BACKGROUND: The preparation and antibacterial activity of metal ionic zirconium phosphates has been systemically investigated now, but the applications are limited owing to the discoloration or the low antibacterial activity. Here we prepared new antibacterial agents of quaternized zirconium phosphates by introducing quaternary ammonium salt bactericidal agent with high-effective, broad-spectrum and low-toxic into sodium zirconium phosphate through an ion-exchange method.OBJECTIVE: To explore the component structure and antibacterial activity of quaternized zirconium phosphates.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: An in vitro observational experiment was performed at Research Laboratory of Department of Chemistry, Jinan University from June to August 2009.MATERIALS: Quaternized zirconium phosphates were prepared by introducing dodecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride into sodium zirconium phosphate through an ion-exchange method.METHODS: The mol ratios of quaternary ammonium cations to cation exchange capacity of sodium zirconium phosphate in reaction solutions were 0.25: 1,0.5: 1, 1.0: 1, and 1.5 : 1, respectively, and four kinds of quaternized zirconium phosphates containing different contents of quaternary ammonium cations (QZrP-1, QZrP-2, QZrP-3, QZrP-4) were prepared through an ion-exchange method.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The component structure and heat resistance of samples were measured by using an IR spectrometer, an elemental analyzer and a thermal analyzer, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MICs) of the samples against Escherichia coli (E. co/i) and Staphylococci aureus (S. aureus) were estimated by a tube broth method.RESULTS: Quaternized zirconium phosphates were prepared, and the quaternary ammonium cation content increased with increasing the concentration of quaternary ammonium cations in reaction solution. The mass fraction of quaternary ammonium cations of QZrP-1, QZrP-2, QZrP-3, and QZrP-4 was 3.70%, 5.00%, 6.96%, and 10.01%, respectively. The onset temperatures of the decomposition for quaternary ammonium cations in quaternized zirconium phosphates were all higher than 345 °C, and they were preferable thermal stability. The antibacterial activity was higher when the quaternary ammonium cation content of quaternized zirconium phosphates increased. For quaternized zirconium phosphates QZrP-3 containing 6.96% mass fraction of quaternary ammonium cations, showed excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus.CONCLUSION: Quaternized zirconium phosphates QZrP-3 containing 6.96% mass fraction of quaternary ammonium cations,exhibited excellent thermal stability and antibacterial activity.

Objective To explore the effects of under-expression of large tumor suppressor 1 (LATS1) on activation of Hippo signaling pathway and differentiation, proliferation, migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) of micein vitro.Methods mMSCs of C57BL/6 mice were divided into normal control (MSC) group, empty vector control (MSC-GFP) group, LATS1-over-expressing (MSC-LATS1) group, empty vector without LATS1 shRNA control (MSC-shControl) group and LATS1-under-expressing (MSC-shLATS1) group. Lentiviral vectors with activated,inactivated LATS1 (the key molecule of Hippo signaling pathway) modifications and empty vectors were constructed and were used to infect mMSCsin vitro. The transduction efficiencies mediated by the lentiviral vectors were evaluated by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The mRNA expression of LATS1 was quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the protein expressions of LATS1, YAP (p-YAP), 14-3-3 were quantified by Western Blot to evaluate the activation of Hippo signaling pathway. Osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of mMSCs were evaluated through measurement of Runx2, OSX and C/EBPα, PPAR-γ mRNA by qRT-PCR, as well as Alizarin Red S and Oil red O staining. Proliferation of mMSCs was evaluated using methy thiazdyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The scratch test and Transwell chamber test were used to analyze the horizontal and vertical migration ability of mMSCs.Results The transduction efficiencies mediated by the lentiviral vectors were 94.74%-96.10%. Compared with MSC-GFP group, the activation of Hippo signaling pathway was promoted in MSC-LATS1 group [LATS1 mRNA (2-ΔΔCT): 4.37±0.21 vs. 1.20±0.04, LATS1 protein (gray value): 2.21±0.06 vs. 1.09±0.10, p-YAP/YAP protein (gray value): 1.51±0.13 vs. 0.98±0.05, 14-3-3 protein (gray value): 1.92±0.18 vs. 1.10±0.09, allP < 0.05], osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of mMSCs were decreased in MSC-LATS1 group [mineralization (A value):0.13±0.02 vs. 0.40±0.03, Runx2 mRNA (2-ΔΔCT): 0.51±0.02 vs. 0.98±0.09, OSX mRNA (2-ΔΔCT): 0.41±0.04 vs. 1.04±0.09, lipid accumulation (A value): 0.10±0.02 vs. 0.25±0.03, C/EBPα