomy, and distribution of culturable endophytic xylariaceous fungi associated with seven medicinal species of Dendrobium (Orchidaceae) were investigated. Among the 961 endophytes newly isolated, 217 xylariaceous fungi (morphotaxa) were identified using morphological and molecular methods. The phylogenetic tree constructed using nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit of ribosomal DNA (LSU), and beta-tubulin sequences divided these anamorphic xylariaceous isolates into at least 18 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The diversity of the endophytic xylariaceous fungi in these seven Dendrobium species was estimated using Shannon and evenness indices, with the results indicating that the dominant Xylariaceae taxa in each Dendrobium species were greatly different, though common xylariaceous fungi were found in several Dendrobium species. These findings implied that different host plants in the same habitats exhibit a preference and selectivity for their fungal partners. Using culture-dependent approaches, these xylariaceous isolates may be important sources for the future screening of new natural products and drug discovery.

Purpose

To compare plasma levels of oxidative stress biomarkers in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and controls and to evaluate a potential relationship between biochemical markers of oxidative stress and AMD susceptibility genotypes.

Design

Prospective case-control study

Methods

Plasma levels of oxidative stress biomarkers were determined in 77 AMD patients and 75 controls recruited from a clinical practice. Cysteine (Cys), cystine (CySS), glutathione (GSH), isoprostane (IsoP), and isofuran (IsoF) were measured, and participants were genotyped for polymorphisms in the complement factor H (CFH) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) genes.

Results

CySS was elevated in cases compared to controls (p = 0.013). After adjustment for age, gender, and smoking, this association was not significant. In all participants, CySS levels were associated with the CFH polymorphism rs3753394 (p = 0.028) as well as an eight-allele CFH haplotype (p = 0.029) after correction for age, gender, and smoking. None of the other plasma markers was related to AMD status in our cohort.

Conclusions

Our investigation of the gene/environment interaction involved in AMD revealed a relationship between a plasma biomarker of oxidative stress (CySS) and CFH genotype. These data suggest a potential association between inflammatory regulators and redox status in AMD pathogenesis.

Only two genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been conducted to date to identify potential markers for total mortality after diagnosis of breast cancer. Here we report the identification of two SNPs associated with total mortality from a two-stage GWAS conducted among 6,110 Shanghai-resident Chinese women with TNM stage I-IV breast cancer. The discovery stage included 1,950 patients and evaluated 613,031 common SNPs. The top 49 associations were evaluated in an independent replication stage of 4,160 Shanghai breast cancer patients. A consistent and highly significant association with total mortality was documented for SNPs rs3784099 and rs9934948. SNP rs3784099, located in the RAD51L1 gene, was associated with total morality in both the discovery stage (P=1.44×10−8) and replication stage (P=0.06; P-combined=1.17×10−7). Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for total mortality were 1.41 (95%CI=1.18–1.68) for the AG genotype and 2.64 (95%CI=1.74–4.03) for the AA genotype, when compared with the GG genotype. The variant C allele of rs9934948, located on chromosome 16, was associated with a similarly elevated risk of total mortality (P-combined: 5.75×10−6). We also observed this association among 1,145 breast cancer patients of European-ancestry from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS; P=0.006); the association was highly significant in a combined analysis of NHS and Chinese data (P=1.39×10−7). Similar associations were observed for these two SNPs with breast cancer-specific mortality. This study provides strong evidence suggesting that the RAD51L1 gene and a chromosome 16 locus influence breast cancer prognosis.

Background

Polyporus umbellatus sclerotia have been used as a diuretic agent in China for over two thousand years. A shortage of the natural P. umbellatus has prompted researchers to induce sclerotial formation in the laboratory.

Methodology/Principal Finding

P. umbellatus cultivation in a sawdust-based substrate was investigated to evaluate the effect of low temperature conditions on sclerotial formation. A phenol-sulfuric acid method was employed to determine the polysaccharide content of wild P. umbellatus sclerotia and mycelia and sclerotia grown in low-temperature treatments. In addition, reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, expressed as the fluorescence intensity of mycelia during sclerotial differentiation was determined. Analysis of ROS generation and sclerotial formation in mycelia after treatment with the antioxidants such as diphenyleneiodonium chloride (DPI), apocynin (Apo), or vitamin C were studied. Furthermore, macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of sclerotial differentiation were observed. Sclerotia were not induced by continuous cultivation at 25°C. The polysaccharide content of the artificial sclerotia is 78% of that of wild sclerotia. In the low-temperature treatment group, the fluorescent intensity of ROS was higher than that of the room temperature (25°C) group which did not induce sclerotial formation all through the cultivation. The antioxidants DPI and Apo reduced ROS levels and did not induce sclerotial formation. Although the concentration-dependent effects of vitamin C (5–15 mg mL−1) also reduced ROS generation and inhibited sclerotial formation, using a low concentration of vitamin C (1 mg mL−1) successfully induced sclerotial differentiation and increased ROS production.

