Objective:To establish a method for preparing ferritin-Prussian blue nanocomposites (ferritin-PB NPs) and evaluate their photothermal conversion performance and photothermally responsive tumor cell killing effect.Methods:Prussian blue nanomaterials were prepared by the precipitation method and then loaded into the ferritin cavity to construct ferritin-PB NPs. The composition of ferritin-PB NPs was tested by infrared spectroscopy and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The size and morphology of ferritin-PB NPs were measured by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The photothermal heating effect and photothermal stability effect of the ferritin-PB NPs material were tested by a thermal imager. The uptake effect of ferritin-PB NPs in HeLa and HepG2 tumor cells was observed by laser confocal microscopy. The photothermal killing effect of ferritin-PB NPs on HeLa tumor cells was tested by the MTT assay.Results:The morphology of the ferritin-PB NPs is a composite structure of ferritin coated with PB NPs, which can rapidly convert light energy into heat energy in response to 730 nm laser irradiation, resulting in a significant increase in the temperature of the test solution. The ferritin-PB NPs were rapidly taken up by HeLa and HepG2 tumor cells and significantly inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells under 730 nm light irradiation.Conclusions:The ferritin-PB NPs were obtained by a simple preparation method, which has good biocompatibility and photothermal cytotoxicity and is expected to be used for in vivo tumor therapy in the extended research.

Objective:To establish an aggregation-induced emission vesicle material based on supramolecular host-guest chemical assembly (AIE-HG-Vesicle) for siRNA delivery and fluorescence imaging, and to explore its uptake effect by tumor cells and siRNA-based cell killing effect.Methods:By synthesizing β-cyclodextrin modified with polyethyleneimine dendrimer (H-β-CD-dendrimer) as a host compound and a Bola type adamantane containing tetrastyrene AIE group (G-Ada-AIE) as a guest compound, the nanovesicle material was prepared by a supramolecular host-guest self-assembly process for loading siRNA. The morphology and size of the materials were tested by transmission electron microscopy and the dynamic light scattering method. The aggregation-induced luminescence properties of the materials were investigated by fluorescence spectrophotometry. The loading effect of the material on siRNA was investigated by gel retardation experiments. The delivery effect of siRNA-loaded AIE-HG-Vesicle vesicles in tumor cells was observed by a confocal laser scanning microscope. The killing effect of siRNA-loaded AIE-HG-Vesicle vesicles on tumor cells was tested by an MTT assay.Results:The prepared host-guest compounds can be assembled into vesicles with a size of about 100 nm and wall thickness of 9 nm in solution, and the positively charged vesicles on the surface can efficiently load siRNA. The siRNA-loaded AIE-HG-Vesicle vesicles can deliver siRNA into HeLa tumor cells and can be observed through aggregation-induced luminescence. The siRNA-loaded vesicles have an obvious killing effect on HeLa tumor cells.Conclusions:A vesicle material with aggregation-induced luminescence properties was prepared by a method based on supramolecular host-guest chemical assembly, which can be used to deliver siRNA. The material has fluorescence imaging and siRNA-based tumor cytotoxic effects and is expected to be applied to tumor treatment in vivo.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy differences between acupuncture at distal acupoints and local acupoints on treatment of xerophthalmia.

METHODSA total of 40 patients of xerophthalmia were randomly divided into a distal group and a local group, 20 cases in each one. One patient in local group lost contact, and finally 20 cases in the distal group and 19 cases in the local group finished treatment. The patients in the distal group were treated with acupuncture at Guangming (GB 37) and Diwuhui (GB 42), while those in the local group were treated with acupuncture at Cuanzhu (BL 2), Tongziliao (GB 1) and Taiyang (EX-HN 5). Patients in both groups were treated once a day, five times per week, and totally 2-week treatment were given. The subjective symptom based on visual analogue scale (VAS), tear secretion, ocular surface disease index (OSDI) and breakup time (BUT) were evaluated before treatment, after two-week treatment (end of treatment) and two weeks after end of treatment (follow-up visit) in the two groups.

RESULTSAfter treatment and follow-up visit, the VAS, tear secretion, OSDI and BUT were all improved (<0.05,<0.01), but the differences of VAS and OSDI between the two groups were not significant (both>0.05). At follow-up visit, the differences of tear secretion and BUT between the two groups were significant (both<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe acupuncture at distal acupoints could relieve xerophthalmia symptoms, improve quality of life, increase tear secretion and prolong BUT, which is superior to local acupoints in long term.