mRNA (2-ΔΔCT): 0.33±0.03 vs. 1.11±0.09, PPAR-γ mRNA (2-ΔΔCT): 0.29±0.02 vs. 1.04±0.10, allP < 0.05], the proliferation rate of mMSCs at 4-7 days was decreased in MSC-LATS1 group and so were the horizontal and vertical migration of mMSCs [wound healing rate: (18.65±3.53)% vs. (40.29±1.87)%, migrated cells (cells/MP): 35.99±6.18 vs. 103.67±17.77, bothP <0.05]. Compared with MSC-shControl group, the activation of Hippo signaling pathway was inhibited in MSC-shLATS1 group [LATS1 mRNA (2-ΔΔCT): 0.16±0.01 vs. 0.98±0.03, LATS1 protein (gray value): 0.38±0.03 vs. 1.04±0.07, p-YAP/YAP protein (gray value): 0.58±0.04 vs. 1.05±0.06, 14-3-3 protein (gray value): 0.14±0.02 vs. 1.02±0.09, allP < 0.05], osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of mMSCs were increased in MSC-shLATS1 group [mineralization (A value): 0.93±0.13 vs. 0.44±0.05, Runx2 mRNA (2-ΔΔCT): 1.44±0.12 vs. 0.95±0.04, OSX mRNA (2-ΔΔCT):1.67±0.06 vs. 1.10±0.11, lipid accumulation (A value): 0.47±0.06 vs. 0.28±0.04, C/EBPα mRNA (2-ΔΔCT):3.98±0.61 vs. 0.99±0.10, PPAR-γ mRNA (2-ΔΔCT): 3.05±0.36 vs. 0.98±0.14, allP < 0.05], the proliferation rate of mMSCs at 3-7 days was increased in MSC-shLATS1 group and so were the horizontal and vertical migration of mMSCs [wound healing rate: (80.18±6.98)% vs. (46.18±1.01)%, migrated cells (cells/MP): 212.69±41.21 vs. 115.87±35.15, bothP < 0.05].Conclusions Under-expression of LATS1 promotes the differentiation, proliferation, migration of mMSCs by inhibition of Hippo signaling pathwayin vitro.

Coding sequences of BMP-2 and BMP-7 were amplified using PCR and ligated with a DNA sequence encoding a flexible peptide (Gly4Ser)5. The fusion gene was inserted into plasmid pIRESneo3. The expression level of BMP2/7 heterodimers in the transfected CHO-K1 cells was 230.75+/-13.34 ng/mL. Culture medium of stably tansfected clone pool was collected as conditional medium to treat osteoblast MC3T3 cells. Staining of Alkalin phosphatase and Alizarin red demonstrated that the conditional medium significantly promoted osteogenic differentiation to a higher extent than BMP-2 homodimers expressed in either CHO-K1 cells or E. coli. Transcriptional levels of Osteogenic phenotype-related molecular markers such as OC, ALP, Runx2 and Osx were increased (P<0.05), and BMP/Smad signal activities were significantly enhanced by BMP-2/7 heterodimers, comparing with BMP-2 homodimers (P<0.05). The results demonstrate that BMP-2/7 heterodimers expressed in CHO-K1 cells have potent ability to stimulate osteogenic differentiation.
3T3 Cells ; Animals ; Artificial Gene Fusion ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; CHO Cells ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cloning, Molecular ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Dimerization ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Fusion ; genetics ; Humans ; Mice ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; Osteogenesis ; drug effects ; Transfection

Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic ; diagnosis ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; diagnosis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to verify the reliability of the alcoholic liver disease (ALD)/nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) index (ANI) for distinguishing ALD in patients with hepatic steatosis from NAFLD, and to investigate whether ANI combined with γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) would enhance the accuracy of diagnosis in China. METHODS: A hundred thirty-nine cases of fatty liver disease (FLD) were divided into two groups of ALD and NAFLD. The ANI was calculated with an online calculator. All indicators and ANI values were analyzed using statistical methods. RESULTS: ANI was significantly higher in patients with ALD than in those with NAFLD (7.11 ± 5.77 vs. -3.09 ± 3.89, p < 0.001). With a cut-off value of -0.22, the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of diagnosed ALD cases was 87.1%, 92.5%, and 0.934 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.879 to 0.969), respectively. The corresponding values for aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine transaminase (ALT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and GGT were 75.29%, 72.94%, and 0.826 (95% CI, 0.752 to 0.885); 94.34%, 83.02%, and 0.814 (95% CI, 0.739 to 0.875) and 80.23%, 79.25%, and 0.815 (95% CI, 0.740 to 0.876), respectively. ANI AUROC was significantly higher than the AST/ALT, MCV, or GGT AUROCs (all p < 0.001), moreover, ANI showed better diagnostic performance. The combination of ANI and GGT showed a better AUROC than ANI alone (0.976 vs. 0.934, p = 0.016). The difference in AUROCs between AST/ALT, MCV, and GGT was not statistically significant (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ANI can help distinguish ALD from NAFLD with high accuracy; when ANI was combined with GGT, its effectiveness improved further.