Conclusions/Significance

Exposure to low temperatures induced P. umbellatus sclerotial morphogenesis during cultivation. Low temperature treatment enhanced ROS in mycelia, which may be important in triggering sclerotial differentiation in P. umbellatus. Moreover, the application of antioxidants impaired ROS generation and inhibited sclerotial formation. Our findings may help to provide new insights into the biological mechanisms underlying sclerotial morphogenesis in P. umbellatus.

Objective

To study outcomes of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) or radiotherapy (RT) alone followed by radical surgery in patients with local advanced cervical cancer.

Methods

A retrospective approach was carried out in 174 Chinese patients with International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists stage IB2–IIIB cervical carcinoma. A total of 121 patients were treated with CCRT, while the remaining 53 patients received RT alone, and the regimen of chemotherapy was weekly cisplatin (40 mg/m2). Pathological response, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and complications were analyzed.

Results

The median age was 45 years and the mean primary tumor diameter was 4.8 ± 1.0 cm. Pathological complete response (CR) was achieved in 53 patients (30.5%). The CR rate was relatively higher in the CCRT group (31.4% vs 28.3%, P = 0.724), particularly when tumor diameter was less than 5 cm (38.2% vs 30.8%, P = 0.623). With median follow-up of 24 months, patients with CR had improved 3-year OS (100% vs 83.6%, P = 0.018) and 3-year PFS (93.1% vs 83.2%, P = 0.035) compared to patients with residual disease. CCRT was associated with significantly improved 3-year PFS (92.0% vs 76.5%, P = 0.032) compared to RT alone in patients with tumor diameter less than 5 cm. Thirty-seven patients (21.3%) experienced more than grade 2 toxicity, and one patient (0.6%) developed grade 3 uronephrosis. Data thus indicated that pathologic response, tumor size, and lymph-node involvement were highly correlated with clinical outcomes of the local advanced cervical disease.

Conclusion

Preoperative CCRT achieved outcomes superior to RT alone, depending on the pathologic response, tumor size and lymph-node involvement as major prognostic factors.

Regulatory T cells represent a specialized subpopulation of T lymphocytes that may modulate spontaneous HIV-1 disease progression by suppressing immune activation or inhibiting antiviral T cell immune responses. While the effects of classical CD25hi FoxP3+ Treg during HIV-1 infection have been analyzed in a series of recent investigations, very little is known about the role of non-classical regulatory T cells that can be phenotypically identified by surface expression of HLA-G or the TGF-β latency-associated peptide (LAP). Here, we show that non-classical HLA-G-expressing CD4 Treg are highly susceptible to HIV-1 infection and significantly reduced in persons with progressive HIV-1 disease courses. Moreover, the proportion of HLA-G+ CD4 and CD8 T cells was inversely correlated to markers of HIV-1 associated immune activation. Mechanistically, this corresponded to an increased ability of HLA-G+ Treg to reduce bystander immune activation, while only minimally inhibiting the functional properties of HIV-1-specific T cells. Frequencies of LAP+ CD4 Treg were not significantly reduced in HIV-1 infection, and unrelated to immune activation. These data indicate an important role of HLA-G+ Treg for balancing bystander immune activation and anti-viral immune activity in HIV-1 infection and suggest that the loss of these cells during advanced HIV-1 infection may contribute to immune dysregulation and HIV-1 disease progression.

