Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a tool to assess parental satisfaction in pediatric intensive care units

Abstract Objective To verify the performance of the Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a tool to assess parental satisfaction in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Methods The authors conducted an observational cross-sectional multicenter study in the PICUs of 5 hospitals in Brazil. Eligible participants were all parents or legal guardians of PICU-admitted children, aged 18 years or over. The NPS was administered together with the EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care (EMPATHIC-30), used as the gold standard, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. For analysis, the results were dichotomized into values greater than or equal to the median of the tests. The associations between the 2 tools were evaluated and the distribution of their results was compared. Results The parents or legal guardians of 78 PICU-admitted children were interviewed. Of the respondents, 85% were women and 62% were in a private hospital. The median NPS was 10 (IQR, 10-10), and the median EMPATHIC-30 score was 5.7 (IQR, 5.4-5.9). Compared with the gold standard, the NPS had a sensitivity of 100% at all cutoff points, except at cutoff 10, where the sensitivity was slightly lower (97.5%). As for specificity, NPS performance was poorer, with values ranging from 0% (NPS ≥ 5) to 47.4% (NPS = 10). Conclusions NPS proved to be a sensitive tool to assess parental satisfaction, but with poor ability to identify dissatisfied users in the sample.

NPS (Net Promoter Score). Métrica de la experiencia del cliente: construcción y análisis del indicador de una cobertura médica privada / NPS (Net Promoter Score), Customer experience metrics.: construction and analysis of the indicator of private medical coverage

Introducción: el NPS (Net Promoter Score) es un indicador que se utiliza en los programas de experiencia del cliente para medir la satisfacción de dicho público objetivo y su lealtad. Nuestra finalidad fue consolidar el NPS por primera vez en una prepaga de un hospital de alta complejidad de Buenos Aires (PS-HIBA) en busca de establecer un indicador objetivo desde la perspectiva del cliente. Métodos: se realizó un estudio observacional analítico, de corte transversal. Se incluyeron en el estudio los datos obtenidos a partir de las respuestas de los afiliados al PS-HIBA. Resultados: se consolidó el primer indicador NPS del PS-HIBA: 22 puntos. Se visualizaron los tres perfiles de clientes, obteniendo un 45,7% promotores, 22,3% detractores y 32% pasivos o neutros. Complementariamente se identificaron los motivos de dichas calificaciones; las tres principales fueron: la problemática de accesibilidad a los turnos, la atención y los profesionales valorados positivamente. Conclusión: este estudio aporta un indicador objetivo, que facilita un lenguaje común en la organización y una comparación con el mercado desde la mirada del cliente. El NPS, como sistema, busca impulsar la construcción de una cultura centrada en el cliente, con el fin de mejorar su lealtad y permitir una retroalimentación donde se logra tener presente la voz del cliente, e identificar, priorizar y abordar los problemas percibidos. Nos permite establecer los lineamientos de oportunidades de mejora desde la perspectiva de los pacientes. (AU)

Introduction: the NPS (Net Promoter Score) is an indicator used in customer experience programs to measure the satisfaction of said target audience and their loyalty. Our purpose was to send the survey and consolidate the NPS for the first time in a high complexity prepaid hospital in Buenos Aires (PS-HIBA) in search of an objective indicator from the customer's perspective. Methods: an analytical, cross-sectional observational study was carried out. Data obtained from members' responses to the PS-HIBA were included in the study. Results: the first NPS indicator of PS-HIBA was consolidated: 22 points. The three customer profiles were displayed, obtaining 45.7% promoters, 22.3% detractors and 32% passive or neutral. Complementarily, the reasons for these qualifications were identified, being the three main ones: the problem of accessibility to medical appointments, the medical attention and the professionals valued positively. Conclusion: this study provides an objective indicator which facilitates a common language in the organization and a comparison with the market from the customer's point of view.The NPS as a system seeks to promote the construction of a customer-focused culture, in order to improve their loyalty and allow feedback. Thus, it is possible to keep the customer's voice in mind, identify, prioritize and address the perceived problems. It allows us to establish the guidelines for opportunities to improve from the patients' perspective. (AU)

Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles, its characterization and anti-microbial activity assessment