Alcoholics* ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; China ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Erythrocyte Indices ; Fatty Liver* ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Humans ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic* ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Transferases*

Objective To explore the effects of Hippo signaling on anti-oxidative stress of mouse marrow mesenchymal stem cells (mMSCs) in vitro. Methods mMSCs derived from C57BL/6 mice were identified using fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis and the capabilities of osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation were evaluated. 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) or XMU-MP-1 was used to modulate Hippo signaling. Oxidative stress was induced by H2O2treatment and the effect of oxidative stress induced by H2O2on survival of mMSCs was evaluated using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The effect of oxidative stress induced by H2O2on Hippo signaling and the effect of Hippo signaling on capability of anti-oxidative stress of mMSCs were analyzed through apoptosis-regulated proteins (Bcl-2 and Bax) using Western Blot. Results Hippo signaling was activated by 2-DG in a concentration-dependent manner and the effect was most prominent by 5 mmol/L of 2-DG [compared with the blank control group, large tumor suppressor 1 (LATS1) protein (grey value): 2.33±0.25 vs. 0.98±0.03, phosphorylated Yes-associated protein (p-YAP)/YAP protein ratio (grey value): 2.30±0.35 vs. 1.01±0.05, 14-3-3 protein (grey value):2.19±0.40 vs. 0.99±0.04, all P < 0.05]; Hippo signaling was inhibited by 100 nmol/L of XMU-MP-1 [compared with the blank control group, LATS1 protein (grey value): 0.69±0.10 vs. 0.98±0.03, p-YAP/YAP protein ratio (grey value):0.65±0.06 vs. 1.01±0.05, 14-3-3 protein (grey value): 0.75±0.11 vs. 0.99±0.04, all P < 0.05]. Death of mMSCs was induced by H2O2in a concentration-dependent manner and the minimal effective concentration was 0.1 mmol/L [compared with the blank control group, survival rate of mMSCs: (81.25±11.85)% vs. (100.44±12.39)%, P < 0.05]. Inhibition of Hippo signaling was induced by H2O2in a concentration-dependent manner and the minimal effective concentration was also 0.1 mmol/L [compared with the blank control group, LATS1 protein (grey value): 0.75±0.06 vs. 1.01±0.09, p-YAP/YAP protein ratio (grey value): 0.69±0.05 vs. 0.98±0.05, both P < 0.05], those effects might associate with reduction of Bcl-2/Bax ratio (grey value: 0.48±0.18 vs. 1.06±0.09, P < 0.05). Compared with the treatment of 0.1 mmol/L of H2O2, activation of Hippo signaling by 5 mmol/L of 2-DG [ LATS1 protein (grey value):0.95±0.05 vs. 0.64±0.06, p-YAP/YAP protein ratio (grey value): 0.87±0.03 vs. 0.45±0.16, both P < 0.05] improved survival of mMSCs [(92.80±9.43)% vs. (75.47±9.43)%, P < 0.05] through an increase of Bcl-2/Bax ratio (grey value:1.14±0.16 vs. 0.77±0.12, P < 0.05); however, inhibition of Hippo signaling by 100 nmol/L of XMU-MP-1 [ LATS1 protein (grey value): 0.39±0.03 vs. 0.64±0.06, p-YAP/YAP protein ratio (grey value): 0.28±0.04 vs. 0.45±0.16, both P < 0.05] decreased survival of mMSCs [(57.54±4.59)% vs. (75.47±9.43)%, P < 0.05] through an decrease of Bcl-2/Bax ratio (grey value: 0.63±0.20 vs. 0.77±0.12, P < 0.05). Compared with normal lung tissue, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) lung tissue markedly activate Hippo signaling in mMSCs [LATS1 protein (grey value): 1.71± 0.08 vs. 1.00±0.10, p-YAP/YAP protein ratio (grey value): 2.46±0.39 vs. 1.01±0.04, 14-3-3 protein (grey value):2.27±0.52 vs. 1.01±0.08, all P < 0.05]. Conclusion Hippo signaling could affect survival and capability of anti-oxidative stress of mMSCs via modulation of Bcl-2/Bax ratio in vitro.