Author Summary

HIV-1 causes disease by inducing a chronic inflammatory state that leads to progressive CD4 T cell losses and clinical signs of immune deficiency. Regulatory T cells (Treg) represent a subgroup of T lymphocytes with immunosuppressive activities that can reduce HIV-1 associated immune activation, but may also worsen HIV-1 disease progression by inhibiting T cell responses directed against HIV-1 itself. Here, we describe a non-classical population of regulatory T cells that differ from conventional Treg by the expression of HLA-G, a molecule that contributes to maternal tolerance against semiallogeneic fetal tissue during pregnancy. We show that HLA-G-expressing Treg have a unique functional ability to reduce harmful bystander immune activation, while minimally inhibiting potentially beneficial T cell-mediated immune responses against HIV-1. In this way, HLA-G-expressing Treg may represent a previously unrecognized barrier against HIV-1 associated immune activation and a possible target for future immunotherapeutic interventions in HIV-1 infection.

We present a long-circulating biodegradable core-crosslinked polymeric micelle (d-CCPM) for the nuclear/optical imaging of tumors. The d-CCPM was derived from an amphiphilic block-copolymer consisting of a hydrophilic block of brush-like poly(ethylene glycol) and a hydrophobic block containing cleavable pendent triethoxysilane. The resultant imaging tracer had prolonged circulation in the blood (half-life of clearance phase = 36.5 hrs), substantial accumulation in tumor (% injected dose per gram of tissue = 8.5% ± 1.0% at 24 hrs post-injection) and minimal uptake in the liver (5.0% ± 0.1%) or spleen (5.1% ± 0.3%). Both nuclear and near-infrared fluorescence imaging revealed strong signals in tumor regions. At 48 hrs, nuclear imaging exhibited tumor-to-liver and tumor-to-blood ratios of 1.4 and 1.1, respectively. The degradation of d-CCPM was studied in vitro at pH 5.0 and 37°C; and confirmed by transmission electron microscopy confirmed. Our study indicates that the d-CCPM system is an effective probe for dual-modal cancer imaging and a potential safe platform nanocarrier for the delivery of anti-cancer drugs and cancer therapy.

In the present study, we investigated the feasibility of the vaginal administration of drospirenone silicone IVR. The in vitro release characteristics of matrix-type and reservoir-type IVR were compared under sink conditions in 21 days. At the same time, API excipients compatibility and preformulation study was performed by HPLC, IR, and DSC methods. Biocompatibility of reservoir system was evaluated by tolerability on tissue level in rats. It was found that, under strong light exposure, high temperature, and high humidity conditions, drospirenone and excipients had no significant interactions. The daily release of reservoir-type IVR was about 0.5 mg/d sustaining 21 days, which significantly decreased the burst effect compared with the matrix system. When drospirenone was modified by the PVPk30 in the reservoir system formulation, the daily release rate increased to 1.0 mg/d sustaining 21 days. The cumulative release of reservoir-type IVR was fitted to zero release equation. In addition, biocompatibility of drospirenone IVR system in this dosage is safe. It is feasibility feasibile to further developed for safe, convenient, and effective contraceptive drug delivery with reduced dosing interval.

Mitochondrial apoptosis pathway is an important target of cardioprotective signalling. Tanshinones, a group of major bioactive compounds isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza, have been reported with actions against inflammation, oxidative stress, and myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury. However, the actions of these compounds on the chronic hypoxia-related mitochondrial apoptosis pathway have not been investigated. In this study, we examined the effects and molecular mechanisms of two major tanshonones, tanshinone IIA (TIIA) and cryptotanshinone (CT) on hypoxia induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells. Cultured H9c2 cells were treated with TIIA and CT (0.3 and 3 μΜ) 2 hr before and during an 8 hr hypoxic period. Chronic hypoxia caused a significant increase in hypoxia inducible factor 1α expression and the cell late apoptosis rate, which was accompanied with an increase in caspase 3 activity, cytochrome c release, mitochondria membrane potential and expression of pro-apoptosis proteins (Bax and Bak). TIIA and CT (0.3 and 3 μΜ), in concentrations without affecting the cell viability, significantly inhibited the late apoptosis and the changes of caspase 3 activity, cytochrome c release, and mitochondria membrane potential induced by chronic hypoxia. These compounds also suppressed the overexpression of Bax and reduced the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2. The results indicate that TIIA and CT protect against chronic hypoxia induced cell apoptosis by regulating the mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathway, involving inhibitions of mitochondria hyperpolarization, cytochrome c release and caspase 3 activity, and balancing anti- and pro-apoptotic proteins in Bcl-2 family proteins.