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are one of the most abundant metal oxides nanoparticles. It provides excellent thermal, electrical and chemical stabilities with low biotoxicity; its photo-oxidising and photo-catalytic impact on biological and chemical species is of great importance, thereby making it a promising candidate to be used for in-vitro and in-vivo studies in biomedical field. Hereby, ZnO NPs were synthesized using precipitation method with zinc acetate and sodium hydroxide as starting materials. This study has characterized the synthesized ZnO NPs using different techniques such as UV-Visible spectroscopy indicating a peak at 365 nm wave length, size of ZnO NPs was determined to be 286.7 nm by measuring hydrodynamic radii using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) phenomena. Further predominant charge existing at surface of the synthesised ZnO NPs was evaluated to be 31.6mV. Anti-microbial activity of ZnO NPs was determined by Kirby-Bauer method for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, S. aureus and E. colirespectively. Anti-microbial activity was determined as Zone of Inhibition that measures both bactericidal and bacteriostatic activity of ZnO NPs and was found to be more potent for Gram-positive (S. aureus)bacteria and its activity increased with increasing concentration of nanoparticles. Growth kinetics was studied to determine percentage growth inhibition, for this optical density was recorded as a function of time in bacterial culture broth with and without treatment. Further DNA fragmentation assay was performed to determine genotoxicity caused by nanoparticles and its effect on genomic DNA of bacteria. Highlighting its potential role as a nano-carrier system for leading antibacterial drugs for enhanced effectiveness of the antibacterial therapies

Roots of Pennisetum sp. possess the competence to generate nanoparticles of noble metals

Roots of plants have immense reducing potential. Ions of noble metals namely Au3+ and Ag+ get reduced easily to form Au and Ag nanoparticles (NPs), respectively. Therefore, we hypothesize that plant roots could have potential to form Au-NPs and Ag-NPs. For present investigations, plants of Pennisetum glaucum L. were used to evaluate if their roots possess capacity to generate metal NPs. The generation of Au-NPs and Ag-NPs was initially presumed based on colour change, and confirmed by UV-vis spectra, TEM and EDX investigations. Pale yellow Au3+ and colourless Ag+ solutions turned purple and brown, respectively, by roots of Pennisetum sp. within 8 h. Absorption spectra of respective solutions showed plasmon resonance band at 560 nm and 420 nm confirming the presence of Au-NPs and Ag-NPs. TEM coupled with SAED revealed the presence of crystalline spherical NPs in the size range of 5-50 nm in these solutions. EDX further confirmed the presence of Au and Ag as NPs of respective solutions. These results confirmed that the roots of P. glaucum possess ideal reducing strength to generate Au-NPs and Ag-NPs exogenously in the aqueous phase.

Trace determination and characterization of ginsenosides in rat plasma through magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction based on core-shell polydopamine-coated magnetic nanoparticles / 药物分析学报

Enrichment of trace bioactive constituents and metabolites from complex biological samples is chal-lenging. This study presented a one-pot synthesis of magnetic polydopamine nanoparticles (Fe3O4@-SiO2@PDA NPs) with multiple recognition sites for the magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction (MDSPE) of ginsenosides from rat plasma treated with white ginseng. The extracted ginsenosides were characterized by combining an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a high-resolution mass spectrometry with supplemental UNIFI libraries. Response surface methodology was statistically used to optimize the extraction procedure of the ginsenosides. The reusability of Fe3O4@-SiO2@PDA NPs was also examined and the results showed that the recovery rate exceeded 80％ after recycling 6 times. Furthermore, the proposed method showed greater enrichment efficiency and could rapidly determine and characterize 23 ginsenoside prototypes and metabolites from plasma. In com-parison, conventional methanol method can only detect 8 ginsenosides from the same plasma samples. The proposed approach can provide methodological reference for the trace determination and charac-terization of different bioactive ingredients and metabolites of traditional Chinese medicines and food.

Anatomical And Histopathological Effects Of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles On Lungs In Adult Male Albino Rats

Background: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) are frequently used in many fields, including food industry fortheir antimicrobial activity. Acute exposure to high doses of such particles was found to be toxic to many organs.However, the lung toxicity resulting from chronic exposure to oral doses of ZnO-NPs was not adequately assessedbefore.Aim of the work: to detect the anatomical and histopathological effects of chronic exposure to ingested ZnO-NPson the lung of normal adult male albino rat.Material and methods: It was carried out on 30 adult male Swiss albino rats with an average weight of 150-200gm. They were divided into two groups: Group I: 10 rats serving as control group; Group II: 20 rats serving asexperimental groups, divided into 2 subgroups (a&b) receiving oral ingestion by orogastric tube of a single dailydose (125mg/ kg) of average 20 nm sized ZnO-NPs for different durations: Group IIa (n=10): for 120 days; GroupIIb (n=10): for 180 days. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry of the lungs in the three groups was performedto detect the possible effect of such exposure.Results: Oral administration of ZnO-NPs induced lung damage manifested by congested blood vessels, interstitialinflammation, infiltration with macrophages& lymphocytes, supurative granuloma, thickened interalveolarsepta. These changes were more evident with longer exposure for 180 days (P < 0.5). This substantial damage tothe lungs is caused by oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.Conclusion: Caution should be considered when using these particles in food packaging and food additives, andfor those who are in close contact with these particles especially in factories.