Objective:To evaluate the value of curative effect in neuromyelitis spectrum disease (NMOSD) based on circulatory function evaluation of intracerebral glymphatic system by using diffusion tensor imaging analysis along the perivascular space.Methods:The clinical and imaging data of 23 patients diagnosed with NMOSD at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from March 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed in this study. The clinical data included expanded disability status scale (EDSS), average relapse rate (ARR) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness at baseline and 1 year follow-up after treatment. Among the 23 NMOSD patients, there were 22 females and 1 male, aged from 21 to 71 (45±13) years old. All the patients underwent MR scans at both baseline and 1 year after treatment, and the scanning sequences included cerebral 3D-T 1WI, T 2WI, diffusion tensor imaging and cervical spinal sagittal 3D-T 2WI, and the cervical spinal cord volume and bilateral diffusion tensor imaging analysis along the perivascular space index (ALPS index) were calculated. The partial correlation test was used to analyze the correlations between ALPS index and the clinical indicators such as EDSS, ARR, and bilateral RNFL, with the control variables as gender, age, years of education and course of disease. The multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the independent predictors for ALPS index and EDSS after treatment. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of NMOSD treatment outcome by using ALPS index. Results:When controlling for gender, age, years of education and course of disease, there were significant negative correlations between right ALPS index and EDSS ( r=-0.50, P=0.048), bilateral average ALPS index and EDSS ( r=-0.53, P=0.034), left ALPS index and ARR ( r=-0.58, P=0.018), while there was significant positive correlations between right ALPS index and RNFL ( r=0.88, P=0.008) at 1 year follow-up after treatment. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that cervical spinal cord volume was an independent impact factor of bilateral average ALPS indexes (β=0.24, 95%CI 0.10-0.38, P=0.002), and bilateral average ALPS indexes (β=-3.22, 95%CI -5.97--0.48, P=0.024) and right RNFL (β=-0.05, 95%CI -0.08--0.02, P=0.002) at baseline were the independent impact factors of EDSS after treatment. ROC curve analysis showed that the bilateral average ALPS index at baseline had the best efficacy in predicting the curative effect of NMOSD patients with AUC=0.92. Conclusions:After treatment, NMOSD patients with severe clinical disability, high frequency of disease attack, poor visual performance, and severe cervical spinal cord atrophy have more serious impairment of intracerebral glymphatic system circulatory function. The ALPS index could help in predicting the clinical curative effect of NMOSD patients.

BACKGROUND:Medical hydrogels are new functional polymer materials with three-dimensional structural networks and excellent biocompatibility,which have been widely studied in the field of tissue engineering and drug carriers,but the research on the combination of medical hydrogels and Chinese medicine for the treatment of diseases based on tissue engineering is still in the early exploration stage.Therefore,through the analysis of the mechanism of the role of medical hydrogels,the integration of medical hydrogels and Chinese medicine in the research of the joint application of the article,can better provide ideas for scientific researchers,and the joint application of Chinese medicine and medical hydrogels is of great significance. OBJECTIVE:To explore the strategy and significance of Chinese medicine combined with medical hydrogel for disease treatment based on tissue engineering research. METHODS:PubMed and CNKI were used to retrieve articles about the application of Chinese medicine combined with medical hydrogel in tissue engineering from January 2010 to November 2022,with the Chinese and English search terms"hydrogel,traditional Chinese medicine,drug carrier,tissue engineering".After the initial screening of all articles according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,the 61 articles with high relevance were retained for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Although the application of Chinese medicine combined with medical hydrogel is involved in intra-articular,intra-tissue organ,soft tissue wounds,tissue engineering,etc.,except for the clinical application of Chinese medicine combined with hydrogel dressing for soft tissue injury,other aspects are still in the experimental stage.(2)The development of Chinese medicine combined with medical hydrogel has great potential and development prospects,but there is a certain difficulty in the manufacture of the gel with high-performance requirements,and it is difficult to master the physical and chemical properties precisely.(3)At present,the comprehensive view of injectable hydrogel with the characteristics of easy to use,its joint use of Chinese medicine can be extended to a wider range,can be used for joint,organ,tissue engineering-related disease treatment.Smart hydrogel has high sensitivity and reversible transformation can also meet the use of the special environment.During the combined use of Chinese medicine,it also needs to understand the mechanism of action of Chinese medicine components.