Design, synthesis and anti-pneumonic activity evaluation of shikonin ester derivatives.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a serious and prevalent clinical condition with limited treatments. Recent research has highlighted the potential of targeting inflammatory pathways as a therapeutic strategy for ALI. In this study, a series of shikonin ester derivatives were synthesized by introducing various acyl groups into shikonin.

pH-Responsive Carrier-Free Nanodrug for Efficient Delivery and Synergistic Therapy.

The development of nanocarrier systems is often constrained by limited low drug-loading capacity, insufficient control over drug release profiles, and inadequate tumor-targeting efficiency. To address this challenge, we engineered pH-responsive carrier-free nanodrug delivery systems based on dynamic boronic ester linkages. This approach aims to enhance the drug-loading efficiency, enable controlled drug release, and facilitate the codelivery of two therapeutic agents to achieve synergistic therapeutic effects.

Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma at specific anatomic sites of the liver: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis aims to assess the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) located at specific anatomic sites of the liver with those of non-specific sites.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted across five databases, covering the period from the establishment of each database to September 30, 2024. Prospective and retrospective studies involving ultrasound-guided percutaneous MWA for the treatment of HCC were included.

Misdiagnosis of α-Thalassemia Heterozygotes as Homozygotes Due to Base Mutations in the Primer Binding Region.

Misdiagnosis of α-thalassemia genotypes due to primer site mutations presents diagnostic challenges in Chinese populations where -α deletion and :c.427T>C (Hb Constant Spring) heterozygotes are prevalent. We describe two cases where conventional diagnostic approaches erroneously identified heterozygous carriers as homozygotes.

Challenging and new opportunities for prodrug technology.

Research on prodrug technology has opened new avenues for site-directed chemotherapy rather than systemic chemotherapy. This distinctive strategy allows drug delivery to be activated by light-, irradiation-, or ultrasound (US)-tunable chemistries, which have been termed photopharmacology, radiopharmacology, and sonopharmacology, respectively. Prodrugs have emerged as a main strategy for improving pharmacokinetics, reducing side effects, and thus enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of drugs.

α-Thalassemia Caused by a Novel α-Globin Gene Cluster Deletion (-) Found in a Chinese Family.

We report a novel large α-globin gene cluster deletion in a Chinese family from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regionfor the first time. The proband was a 20-year-old male who presented with microcytic hypochromatosis. Routine genetic analysis showed none of the common mutations in theα-globin and β-globin genes.

Microencapsule delivery systems of functional substances for precision nutrition.

Microencapsulation, a typical core-shell structure technology, encapsulates functional active ingredients for protection, controlled release, and targeted delivery. In precise nutrition, the focus is on utilizing microcapsule delivery systems for personalized dietary supplements and disease intervention. This chapter outlines the morphological structure of microcapsules, common wall materials, and preparation techniques.

Research progress of nano-delivery systems for the active ingredients from traditional Chinese medicine.

Introduction: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for thousands of years in China, characterizing with novel pharmacological mechanisms, low toxicity, and limited side effects. However, the application of TCM active ingredients is often hindered by their physical and chemical properties, including poor solubility, low bioavailability, short half-life, toxic side effects within therapeutic doses, and instability in biological environments. Consequently, an increasing number of researchers are directing their attention towards the discovery of nano-delivery systems for TCM to overcome these clinical challenges.

Onosma glomeratum Y. L. Liu polysaccharide alleviates LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation via NF-κB signal pathway.

As a traditional Chinese medicinal and edible homologous plant, Onosma glomeratum Y. L. Liu has been used for treating lung diseases in Tibet.

Application opportunity of Doppler ultrasound combined with CT angiography in diabetic lower extremity arterial disease and the analysis of the risk factors.

Objective: This study examined the potential of combining Doppler ultrasound (DUS) and CT angiography (CTA) for early detection and intervention of lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) in diabetes.Concurrently, risk factors influencing LEAD progression were analyzed.

Methods: 106 Type-2 diabetes patients with LEAD, having undergone DUS and CTA, were divided into four stages according to Fontaine stage.

False HbA1cValue due to a Rare Variant of Hemoglobin J-Cubujuqui.

Background: Hemoglobin (Hb) J-Cubujuqui is a rare Hb variant, and reports about it are very limited. There are no descriptions that it affects the results of glycated Hb.

Methods: In this study, we describe a rare variant discovered during newborn screening.

Enhanced external counterpulsation treatment regulates blood flow and wall shear stress metrics in femoral artery: An in vivo study in healthy subjects.

As a non-invasive assisted circulation therapy, enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) has demonstrated potential in treatment of lower-extremity arterial disease (LEAD). However, the underlying hemodynamic mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to conduct the first prospective investigation of the EECP-induced responses of blood flow behavior and wall shear stress (WSS) metrics in the femoral artery.

Structural and pharmacological diversity of 1,4-naphthoquinone glycosides in recent 20 years.

1,4-naphthoquinones are the most widespread naphthoquinone compounds. Recently, many 1,4-naphthoquinone glycosides with different structural features have been obtained from both nature and synthesis, which has led to an increasing variety of naphthoquinone glycosides. In this paper, the structure variety and biological activity in recent 20 years are reviewed, and classified them according to the source and structure characteristics.

Research progress on the structure and biological diversities of 2-phenylindole derivatives in recent 20 years.

The privileged structure binds to multiple receptors with high affinity, which is helpful to the development of new bioactive compounds. Indole is classified as a privileged structure, which may be one of the most important structural categories in drug discovery. As a special subset of indole compounds, 2-phenylindole seems to be one of most promising forerunners of drug development.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha delivers exogenous inflammation-related microRNAs to recipient cells with functional targeting capabilities.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is a critical pro-inflammatory cytokine in a wide range of tumors and infectious diseases. This study showed for the first time that TNF-α could specifically bind to certain intracellular or circulating inflammation-related microRNAs both in vitro and in vivo. The binding sites of TNF-α to microRNAs are located at the N-terminal of TNF-α and the 3'-GGUU motif of microRNAs.

Sensitization of nerve cells to ultrasound stimulation through Piezo1-targeted microbubbles.

Neuromodulation by ultrasound (US) has recently drawn considerable attention due to its great advantages in noninvasiveness, high penetrability across the skull and highly focusable acoustic energy. However, the mechanisms and safety from US irradiation still remain less understood. Recently, documents revealed Piezo1, a mechanosensitive cation channel, plays key role in converting mechanical stimuli from US through its trimeric propeller-like structure.

Compound Heterozygosity for a Novel Mutation Codon 104 (-A) (: c.313delA) and Codons 41/42 (-CTTT) (: c.126_129delCTTT) Leading to β-Thalassemia Major in a Chinese Family.

β-Thalassemia (β-thal) is a hereditary blood disorder characterized by the reduced or absent synthesis of β-globin chains. Here, we report a case of severe thalassemia with compound heterozygosity for a novel deletion mutation at codon 104 (-A) (: c.313delA) and codons 41/42 (-CTTT) (: c.

Effects of side-stream ratio on sludge reduction and microbial structures of anaerobic side-stream reactor coupled membrane bioreactors.

An anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (AO-MBR) and three anaerobic side-stream reactor (ASSR) coupled MBRs (ASSR-MBR) were operated to investigate effects of side-stream ratio (SR) on sludge reduction and microbial community structure of ASSR-MBRs. The ASSR-MBR achieved efficient COD and ammonium nitrogen removal. SR increased from 0.

Species-specific mutual regulation of p53 and miR-138 between human, rat and mouse.

In recent years, p53 was identified to regulate the expression of many miRNAs and was also regulated by miRNAs. In this paper, we found that miR-138 showed a pronounced increase after p53 activation in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, which is mediated by p53 binding sites in the promoter region of its host gene, but this did not happen with rat and mouse cells. More interestingly, we found that p53 could be also regulated by miR-138 in mouse and rat cells, but not in the human NSCLC cells.

Effects of alkalinity on membrane bioreactors for reject water treatment: Performance improvement, fouling mitigation and microbial structures.

Two submerged membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for reject water treatment were operated to investigate effects of sodium bicarbonate (SB) addition on enhancing process performance and mitigating membrane fouling. Results showed that SB addition enhanced average removal efficiencies of COD and NH4-N by 14.6% and 38.

Exosomal transfer of vasorin expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma cells promotes migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Vasorin (VASN) is a type I transmembrane protein that plays important roles in tumor development and vasculogenesis. In this paper, we showed that VASN could be a key mediator of communication between tumor cells and endothelial cells. We confirmed for the first time that HepG2-derived VASN can be transferred to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) via receptor mediated endocytosis of exosomes, at least in part through HSPGs.

Nanoparticle-conjugated aptamer targeting hnRNP A2/B1 can recognize multiple tumor cells and inhibit their proliferation.

In this study, we further investigated a previously developed aptamer targeting ROS 17/2.8 (rat osteosarcoma) cells. We found that this C6-8 aptamer specifically binds to heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A2/B1 and that it specifically labeled multiple tumor-cell lines as effectively as hnRNP A2/B1 monoclonal antibodies.