Photothermal ablation (PTA) is an emerging technique that uses near-infrared (NIR) laser light-generated heat to destroy tumor cells. However, complete eradication of tumor cells with PTA is difficult because of uneven heat distribution in the treatment volume. We hypothesized that combining PTA with chemotherapy using a single multifunctional nanoconstruct that mediates simultaneous photothermal cell killing and drug release (photothermal-chemotherapy) would result in enhanced antitumor activity and reduced toxicity compared to chemotherapy alone. Doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded to hollow gold nanospheres (HAuNS) coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG). The pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of both DOX and HAuNS in the resulting nanoconstruct, DOX@PEG-HAuNS having different DOX:PEG:HAuNS ratios, were evaluated using dual isotope labeling techniques. The antitumor activity of DOX@PEG-HAuNS with DOX:PEG:HAuNS weight ratio of 1:3:1 (NP3) in combination with NIR laser was studied in vitro and in vivo using human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer and A2780 ovarian cancer cells. In vitro, NP3 mediated PTA of both cancer cells and DOX release upon NIR laser treatment. In vivo, NP3 showed slower clearance in blood and greater accumulation in tumors than free DOX. NP3-plus-NIR laser demonstrated greater antitumor activity than free DOX, NP3, or liposomal DOX. Moreover, NP3 displayed significantly decreased systemic toxicity compared to free DOX or liposomal DOX. Enhanced antitumor effect with NP3-plus-laser can be attributed to both the cytotoxic effect of DOX released from NP3 and the photothermal effect mediated by HAuNS. Slow release of DOX from NP3 in normal tissues contributed to reduced systemic toxicity. Photothermal-chemotherapy exemplified by a single-agent nanoconstruct NP3 is a promising approach to anticancer therapy.

Background

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has yielded an unprecedented amount of data for genetics research. It is a daunting task to process the data from raw sequence reads to variant calls and manually processing this data can significantly delay downstream analysis and increase the possibility for human error. The research community has produced tools to properly prepare sequence data for analysis and established guidelines on how to apply those tools to achieve the best results, however, existing pipeline programs to automate the process through its entirety are either inaccessible to investigators, or web-based and require a certain amount of administrative expertise to set up.

Findings

Advanced Sequence Automated Pipeline (ASAP) was developed to provide a framework for automating the translation of sequencing data into annotated variant calls with the goal of minimizing user involvement without the need for dedicated hardware or administrative rights. ASAP works both on computer clusters and on standalone machines with minimal human involvement and maintains high data integrity, while allowing complete control over the configuration of its component programs. It offers an easy-to-use interface for submitting and tracking jobs as well as resuming failed jobs. It also provides tools for quality checking and for dividing jobs into pieces for maximum throughput.

Conclusions

ASAP provides an environment for building an automated pipeline for NGS data preprocessing. This environment is flexible for use and future development. It is freely available at http://biostat.mc.vanderbilt.edu/ASAP.

AIM: To determine whether and how magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based total liver volume (TLV) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) could predict liver fibrosis.

METHODS: Sixteen experimental mature mini-pigs (6 males, 10 females), weighing between 20.0 and 24.0 kg were prospectively used to model liver fibrosis induced by intraperitoneal injection of 40% CCl4 dissolved in fat emulsion twice a week for 16 wk, and by feeding 40% CCl4 mixed with maize flour twice daily for the subsequent 5 wk. All the survival animals underwent percutaneous liver biopsy and DWI using b = 300, 500 and 800 s/mm2 followed by abdominal gadolinium-enhanced MRI at the 0, 5th, 9th, 16th and 21st weekend after beginning of the modeling. TLV was obtained on enhanced MRI, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was obtained on DWI. Hepatic tissue specimens were stained with hematoxylin and Masson’s trichrome staining for staging liver fibrosis. Pathological specimens were scored using the human METAVIR classification system. Statistical analyses were performed to determine whether and how the TLV and ADC could be used to predict the stage of liver fibrosis.