(4)The strategy of combining Chinese medicine with medical hydrogels for disease treatment should start with matching the therapeutic effects of Chinese medicine on organs,tissues and cells combined with appropriate types of medical hydrogels to make up for the shortcomings of traditional Chinese medicine delivery methods and frequent drug delivery.In tissue engineering,hydrogels can be loaded with stem cells after Chinese medicine intervention,or with both Chinese medicine and stem cells for disease treatment.(5)In future research of combined Chinese medicine and medical hydrogel application,we also need to consider:we should ensure that the biological properties of medical hydrogel can be quantified,and grasp the characteristics of hydrogel with different manufacturing processes of different materials to produce the required medical hydrogel that meets the application conditions.In Chinese medicine,we need to comprehensively understand and analyze the therapeutic effects and application mechanisms of known Chinese medicine monomer and Chinese medicine compound extracts,so as to achieve a more perfect combination between Chinese medicine and medical hydrogel under a more clear mechanism.With the continuous improvement of medical science and technology innovation,the medical hydrogel can be innovatively combined with other traditional treatment methods of Chinese medicine,such as acupuncture,massage,cupping and so on,to be used from multiple angles.

Objective:To explore the performance of the commonly used whole blood C-reactive protein (CRP) detection systems and give related recommendation on the performance requirements of detection systems.Methods:A total of 7 540 venous blood samples from 26 maternal, child and children′s hospitals were collected to conduct this multi-center study on the analytical performance of 5 commonly used whole blood CRP detection systems from March to April in 2019. The blank check, carryover, repeatability, intermediate precision, linearity, sample stability, influence of hematocrit/triglyceride/bilirubin, comparison with SIEMENS specific protein analyzer and trueness were evaluated. The 5 systems included BC-5390CRP autohematology analyzer, AstepPLUS specific protein analyzer, Ottoman-1000 Automated Specific Protein POCT Workstation, i-CHROMA Immunofluorometer equipment Reader and Orion QuikRead go detecting instrument. The 5 systems were labeled as a, b, c, d and e randomly.Results:Within the 5 systems, all values of blank check were less than 1.00 mg/L, the carryovers were lower than 1.00%. The repeatability of different ranges of CRP concentrations including 3.00-10.00, 10.00-30.00 and>30.00 mg/L were less than 10.00%, 6.00% and 5.00%, respectively, and the intermediate precision was less than 10.00%. The linearity correlation coefficients of the 5 systems were all above 0.975, while the slope was within 0.950-1.050. Whole blood samples were stable within 72 hours both at room temperature (18-25 ℃) and refrigerated temperature (2-8 ℃). The CRP results were rarely influenced by high triglyceride or bilirubin, except for the immmunoturbidimetric test based on microparticles coated with anti-human CRP F(ab) 2 fragments. When triglyceride was less than 15.46 mmol/L, the deviation of CRP was less than 10.00%. When bilirubin was less than 345.47 μmol/L, the deviation of CRP was less than 10.00%. CRP was more susceptible to Hct on the systems without Hct correction. The deviation of CRP between different Hct dilution concentration and 40% dilution concentration can reach as high as 67.48%. The correlation coefficients ( r) of 5 systems were all more than 0.975 in the range of 0-300.00 mg/L compared with Siemens specific protein analyzer. All systems passed the trueness verification using the samples with specified values of 12.89 and 30.60 mg/L. Conclusion:The performance of 5 systems can basically meet the clinical needs, but it is suggested that the whole blood CRP detection system without automatic Hct correction should be modified manually.

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that seriously endangers women's lives. The prognosis of breast cancer patients differs among molecular types. Compared with other subtypes, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been a research hotspot in recent years because of its high degree of malignancy, strong invasiveness, rapid progression, easy of recurrence, distant metastasis, poor prognosis, and high mortality. Many studies have found that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays an important role in the occurrence, proliferation, migration, recurrence, chemotherapy resistance, and other characteristics of TNBC. Some lncRNAs are expected to become biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of TNBC, and even new targets for its treatment. Based on a PubMed literature search, this review summarizes the progress in research on lncRNAs in TNBC and discusses their roles in TNBC diagnosis, prognosis, and chemotherapy with the hope of providing help for future research.
Humans ; Female ; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/genetics* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic