Natural biocompatible nanomaterials such as self-assembled triterpene natural small molecule products with favorable anticancer activity show great potential for biomedical application. However, the mechanisms of their molecular self-assembled structures have not been investigated systematically, while there are still few reports of the natural active carrier for drug delivery. Herein, in this work, we further explored the molecular assembly mechanism and common regularity of tetracyclic triterpenes ergosterol, stigmasterol as well as pentacyclic triterpenes glycyrrhetinic acid and ursolic acid, which suggested that the coplanarity and orderliness of molecular arrangements which are speculated to be responsible for their self-assembly into the spherical, rod-like or lamellar nanostructure. Besides, ergosterol (ET) with better anticancer activity was chosen as a representative substance for construction of the synergistic antitumor nanodrug. By intermolecular hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking, chemotherapeutic drug paclitaxel (PTX) was encapsulated into ET-PTX NPs successfully. Then, the anti-cancer efficacy of the tumor-bearing mice was evaluated according to the protocol approved by the Experimental Animal Research Center of Harbin Medical University. The resulting nanodrug exhibited excellent biosafety and enhanced in vivo anticancer activity efficiency of 52.3%, higher than free PTX (29.4%) or ET NPs (32.5%) alone, further verifying the potential medical application value of triterpene natural products. This work provides not only a theoretical basis for exploring the self-assembly behavior of small molecule natural products, but also a promising perspective for the fabrication of active natural biocompatible nanodrug delivery systems for synergistic antitumor therapy and other biomedical applications.

Adult ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects ; therapy ; Humans

To study the effect of wearing overnight orthokeratology ( OK) contact lens on corneal topography and tears in adolescents.METHODS: The diopter, corneal curvature, corneal surface regularity index ( SRl ) , tear break - up time ( BUT ) , Schirmer l test, and corneal fluorescent ( FL ) were recordedon 40 (80 eyes) adolescent myopia patients (mean age 13. 68±2. 32 years), who had worn OK contact lensfor more than 1 year, with mean spherical equivalent refraction -3. 61 ± 1. 48D before wearing OK contact lens. These indexes were tested and recorded before the patients' wearing OK contact lens and 5 times (1wk and 1, 3, 6, 12mo after the first wearing) during the patients' overnight wearing OK contact lens for 8~10 hours per day.RESULTS: Compared with pre - wearing, at post -wearing OK contact lens 12mo, the mean spherical equivalent refraction was apparently decreased from -3.61±1. 48D to -1. 39±1. 31D(P<0. 01). The corneal curvature was significantly flattened from 42. 29 ± 1. 55D to 40.13±1. 41D (P<0. 01). Mean SRl was increased from 0. 34± 0. 01 to 0. 37 ± 0. 01 ( P<0. 01 ). Mean BUT was decreased from 10. 39±2. 25s to 7. 26±1. 77s (P<0. 01). These indexes were stable at 1wk after wearing OK contact lens overnight and had no significant differences during the following (1, 3, 6, 12mo after wearing) tests (P > 0. 05 ). There were no significant differences on Schirmer▏test during the 12mo of OK wearing(P>0. 05). The cases of corneal fluorescent staining increased were mainly grade l, and the number of corneal staining grade l at 1 wk and 1, 3, 6, 12 mo after wearing were 15 eyes (18. 8%), 9 eyes (11. 3%),13 eyes (16. 3%), 9 eyes (11. 3%), and 12 eyes (15. 0%). BUT of corneal staining grade l wasdecreased significantly, compared with the BUT of corneal staining grade 0 during the 12mo of OK wearing (P<0. 05). CONCLUSlON: OK contact lens can significantly decrease the degree of myopia and K value of corneal curvature without changing tear volume. However, tear film stability weakens, which needs regular follow-up.

Hepatic tumor-specific magnetic resonance (MR) enhancement with Gd-EOB-DTPA can detect and distinguish small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with greater sensitivity than conventional magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography.Hepatic tumor-specific MR enhancement with Gd-EOB-DTPA is more sensitive in detecting focal HCC,and more reliable in detecting lesions with a diameter smaller than 2cm.Gd-EOB-DTPA is excreted through the kidneys and biliary tract,and thus may provide more information about anatomic structures,demonstrate non-obstruction of the intra- and extrahepatic bile duct system,and provide information about hepatic function.

Adult ; Fluoroscopy ; Foreign Bodies ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Trauma, Nervous System ; therapy ; Wounds, Penetrating ; therapy

Abstract: Suxamethonium chloride is a depolarizing muscle relaxant used in general anesthesia. In overdose, it causes adverse reactions such as bradycardia, arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, and death. The article reviews the progress on testing methods of suxamethonium chloride such as infrared spectroscopy, chemical color reaction, chemical titration, enzyme electrode, chromatography and mass spectrometry.
Anesthesia, General ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac/chemically induced* ; Biosensing Techniques ; Bradycardia/chemically induced* ; Chromatography ; Drug Overdose ; Heart Arrest/chemically induced* ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents/analysis* ; Spectrophotometry, Infrared ; Succinylcholine/analysis*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the result of hip arthroplasty for failed internal fixation of femoral neck fractures.

METHODSFrom June 2007 to January 2014, 29 cases who underwent hip arthroplasty for failed of internal fixation of femoral neck fractures were reviewed. There were 12 males and 17 females. The mean age was 60.3 years (ranged 43 to 83 years) at the time of the fracture. Left hip was in 16 cases, right hip was in 13 cases. The average interval from fracture to arthroplasty was 23.3 months (ranged, 3 to 48 months).