RESULTS: TLV increased from stage 0 to 2 and decreased from stage 3 (r = 0.211; P < 0.001). There was a difference in TLV between stage 0-1 and 2-4 (P = 0.03) whereas no difference between stage 0-2 and 3-4 (P = 0.71). TLV could predict stage ≥ 2 [area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.682]. There was a decrease in ADC values with increasing stage of fibrosis for b = 300, 500 and 800 s/mm2 (r = -0.418, -0.535 and -0.622, respectively; all P < 0.001). Differences were found between stage 0-1 and 2-4 in ADC values for b = 300, 500 and 800 s/mm2, and between stage 0-2 and 3-4 for b = 500 or 800 s/mm2 (all P < 0.05). For predicting stage ≥ 2 and ≥ 3, AUC was 0.803 and 0.847 for b = 500 s/mm2, and 0.848 and 0.887 for b = 800 s/mm2, respectively.

CONCLUSION: ADC for b = 500 or 800 s/mm2 could be better than TLV and ADC for b = 300 s/mm2 to predict fibrosis stage ≥ 2 or ≥ 3.

Background

Salidroside [2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl-β-D-glucopyranoside], one of the most potent ingredients extracted from the plant Rhodiola rosea L., has been shown to have a cardiovascular protective effect as an antioxidant, and early treatment of epirubicin-induced cardiotoxicity has been the focus of clinical chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. However, the cardioprotective effects of salidroside on epirubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, especially early left ventricular regional systolic dysfunction, have to date been sparsely investigated.

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of salidroside in preventing early left ventricular regional systolic dysfunction induced by epirubicin.

Methods

Sixty patients with histologically confirmed breast cancer were enrolled. Eligible patients were randomized to receive salidroside (600 mg/day; n= 30) or placebo (n = 30) starting 1 week before chemotherapy. Patients were investigated by means of echocardiography and strain rate (SR) imaging. We also measured plasma concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS). All parameters were assessed at baseline and 7 days after each new epirubicin dose of 100 mg/m2.

Results

A decline of the SR peak was observed at an epirubicin dose of 200 mg/m2, with no significant differences between salidroside and placebo (1.35 ± 0.36 vs 1.42 ± 0.49/second). At growing cumulative doses of epirubicin, the SR normalized only with salidroside, showing a significant difference in comparison with placebo at epirubicin doses of 300 mg/m2 (1.67 ± 0.43 vs 1.32 ± 0.53/second, p< 0.05) and 400 mg/m2 (1.68±0.29 vs 1.40 ± 0.23/second, p < 0.05). Moreover, a significant increase in plasma concentrations of ROS was found with placebo, but they remained unchanged with salidroside.

Conclusion

Salidroside can provide a protective effect on epirubicin-induced early left ventricular regional systolic dysfunction in patients with breast cancer.

Hyperthermia, which is heating of the tumors above 43 °C for about 30 min, has been known to modulate vascular permeability for enhanced chemotherapy. However, it is not clear whether similar effects exists when temperature at tumor sites is elevated above 43 °C, such as temperature achieved in laser-induced photothermal ablation (PTA) therapy. Also, the effect of timing of chemotherapeutic drug administration following heating in the efficiency of drug delivery is not established. In this study, we investigated the impact of near infrared (NIR) laser irradiated anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody C225-conjugated hollow gold nanospheres (C225-HAuNS)on vascular permeability and subsequent tumor uptake of a water-soluble polymer using combined MRI, ultrasound and optical imaging approaches. Magnetic temperature imaging showed a maximum temperature of 65.2 ± 0.10 °C in A431 tumor xenograft of mice treated with C225-HAuNS plus laser and 47.0 ± 0.33 °C in tumors of mice treated with saline plus laser at 4W/cm2 for 3 min (control) at 2 mm from the light incident surface. Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI demonstrated greater than 2-fold increase of DTPA-Gd in the initial area under the curve (IAUC90) in mice injected with C225-HAuNS and exposed to NIR laser compared with control mice at 3 min after laser treatment. Similarly, Power Doppler (PD) ultrasound revealed a 4- to 6-fold increase in percentage vascularization in mice treated with C225-HAuNS plus NIR laser compared to control mice and confirmed increased vascular perfusion immediately after laser treatment. Twenty-four hours later, the blood perfusion was shut down. On optical imaging, tumor uptake of PG-Gd-NIR813, which is the model polymeric drug used, was significantly higher (p-value < 0.05) in mice injected with PG-Gd-NIR813 at 5 min after laser treatment than in mice injected with PG-Gd-NIR813 at 24 h after laser treatment and the saline-treated mice. In conclusion, laser irradiation of tumors after intravenous injection of C255-HAuNS induces a thermally mediated modulation of the vascular perfusion, which enhances the delivery of polymeric drugs to the tumors at the time phototherapy is initiated.

