OBJECTIVE To study the nephrotoxicity induced by bakuchiol alone and bakuchiol combined with psoralen and to explore its mechanism. METHODS The cytotoxicities of bakuchiol and bakuchiol combined with psoralen were investigated using human renal tubular epithelial cell lines (HK-2), in presence or absence of hepatic S9 mixture. The HK-2 cells were exposed to culture medium alone (blank control), 0.5% DMSO (vehicle control), aristolochic acid Ⅰ (AAⅠ;positive control), psoralen 5 μmol·L~(-1) group, bakuchiol 5,10,20,30 and 40 μmol·L~(-1) groups, and bakuchiol+psoralen (20+5), (30+5) and (40+5)μmol·L~(-1) groups, respectively. The cell viabilities were examined by MTT assay; cell membrane injuries were examined by detecting lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release rate; and the morphological changes in HK-2 cells were observed with contrast microscope. The rate of cell apoptosis was detected by AnnexinⅤ/PI staining, and cell cycle was detected by PI staining with flow cytometry. RESULTS No cytotoxicity was found in psoralen 5 μmol·L~(-1) group. The HK-2 cell viabilities were significantly reduced after 4, 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure to either bakuchiol 20, 30 and 40 μmol·L~(-1)groups or bakuchiol+psoralen (20+5), (30+5) and (40+5)μmol·L~(-1) groups in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The IC_(50) values of bakuchiol were (26.4±4.8), (21.8±0.6) and (24.1±0.8)μmol·L~(-1) for 24, 48 and 72 h exposure, respectively. The cytotoxicity of bakuchiol was significantly decreased in presence of hepatic S9 mixture. The LDH release rate of HK-2 cell increased significantly after 24 h of exposure to bakuchiol 20,30 and 40 μmol·L~(-1) or bakuchiol+psoralen groups. With the concentration and time increasing, the HK-2 cells became more and more contracted and rounded. In bakuchiol 40 μmol·L~(-1) or bakuchiol+psoralen (20+5), (30+5) and (40+5)μmol·L~(-1) groups, HK-2 cells showed apoptotic characters. In bakuchiol or bakuchiol+psoralen groups, apoptotic cells significantly increased and cells in G2 phase markedly decreased. CONCLUSION Bakuchiol has a significant cytotoxicity in HK-2 cells, and combined with psoralen can not decrease its toxicity. The cytotoxicity of bakuchiol is significantly reduced in the presence of hepatic S9 mixture. The possible mechanisms of the renal cytorotoxicity of bakuchiol are as follows: ① direct damage to the cell membrane; ② inducing cell apoptosis; ③ inhibiting intracellular DNA synthesis and block cell mitosis and proliferation.

Cinnabar has been an important traditional Chinese medicine as a sedative and soporific agent for more than 2000 years. It is a naturally occurring mercuric sulfide and containing more than 96% mercuric sulfide (HgS). There are about 10% -30% Chinese patent medicines containing cinnabar according to the Pharmacopoeia of China (2005). It's hard to deny that cinnabar has therapeutic effect in clinic practice. However, cinnabar's extraordinary high containing mercury makes people hesitate to use. Furthermore, the abuse of cinnabar, which caused intoxication cases, has been reported occasionally. The safety and toxicity of cinnabar has been debated for centuries. The exact mechanism of cinnabar is still largely unknown. The present review focused on researches about cinnabar's mechanisms of pharmacological and toxicological effects since 2000.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; toxicity ; Humans ; Mercury Compounds ; pharmacology ; toxicity

Objective To develop an up-converting phosphor technology based lateral flow assay ( UPT-LF) to detect ricin toxin ( RT) quickly, accurately and quantitatively.Methods Ricin-monoclonal antibodies were prepared and their affinity was evaluated before four types of monoclonal antibodies with the highest titer were applied to couple with the up-converting phosphor nano-particles ( UCP-NPs) as the bio-conjugate and disperse on the analysis membrane as the test line, respectively.Following systematic optimization to establish the RT-UPT-LF strip, the sensitivity, precision, quantita-tive ability and specificity of RT-UPT-LF were evaluated.Results The detection could be accomplished within 15 min and the detection limit of the RT-UPT-LF assay could reach 0.5 ng/ml within the quantitative detection range of 0.5-1000 ng/ml.Other non-specific toxins at a concentration of 1000 ng/ml did not cause any non-specific reactions.Conclusion The developed RT-UPT-LF strip provides a new means for on-site quantitative detection of ricin toxin.