RESULTSAll of 29 cases were performed total hip arthroplasty. There were 20 cases of cementless cup,7 cases of cementless cup with bone graft, 2 cases of cemented cup with bone graft; 13 cases of cementless stem, 16 cases of cemented stem. There were no complications occurred such as intraoperative fracture of the greater trochanter. The average operative time was (115 ± 38) minutes,the mean intraoperative blood loss was (420 ± 175) ml, the average postoperative drainage volume (240 ± 119) ml, intraoperative blood transfusion was (200 ± 220) ml, intraoperative fluid volume was (2,200 ± 400) ml, the average postoperative blood transfusion was (300 ± 200) ml. There was 1 case get postoperative dislocation. All patients were followed up for 14.7 months in average (ranged, 5 to 24 months). There was no revision for mechanical failure. Harris Hip Score significantly was improved from 51.1 ± 7.5 before the conversion to 88.5 ± 6.4 points at the final follow-up.

CONCLUSIONThe effect of the hip replacement for patients with failed internal fixation of femoral neck fractures was confirmed. This method can shorten the time on the bed and reduce the complications. It benefits the patients earlier functional recovery, but it must control operation indication. The long term efficacy is necessary to further observation.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; methods ; Female ; Femoral Neck Fractures ; surgery ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Failure

Objective To develop a nylon membrane chip for rapid and systematic detection of the diabetes-associated 45 mutant loci in mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA).Methods The mutant-and wild-type probes were designed for detection of 45 mutant loci in mtDNA with Primer Premier 5.0 and NCBI BLAST softwares and the 90 probes with 8 poly T were immobilized on the Hybond N~+ nylon membranes which were treated with 5?SSC Buffer by UV-crosslinking;Then asymmetric PCR was employed to obtain the target single strand DNA(ssDNA).The PCR products were labeled with biotin after purification.NBT/BCIP was used as substrate that yields a very intense purple signal followed by AP-avidin,and the signals were observed in 24 samples with known sequences to evaluate the chips,each sample was repeatedly measured three times.Results The specific target fragments of 45 loci can be amplified under the same condition with nine sets of primers.The annealing temperatures of the wild-type [(59.01?1.42)℃] and mutant-type [(59.34?1.29)℃ ] probes are so close(t=1.046,P =0.301)that hybridization can be performed at the same temperature.The spots on the membrane chip are distinct,regular and well-distributed.The results of positive-and negative-control are perfect.The signals of negative probes and the background are similar.The results of chip were nearly concordant with that of DNA sequences(?~2=113.132,Kappa value =0.888,P = 0.000)except for T16189C mutant.Conclusions We have successfully developed a nylon membrane chip for rapid and systematic detection of the diabetes-associated 44 mutant loci in mtDNA.It could be used for screening for diabetic patients and high-risk people.

Objective To evaluate the influential factors of iron acquisition during Francisella tularensis LVS infection of mouse macrophages.Methods F.tularensis LVS expressing green fluorescent protein was used to infect murine macrophage J774A.1 cells.Transferrin receptor 1(Tfr1)was detected with mono-antibody and visualized with a goat-anti mouse IgG conjugated to Alexa 594.The expression profile of 5 iron metabolism related genes of J774A.1 murine macrophages uninfected or infected with F.tularensis LVS was determined with real-time PCR.Immunoblot analysis was used to compare the Tfr1 expression of live Francisella infected macrophage with dead bacteria.Tfr1 knock-off in J774A.1 cells was performed with siRNA.The transfected cells were infected with Francisella for immunoblotting and microscopy and infection assay.Results It was revealed that the live vaccine strain of F.tularensis induced the expression of Tfr1 in host macrophages.Gene expression analysis indicated that F.tularensis LVS drove an active iron acquisition program with induction of Tfr1 and iron regulatory proteins(Irp1 and Irp2).It was shown by Western-blotting that the siRNA-Tfrc-1 could knock off about 75% of Tfr1 in J774A.1 cells.It was determined by infection assay that,Tfr1 was knocked off,the bacteria number at 1h infection with Francisella was not different from that of control(F=1.06,P=0.326 5),while it was decreased significantly after 24h of infection(F=24.12,P=0.000 6).Conclusions It is demonstrated that upregulation of the Tfr1 may be mediated by post-transcriptional regulation during early infection,but sustained later through increased expression of Irp 1 and Irp 2.Increased expression of Tfr1 expands the intracellular iron pool through transferrin-mediated delivery and may thus be readily available for uptaking by Francisella.Knocking off the expression of Tfr1 does not affect bacterial invasion.Francisella,however,may fail to proliferate in macrophages in which the expression of transferrin receptor has been suppressed.

Objective To explore the clinical feature, gene mutations and treatment of isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH). Methods The clinical data from a case of IHH and his families were retrospectively analyzed. The related literatures were reviewed. Results The propositus was a 7-year-old boy with a small penis and testes, whose younger brother was 5-year-old with a small penis and cryptorchidism. In both boys testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were low. The GnRH provocation test was not reactive. Their parents denied the consanguineous marriage. Illumina sequencing revealed that both of the brothers had homozygous mutation of GnRHR gene in C.806C>T, and their parents were heterozygous mutations in C.806C>T gene. After confirmation of the diagnosis, human choronic gonadotropin (hCG) treatment was given. The levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone were significantly increased after 6 weeks. Conclusion The combination of clinical phenotype, biochemical analysis, and gene detection is helpful for early diagnosis of IHH.