Deterioro Conductual Leve (MBI), Deterioro Cognitivo Leve (MCI) y desarrollo de la demencia: implicancias diagnósticas y clínicas / Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and development of dementia: diagnostic and clinical implications

Tanto el Deterioro Conductual Leve (MBI) y el Deterioro Cognitivo Leve (MCI) han sido identificados como estados o fases predemenciales. Estas entidades constituyen factores de riesgo para el desarrollo de las demencias y en muchos casos, una manifestación temprana de las mismas. En este contexto, los síntomas neuropsiquiátricos que caracterizan al MBI no solo podrían presentarse concurrentemente con el MCI, sino también antes de su aparición o incluso sin que este se llegara a presentar. Esta aparición selectiva del MBI sigue representando un gran desafío en términos de la comprensión de su etiología y el sustrato neurobiológico que podría compartir con el MCI. En este artículo se presentan las características centrales del MBI, los criterios que se emplean para su diagnóstico, las relaciones que guarda con el MCI y sus posibles biomarcadores, para discutir algunos aspectos relacionados con su diagnóstico clínico

Structure of the Conjugated Linoleic Acid-Paclitaxel Conjugate Self-Assembled Nanoparticles / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To prepare, the conjugated linoleic acid-paclitaxel conjugate self-assembled nanoparticles (CLA-PTX NPs) by nanoprecipitation. METHODS: The Dynamic light scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, raman spectroscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nitrogen element distribution of CLA-PTX NPs were studied. RESULTS: The hydroxyl groups (C-4 and C-10 of PTX) and the acetyl groups (C-1 and C-7 of PTX) were on the surface of CLA-PTX NPs, CLA carbon chain, the benzene ring (C-2 and C-3' of PTX) and the amide bond (C-3' of PTX) were inside the CLA-PTX NPs. CONCLUSION: It is speculated that the self-assembly of CLA-PTX is that the non-polar CLA carbon chain spontaneously aggregates inward due to hydrophobic interaction, and the hydrophilic oxygen-containing groups of PTX (hydroxyl group and carbonyl group) are on the surface of the nanoparticle to form nanoparticles.

Analysis of the Prescription Patterns of Medications that List Suicide in Use Cautions using the HIRA Claims Data

OBJECTIVE: Suicide has recently become an important social problem. Thus, we analyzed prescription drugs that cause suicidal ideation. METHODS: Of 156 drugs on the the Minister of Food and Drug Safty (MFDS) EZ-Drug site that had “suicide” listed as a side effect, 78 had “suicide” listed as a warning or contraindication; those 78 drugs were analyzed using data from the 2016 Health Insurance and Review and Assessment Services National Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS). RESULTS: 51 “suicide risk” drugs was identified. Of all patients, 5.2% had received such drugs. The prescription rate was 0.8% of all prescriptions, accounting for 1.6% of all prescription days. From logistic regression analysis, the prescription rate for the drugs was approximately 1.1 times higher for women than for men. With regard to age, the prescription rate for patients 66 years and older was 15.5 times higher than those for patients 25-years and lower. With regard to medical departments, the prescription rates in psychiatry and dermatology departments were 8.1 times higher and 0.6 times lower than those in internal medicine departments, respectively. With regard to region, the prescription rates in Daegu and Jeju were 1.3 times higher and 0.79 times lower than those in Seoul, respectively. CONCLUSION: Drug-induced suicidal behavior is possible, and therefore efforts are needed to prevent it.

Anti Bacterial Effect Of Silver Nanoparticle On Mrsa Isolates From Oral Infections

Aim of our study is to evaluate the antibacterial activity of silver Nano particle(Ag-NPs) against MRSA strains recovered from patients with oral infections Material and Methods:- Samples were collected from Patients attending department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Jaipur dental college who were diagnosed with oral infections. The samples were subjected to culture and sensitivity and MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus) screening. MRSAstrains were treated with Ag-Nanoparticles to know the antibacterial affect Results:- Out of 146 samples, 26 specimens showed Methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) The MIC and MBC values of Ag-NPs against MRSA strains were observed to be very low (i.e. in the range of 12.5-100 μg/ml), indicating very well bacteriostatic (represented by the MIC) and bactericidal activity (represented by MBC). Conclusion:- In recent years, there is increase in MRSA in oral and perioral samples with emergence of new resistant strains of MRSA. In our study we have seen Ag-NPs size 5-10nm has inhibited growth of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in vitro at nontoxic concentration, which makes it to use as anti-bacterial agent in oral infections