Background

During the course of alcohol-induced liver damage, hepatic stellate cells are transformed into proliferative, fibrogenic, and contractile myofibroblasts. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor that controls the expression of genes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics, inflammation, cell proliferation, and death.

Methods

Immortal mouse hepatic stellate cells (MHSCs) were isolated from transgenic mice that expressed a thermolabile SV40 tumor antigen. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays, Western blot analysis, promoter activity assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses were performed for studying the effect of ethanol (EtOH) on AhR expression and transcriptional activity.

Results

Treatment of MHSCs with 50 to 200 mM EtOH for 6 hours induced AhR nuclear translocation, enhanced the promoter activity of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A1, increased the amount of AhR bound to the promoter of CYP1A1 and 1B1, and up-regulated the mRNA expression of these AhR target genes in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, EtOH exposure down-regulated AhR mRNA and protein expression. Similarly, benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) at 10 nM reduced AhR and increased CYP1A1 and 1B1 mRNAs. Pretreatment of MHSCs with 50 mM EtOH for 7 days diminished the capacity of MHSCs to express CYP1A1 and 1B1 induced by a 200 mM EtOH challenge, or by 10 nM BaP. However, the up-regulatory effect of EtOH on solute carrier family 16, member 6 (SLC16a6) was unaffected by EtOH pretreatment. Similar to EtOH, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at concentrations of 50 to 100 mM down-regulated AhR and up-regulated CYP1A1 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusions

These data, for the first time, demonstrate that EtOH activates MHSC AhR and down-regulates its expression. Chronic EtOH pretreatment lowers the availability of AhR, and specifically diminishes the inducibility of CYP genes. The effect on AhR appears to not be an EtOH-specific response, as DMSO alone (and possibly other organic solvents) was also able to activate AhR.

In addition to 13 known compounds, four new bisabolane sesquiterpenes, okamurenes A–D (1–4), a new chamigrane derivative, okamurene E (5), and a new C12-acetogenin, okamuragenin (6), were isolated from the marine red alga Laurencia okamurai. The structures of these compounds were determined through detailed spectroscopic analyses. Of these, okamurenes A and B (1 and 2) are the first examples of bromobisabolane sesquiterpenes possessing a phenyl moiety among Laurencia-derived sesquiterpenes, while okamuragenin (6) was the first acetogenin aldehyde possessing a C12-carbon skeleton. Each of the isolated compounds was evaluated for the brine shrimp (Artemia salina) lethal assay and 7-hydroxylaurene displayed potent lethality with LD50 1.8 μM.

Objective

To assess the efficacy and safety of adding liraglutide to established insulin therapy in poorly controlled Chinese subjects with type 2 diabetes and abdominal obesity compared with increasing insulin dose.

Methods

A 12-week, randomized, parallel-group study was carried out. A total of 84 patients completed the trial who had been randomly assigned to either the liraglutide-added group or the insulin-increasing group while continuing current insulin based treatment. Insulin dose was reduced by 0-30% upon the initiation of liraglutide. Insulin doses were subsequently adjusted to optimized glycemic control. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values, blood glucose, total daily insulin dose, body weight, waist circumference, and the number of hypoglycemic events and adverse events were evaluated.

Results

At the end of study, the mean reduction in HbA1c between the liraglutide-added group and the insulin-increasing group was not significantly different (1.9% vs. 1.77%, p>0.05). However, the percentage of subjects reaching the composite endpoint of HbA1c ≤ 7.0% with no weight gain and no hypoglycemia, was significantly higher in the liraglutide-added group than in the insulin-increasing group (67% vs. 19%, p<0.001). Add-on liraglutide treatment significantly reduced mean body weight (5.62 kg, p<0.01), waist circumference (5.70 cm, p<0.01), body mass index (BMI) (1.93 kg/m2, p<0.01) and daily total insulin dose (dropped by 66%) during 12-week treatment period, while all of these significantly increased with insulin increasing treatment. Add-on liraglutide treated patients had lower rate of hypoglycemic events and greater insulin and oral antidiabetic drugs discontinuation. Gastrointestinal disorders were the most common adverse events in the liraglutide added treatment, but were transient.

Conclusions

Addition of liraglutide to abdominally obese, insulin-treated patients led to improvement in glycemic control similar to that achieved by increasing insulin dosage, but with a lower daily dose of insulin and fewer hypoglycemic events. Adding liraglutide to insulin also induced a significant reduction in body weight and waist circumference. Liraglutide combined with insulin may be the best treatment option for poorly controlled type 2 diabetes and abdominal obesity.

Berberine is one of the main alkaloids found in the Chinese herb Huang lian (Rhizoma Coptidis), which has been reported to have multiple pharmacological activities. This study aimed to analyze the molecular targets of berberine based on literature data followed by a pathway analysis using the PANTHER program. PANTHER analysis of berberine targets showed that the most classes of molecular functions include receptor binding, kinase activity, protein binding, transcription activity, DNA binding, and kinase regulator activity. Based on the biological process classification of in vitro berberine targets, those targets related to signal transduction, intracellular signalling cascade, cell surface receptor-linked signal transduction, cell motion, cell cycle control, immunity system process, and protein metabolic process are most frequently involved. In addition, berberine was found to interact with a mixture of biological pathways, such as Alzheimer's disease-presenilin and -secretase pathways, angiogenesis, apoptosis signalling pathway, FAS signalling pathway, Hungtington disease, inflammation mediated by chemokine and cytokine signalling pathways, interleukin signalling pathway, and p53 pathways. We also explored the possible mechanism of action for the anti-diabetic effect of berberine. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of action of berberine using systems biology approach.

The aim of this paper was to investigate whether the effects of QSYQ on CHD are associated with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). The formula groups were lavaged with QSYQ, using fosinopril sodium as a control. The level of RAAS components in the myocardial tissue was measured, respectively. The results showed that both QSYQ and fosinopril sodium can improve the ejection fraction in CHD and that QSYQ decreases the left ventricular end-systolic diameter and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, while fosinopril sodium has no effects on these parameters. Fosinopril sodium, as an ACE inhibitor, downregulated ACE expression and eventually reduced the tissue AngII concentration but had no effect on ACE2. Moreover, it had no effect on renin or AT2, while QSYQ significantly decreased the level of renin and expression of AngII in myocardial tissue. The results also revealed that QSYQ can act on both AT1 and AT2, thus, blocking the effect of AngII and increasing the level of ACE2. It also downregulated the levels of TGF-β and MMP-9, but it had no effect on ACE. This study showed that the ameliorative effects of QSYQ on CHD in rats had multiple targets associated with the inhibition of RAAS, thus, producing cardioprotective therapy effects.

CONSPECTUS

Nanomaterials that interact with light provide a unique opportunity for biophotonic nanomedicine. Multifunctional nanoparticles (NPs) that have strong and tunable surface plasmon resonance absorption in the near-infrared region combined with visibility with multiple imaging modalities (magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear imaging, and photoacoustic imaging) have great potential in image-guided therapies. These novel nanostructures, once introduced, are expected to home to solid tumors via the enhanced permeability and retention effect (a passive targeting mechanism) or via targeting ligands bound to their surfaces (an active targeting mechanism). The primary mode of action for photothermal conducting NPs is to convert photoenergy into heat, causing temperature in the treatment volume to be elevated above the thermal damage threshold, which results in irreversible cell killing. It is now recognized that this process, termed photothermal ablation therapy or PTA, although very effective, is unlikely to kill all tumor cells when used alone. In addition to PTA, photothermal conducting NPs can also efficiently trigger drug release and activate RNA interference. Such a multimodal approach, which permits simultaneous PTA therapy, chemotherapy, and therapeutic RNA interference, should provide an opportunity for complete eradication of residual disease.

In this Account, we provide an up-to-date review of the synthesis and characterization, functionalization, and in vitro and in vivo evaluation of NIR light-activatable multifunctional nanostructures used for imaging and therapy, with an emphasis on hollow gold nanospheres, magnetic core–shell gold nanoshells, and semiconductor copper monosulfide NPs. We discuss three types novel drug delivery systems in which hollow gold nanospheres are used to mediate controlled drug release.

The purposes of this study were to develop an efficient method of labeling D-glucosamine hydrochloride with gallium 68 (68Ga) and investigate the imaging properties of the resulting radiotracer in a human tumor xenograft model using micro-positron emission tomography (μPET). The precursor compound 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-2-deoxy-D-glucosamine (DOTA-DG) was synthesized from D-glucosamine hydrochloride and 2-(4-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-DOTA. Radiolabeling of DOTA-DG with 68Ga was achieved in 10 minutes using microwave heating. The labeling efficiency a nd radiochemical purity after purification of 68Ga-DOTA-DG were ~85% and greater than 98%, respectively. In A431 cells, the percentages of 68Ga-DOTA-DG and 18F-FDG uptakes after 60 min incubation were 15.7% and 16.2%, respectively. In vivo, the mean ± standard deviation of 68Ga-DOTADG uptake values in A431 tumors were 2.38±0.30, 0.75±0.13, and 0.39±0.04 percent of the injected dose per gram of tissue at 10, 30, and 60 minutes after intravenous injection, respectively. μPET imaging of A431-bearing mice clearly delineated tumors at 60 minutes after injection of 68Ga-DOTA-DG at a dose of 3.7 MBq. 68Ga-DOTA-DG displayed significantly higher tumor-to-heart, tumor-to-brain, and tumor-to-muscle ratios than 18F-FDG did. Further studies are needed to identify the mechanism of tumor uptake of this new glucosamine-based PET imaging tracer.

Imaging of apoptosis can allow noninvasive assessment of disease states and response to therapeutic intervention for a variety of diseases. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a multimodal nanoplatform for the detection of apoptosis.

Methods

To modulate the pharmacokinetics of annexin A5, a 36-kDa protein that binds specifically with phosphatidylserine, annexin A5 was conjugated to polyethylene glycol-coated, core-crosslinked polymeric micelles (CCPM) dually labeled with near-infrared fluorescence fluorophores and a radioisotope (indium 111). To evaluate the specificity of the binding of annexin A5-CCPM to apoptotic cells, both fluorescence microscopy and cell binding studies were performed in vitro. Pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, dual nuclear and optical imaging, and immunohistochemical studies were carried out in 2 xenografted tumor models to evaluate the potential applications of annexin A5-CCPM.

Results

In cell-based studies, annexin A5-CCPM exhibited strongly specific binding to apoptotic tumor cells. This binding could be efficiently blocked by annexin A5. In mice, annexin A5-CCPM displayed a mean elimination half-life of 12.5 h. The mean initial concentration in blood was predicted to be 22.4% of the injected dose/mL, and annexin A5-CCPM was mainly distributed in the central blood compartment. In mice bearing EL4 lymphoma treated with cyclophosphamide and etoposide and in mice bearing MDA-MB-468 breast tumors treated with poly(L-glutamic acid)-paclitaxel and cetuximab (IMC-C225) anti-EGFR antibody, the tumor apoptosis was clearly visualized by both single photon emission computed tomography and fluorescence molecular tomography. In contrast, there was little accumulation of this nanoradiotracer in the tumors of untreated mice. The biodistribution data were consistent with the imaging data, with tumor-to-muscle and tumor-to-blood ratios of 38.8 and 4.1, respectively, in treated mice, and 14.8 and 2.2, respectively, in untreated mice bearing EL4 lymphoma. Moreover, further studies demonstrated that the conventional Tc-99m-labeled HYNIC-annexin A5 and the plain CCPM control exhibited significantly lower uptake in the tumors of the treated mice than annexin A5-CCPM. Immunohistochemistry staining study showed that radioactivity count correlated with fluorescence signal from the nanoparticles, and both signals co-localized with the region of tumor apoptosis.

Conclusions

Annexin A5-CCPM allowed visualization of tumor apoptosis by both nuclear and optical techniques. The complementary information acquired with multiple imaging techniques should be advantageous in assessing and validating early response to therapy.

Advancements in nanotechnology have made it possible to create multifunctional nanostructures that can be used simultaneously to image and treat cancers. For example, hollow gold nanospheres (HAuNS) have been shown to generate intense photoacoustic signals and induce efficient photothermal ablation (PTA) therapy. In this study, we used photoacoustic tomography (PAT), a hybrid imaging modality, to assess the intravenous delivery of HAuNS targeted to integrins that are overexpressed in both glioma and angiogenic blood vessels in a mouse model of glioma. Mice were then treated with near-infrared laser, which elevated tumor temperature by 20.7 °C. We found that PTA treatment significantly prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate the feasibility of using a single nanostructure for image-guided local tumor PTA therapy using photoacoustic molecular imaging.