OBJECTIVETo develop a new quality control method for cinnabar, in order to ensure the safety application of cinnabar.

METHODThree inorganic mercury compounds (HgS, HgO, and HgCl2) and cinnabar samples were analyzed by laser Raman spectroscopy. The cinnabar samples were identified by comparing the Raman band in the Raman spectrum with pure HgS.

RESULTDifferent Raman bands were observed among three inorganic mercury compounds. The Raman spectroscopic results indicated that cinnabar samples showed the same Raman band as pure HgS, consisting with the HgS contents by XRF analysis.

CONCLUSIONThe Raman spectroscopic method is simple, rapid, and reliable. It can be applied as an alternative quality control method for cinnabar.

Objective To investigate the prevalence rate of healthcare-associated infection(HAI)in Xiangya Hospital,and provide reference for preventing and controlling HAI.Methods The cross sectional surveys on preva-lence rates of HAI,cross-sectional antimicrobial use,and bacterial detection among all hospitalized patients on the given days in 2000-2014 (except 2006)were carried out by combination of bedside investigation and medical record reviewing.Results The prevalence rates of HAI in 2000-2014 decreased from 6.30% to 3.91%,difference was statistically significant (χ2 = 35.14,P < 0.001 );prevalence rates of community-associated infection(CAI)were 15.61%-15.76%,there was no significant difference among each year.General intensive care unit (ICU)had the highest prevalence rate;respiratory tract was the most common site of both HAI and CAI;urinary catheterization rate showed a decreased tendency,arteriovenous catheterization rate showed a increased tendency,difference were both significant(χ2 = 5.21,96.24,respectively,both P <0.001).In 2008 - 2014,pathogenic detection rates for specimens from patients receiving therapeutic antimicrobial agents were 36.37%-44.51%,from patients with HAI were 34.00%-44.99%,detection rate of pathogens causing HAI were 41.57%-68.48%,all showed a increased tendency,difference was significant (χ2 = 22.78,10.03,26.49,respectively,all P < 0.001 ).Gram-negative bacteria were the main pathogens causing infection;both cross sectional and combination antimicrobial usage rates declined (P < 0.05 ).Conclusion Prevention and control of HAI,and antimicrobial management has achieved preliminary success,prevalence rate of HAI and cross sectional antimicrobial usage rate declined obviously,the main pathogen is gram-negative bacteria,and the major infection site is lower respiratory tract.

Objective:To analyze the characteristics of eyes with congenital optic disc pits (ODPs) through multimodal imaging.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted.Thirty-eight patients (38 eyes) diagnosed with congenital ODPs in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2009 to January 2020 were enrolled.A comprehensive summary analysis of the imaging results including fundus photography, spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), infrared imaging, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) was performed.This study protocol adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by an Ethics Committee of The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University (No.2021-P011). Written informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to any medical examination.Results:Among the 38 eyes, there were 32 eyes with ODPs located in or below the temporal side of optic disc, 4 eyes with ODPs located above the temporal side of optic disc, and 2 eyes with ODPs located at the center of optic disc, which were round or quasi-circular pale depression, and dark red eminences with clear or unclear boundaries between milk spots were found in 29 eyes with optical-disc macular degeneration (ODP-M) by fundus photography.SD-OCT examination showed that the structure of lamina cribrosa in the lesion area in all ODPs patients was incomplete, which presented a dark area with no tissue reflection, and the fissure led to the deep optic nerve.Fluid was found in the outer nuclear layer in all ODP-M patients, and there were 27 eyes with fluid in the inner nuclear layer, 13 eyes in the ganglion cell layer, and 4 eyes under the inner limiting membrane.Among the 29 eyes with ODP-M, there were 21 eyes with retinoschisis in outer layer, 27 eyes with neuroepithelial detachment.In the 27 eyes with neuroepithelial detachment, spot-like high reflection and reduced or disappeared ellipsoid band reflectance were seen above the neuroepithelium in 18 eyes.In infrared images, there were circular or quasi-circular low-reflection areas in the temporal side of the optic disc, and the lesion of ODP-M eyes presented low-reflection areas.FAF examination showed that in 27 eyes with ODP-M, there was a hypofluorescent region at the posterior pole consistent with the lesion range, among which, there was a granular or sheet-like hyperfluorescence at the center of the hypofluorescent region in 18 eyes.FFA showed that the optic disc depression in the arterial phase of patients was in a localized hypofluorescence state.During the venous phase, fluorescein dye extravasation along the temporal side of the optic disc could be found.A strong fluorescent arc with unclear boundaries at the temporal edge of the optic disc was formed in the late stage of angiography.Among the 29 eyes with ODP-M, the area of the macular lesion showed hyperfluorescence during the late stage of angiography in 27 eyes with neuroepithelial detachment, and no extension of dye toward the macula was found.ICGA showed that the optic disc depression of ODPs patients presented a localized hypofluorescence, and the lesion showed hyperfluorescence in 27 of the 29 ODP-M eyes with neuroepithelial detachment.Conclusions:Multimodal imaging can be helpful to realize the early diagnosis, etiology analysis of ODPs and make treatment plan.

As one of the top 10 breakthrough and emerging technologies in the world in 2018, cultured meat has attracted extensive attention due to its advantages of traceable origin, food safety and green sustainable development. Europe and the United States have invested a lot of resources to focus on research about cultured meat, which will affect our domestic meat and food market in the future. At present, the challenge of cultured meat production is how to efficiently simulate the growth environment of animal muscle tissue and realize large-scale production in bioreactor. Although cell tissue engineering has been deeply studied and achieved varying successful application, it is still difficult to obtain large-scale cultured meat production due to the high cost and technical requirements. Therefore, the development of efficient and safe cell culture technology is an urgent problem for large-scale cultured meat production, which can effectively reduce costs and achieve industrial application. In this review, we summarize the research progress of animal cell tissue culture technology used for cultured meat, and highlighted the current challenges and possible strategies in further applications.
Animals ; Bioreactors ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Meat ; Tissue Engineering ; United States

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron disease. At present, no definite ALS biomarkers are available. In this study, exosomes from the plasma of patients with ALS and healthy controls were extracted, and differentially expressed exosomal proteins were compared. Among them, the expression of exosomal coronin-1a (CORO1A) was 5.3-fold higher than that in the controls. CORO1A increased with disease progression at a certain proportion in the plasma of patients with ALS and in the spinal cord of ALS mice. CORO1A was also overexpressed in NSC-34 motor neuron-like cells, and apoptosis, oxidative stress, and autophagic protein expression were evaluated. CORO1A overexpression resulted in increased apoptosis and oxidative stress, overactivated autophagy, and hindered the formation of autolysosomes. Moreover, CORO1A activated Ca²⁺-dependent phosphatase calcineurin, thereby blocking the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes. The inhibition of calcineurin activation by cyclosporin A reversed the damaged autolysosomes. In conclusion, the role of CORO1A in ALS pathogenesis was discovered, potentially affecting the disease onset and progression by blocking autophagic flux. Therefore, CORO1A might be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for ALS.
Mice ; Animals ; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/pathology* ; Calcineurin/metabolism* ; Motor Neurons/pathology* ; Microfilament Proteins/metabolism* ; Cytoskeletal Proteins/metabolism*