This paper provides a brief overview of the current research activities which focused on the bio-application of gold magnetic nanocomposite particles. By combining the magnetic characteristics of the iron oxide core with the unique features of nano-gold particles such as targeting by surface modification and optical properties, such composite nanoparticles have a wide range of applications in cancer hyperthermia, CT and MRI imaging, bio-separation, bio sensors, gene diagnosis, drug targeting and many other biomedical fields.
Diagnostic Imaging ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Ferric Compounds ; chemistry ; Gold ; chemistry ; Humans ; Magnetics ; Nanocomposites ; chemistry ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Neoplasms

Objective To investigate the expression of occludin in the intestinal epithelial cells of neonatal rats with necrotizing enterocolitis ( NEC) . The influence of vitamin D on NEC and the expression of occludin was also explored. Methods Sixty neonatal Wistar rats from different litters were divided into four groups 48 hours after birth:10 in the breast-fed+ control group,10 in the breast-fed +vitamin D group,20 in the NEC+ control group and 20 in the NEC+ vitamin D group. In groups with NEC,neonatal rats were sep-arated from their mothers and treated with rat milk substitute+hypoxia+hypothermia. In groups with vitamin D treatment,paricalcitol was given through intraperitoneal injection 30 minutes before,one day and two days after the induction of NEC. The tissue was harvested from the ileum of the rats 72 hours after induction of NEC. Microscopically,the tissue was assessed according to the Nadler scoring system. The expression and location of occludin was observed after immunofluorescence staining. Western blotting was performed and quantified to compare the expression of occludin among groups. Results In NEC rats,the intestinal structure was destructed. Separation of the submucosal or muscular layer,discharge or disappearance of the villa was accompanied by necrosis of the intestinal cells. Vitamin D treatment could significantly alleviate those chan-ges,with the Nadler score 1. 70 ± 0. 21 compared to 2. 90 ± 0. 23 without vitamin D treatment ( P<0. 01 ) . The expression of occludin was decreased in NEC rats and vitamin D could partly rescue this decrease (P<0. 01). The distribution of occludin was sparse and discontinuous in NEC rats while after vitamin D treatment,the distribution was maintained even and continuous. Conclusion The expression of occludin in intestinal epithelial cells is significantly reduced in NEC rat. Vitamin D treatment may inhibit the development of NEC by maintaining the expression of occludin.

Objective To establish a human colon cancer multi-drug resistant cell line LS174T/5-fluorouracil(5-Fu) and to explore its biological characteristics. Methods A resistant human colon cancer line LS174T/5-Fu was established by stepwise increasing concentrations of fluorouracil selection from the parental cell line LS174T.Drug sensitivity was detected by MTT assay,and the changes of biological characteristics were determined by light microscopy,cell counting,flow cytometry and RT-PCR. Results LS174T/5-Fu cell line was developed after 6 months with stable resistance to 5-Fu and a resistance index of 40.24.The cells exhibited cross-resistance to cisplatin,etoposide,doxifluridine and hydeoxycamptothecin.LS174T/5-Fu cells grew more slowly than LS174T cells,which was longer than LS174T cell line.Cell cycle distribution of LS174T/5-Fu cells was changed compared with parental cells.The percentage of cells in G_(1) and S phase was increased,while in G_(2) phase was decreased.The level of MRP mRNA expression was increased according to the concentration of 5-Fu in resistant cell lines. Conclusion LS174T/5-Fu cells is a reliable multi-drug resistant cell subline of human colon cancer.The successful establishment of this cell subline has laid a solid foundation for further study of the multi-drug resistant mechanism of human colon cancer induced by 5-fluorouracil.

Objective To study the expression level of myostatin in the gastrocnemius muscle of cancer cachexia mice and to observe the improvement of the status and the influence on myostatin expression by use of meloxicam.(Methods The) tumor-bearing cachexia mice model was established by Lovo cell line subcutaneous inoculation.Twenty-four BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 3 groups(n=8 for each group):group A,control;group B,tumor-bearing mice plus saline;group C,tumor-bearing mice plus meloxicam(5 mg/kg).The food intake and body composition were documented.The expression of myostatin in the gastrocnemius muscle was investigated by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in all the animals,and the correlation analysis between serum TNF? and myostatin was conducted. Results The body weight of group B was about 60% of group A,and the average food intake was significantly declined(P

Compared with normal tissues and cells, the tumor microenvironment has significant differences. For example, glutathione-related metabolic enzymes and reactive oxygen species are highly expressed in different subcellular structures, resulting in an unbalanced redox state. Aiming at the specific redox state in tumor tissues and cells, a series of small molecule prodrug self-assembled nanoparticles can be designed and connected by intelligent response linkers including disulfide bonds, sulfide bonds, and selenium bonds, thioketal bonds, etc. The in vitro and in vivo efficiency and metabolic mode of these nanoparticles are related to the type of linker. This review will summarize the tumor redox microenvironment, the design of intelligent responsive small molecule prodrug nanoparticles, and the metabolic pathways of small molecule prodrug nanoparticles with different connecting linkers and their relationship with drug efficacy.

BACKGROUND:Santoni put forward the cortical bone trajectory technology by changing the traditional pedicle screw placement for lumbar internal fixation in order to obtain better control of the screw and bone in 2009. OBJECTIVE:To analyze biomechanical stability of cortical bone trajectory system in the lumbar fusion. METHODS:Twenty fresh newborn calf L3/4, L5/6 motion segment specimens were obtained, and their ranges of motion were detected under different states, as normal controls. Subsequently, twenty samples were divided into cortical bone trajectory screw group and traditional pedicle screw group, which underwent cortical bone trajectory screw fixation combined with posterior lumbar fusion and traditional pedicle screw fixation combined with posterior lumbar fusion, respectively. Without destruction, ranges of motion were detected under different states in both groups. In the revision group, after the test in the traditional pedicle screw group, screw was withdrawn, and cortical bone trajectory screw was used to detect its range of motion under different states. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Ranges of motion at bending to the left and right, anteflexion, posterior extension and axial rotation were significantly lower in the cortical bone trajectory screw group and traditional pedicle screw group than in the normal control group (P<0.05). No significant difference in bending to the left and right, anteflexion, posterior extension and axial rotation was detected between the cortical bone trajectory screw and revision groups and traditional pedicle screw group (P>0.05). These results confirmed that cortical bone trajectory technology combined with posterior lumbar fusion can obtain identical stability as the traditional pedicle screw fixation combined with posterior lumbar fusion. Simultaneously, it is a new choice for revision after traditional pedicle screw fixation.

It has gradually become a consensus in the industry that the traditional Chinese medicine gypsum should be decocted first, but the understanding of decocting method is not completely unified in the works of doctors since ancient times, and there are occasional disputes about whether it is necessary to decocting first. In this study, the phase determination, physical and chemical characterization, qualitative and quantitative analysis of inorganic and organic components of the decoctions of herbal pairs and the whole prescription Maxingshigan decoction with gypsum as the center, and the pre-decoctions and co-decoctions of them were carried out to explore the scientific connotation of the pre-decoctions of gypsum. Results show that decoction phases were different between the co-decoctions and pre-decoctions of licorice-gypsum (Gancao-Shigao, GC-SG), ephedra-gypsum (Mahuang-Shigao, MH-SG) and almond-gypsum (Xingren-Shigao, XR-SG). The results of the micromorphology, particle size and zeta potential of herbal pairs and prescription (Quanfang, QF) showed that the supramolecular particles in pre-decoctions were smaller, more uniform and more stable than the co-decoctions. The results of organic components analysis showed that different cooking methods did not change the organic composition and content. ICP-OES results showed that the content of inorganic components in pre-decoctions was higher than in co-decoctions for the same boiling time of gypsum. The IR results showed that the pre-decoctions had stronger chemical functional group effect than the co-decoctions. To sum up, compared with the co-decoction, the pre-decoction of gypsum has different phase state and chemical composition interaction, and the difference of inorganic composition is an important material basis affecting the change of phase state compared with the co-decoction. It indicates that the material basis of traditional Chinese medicine decoction is indeed different whether gypsum is decocted first or not, which can provide a basis for the clinical application of decocted gypsum.

Calpain ; genetics ; Diabetes, Gestational ; genetics ; Female ; Genotype ; Haploidy ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Pregnancy

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation between any two of Capsule Endoscopy ScroringIndex (Lewis score),simplified Crohn Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in small bowel Crohn disease (CD).MethodsA total of 58 consecutive patients with known small bowel CD were enrolled. We evaluated disease activity with Lewis score and simplified CDAI. Correlations among CRP,simplified CDAI and Lewis score were calculated with Spearman's rank order correlation coefficient.The optimal CRP cut-off value was calculated using the ROC curve.ResultsThe Lewis score showed inactive,mild and moderate-severe patients were 13,21 and 24,respectively.CRP of moderate-severe group was significantly higher than that in mild and inactive groups ( P ＜ 0.05 ).The optimal CRP cut-off value that differentiated patients with moderate to severe disease from the others was 13.50 mg/L with sensitivity of 87.5％ and specificity of 82.4％.The area under the ROC curve to analyze the cut-off was 0.849.Lewis score was moderately correlated with CRP (r =0.58,P ＜ 0.01 ),and weakly correlated with the simplified CDAI (r =0.40,P ＜ 0.01 ).ConclusionSerum CRP and the simplified CDAI cannot replace Lewis score for capsule endoscopy in the assessment of disease activity in small bowel CD.However,CRP may be considered as an inflammatory marker for evaluating the moderate to severe capsule endoscopic activity.

Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22 ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Trisomy