Zn-doped CuO nanocomposites inhibit in vitro and in vivo growth of pancreatic cancer by inducing autophagy through AMPK/mTOR pathway / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE Zn-doped CuO nanocomposites (Zn-CuO NPs) are novel nanoparticles synthesized by our research group.In this study,we assessed the in vitro and in vivo antitumor effects of Zn-CuO NPS on pancreatic cancer cells,as well as the potential mechanisms. METHODS MTS assay was used to detect the effects of Zn-CuO NPS on proliferation pancreatic cancer cells(Panc-mia and Aspc-1). The in vivo antitumor effects of Zn-CuO NPs were detected by xenografts model in nude mice. The effects of Zn-CuO NPS on autophagy were detected bytransmission electron microscopy (TEM) andflow cytometry. Autophagy related proteins were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS Zn-CuO NPS significantly inhibited the proliferation of Panc-mia cells and Aspc-1 cells.In vivo experi-ments showed that Zn-CuO NPS significantly inhibited the tumor growth in nude mice without affecting the body weight of the mice. TEM and flow cytometry showed that Zn-CuO NPS induced autophagy, and significantly increased the number of autophagosome.Western Blot showed that Zn-CuO NPS alterd the expression of autophagy related proteins,such as AMPK,mTORand Beclin-1.Also,AMPK inhibitor could significantly reduce Zn-CuO NPS-induced autophagy pathwayas analyzed byWestern blotting. CONCLUSION The findings suggested that Zn-doped CuO nanocomposites inhibited the in vitro and in vivo growth of pancreatic cancer by inducing autophagy through AMPK/mTOR pathway.

Classification of natural products as sources of drugs according to the biopharmaceutics drug disposition classification system (BDDCS) / 中国天然药物

Natural products (NPs) are compounds that are derived from natural sources such as plants, animals, and micro-organisms. Therapeutics has benefited from numerous drug classes derived from natural product sources. The Biopharmaceutics Drug Disposition Classification System (BDDCS) was proposed to serve as a basis for predicting the importance of transporters and enzymes in determining drug bioavailability and disposition. It categorizes drugs into one of four biopharmaceutical classes according to their water solubility and extent of metabolism. The present paper reviews 109 drugs from natural product sources: 29% belong to class 1 (high solubility, extensive metabolism), 22% to class 2 (low solubility, extensive metabolism), 40% to class 3 (high solubility, poor metabolism), and 9% to class 4 (low solubility, poor metabolism). Herein we evaluated the characteristics of NPs in terms of BDDCS class for all 109 drugs as wells as for subsets of NPs drugs derived from plant sources as antibiotics. In the 109 NPs drugs, we compiled 32 drugs from plants, 50% (16) of total in class 1, 22% (7) in class 2 and 28% (9) in class 3, none found in class 4; Meantime, the antibiotics were found 5 (16%) in class 2, 22 (71%) in class 3, and 4 (13%) in class 4; no drug was found in class 1. Based on this classification, we anticipate BDDCS to serve as a useful adjunct in evaluating the potential characteristics of new natural products.

Characterization of coal fly ash nanoparticles and their induced in vitro cellular toxicity and oxidative DNA damage in different cell lines.

Coal combustion generates considerable amount of ultrafine particles and exposure to such particulate matter is a major health concern in the developing countries. In this study, we collected nano sized coal fly ash (CFA) and characterized them by scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), particle size analyzer (PSA) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), and investigated its toxicity in vitro using different cell lines. The imaging techniques showed that the coal fly ash nanoparticles (CFA-NPs) are predominately spherical shaped. The analyses have revealed that the CFA-NPs are 7-50 nm in diameter and contain several heavy metals associated with CFA particles. The studies showed significant amount of toxicity in all cell lines on treatment with CFA-NPs. The cytotoxicity and oxidative DNA damage caused by CFA-NPs were determined by inhibition of cellular metabolism (MTT), total intracellular glutathione (GSH), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA fragmentation in cultured cell lines (Chang liver, HS294T and LL29). The cellular metabolism was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner in CFA-NPs treated cell lines. The CFA-NPs induced ROS and decreased the total intracellular glutathione with increased dose. Further, the CFA-NPs treated cells showed severe DNA laddering as a result of DNA fragmentation.

Antibacterial Effect of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Curcuma Aromatica Leaf Extract.

This article reports an ecofriendly approach for the synthesis of Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using aqueous leaf extract of Curcuma aromatica. The synthesized Ag NPs were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD and TEM analyses. UV–Visible spectra of the aqueous medium containing Ag NPs showed a gradual decrease of the absorbance peak observed at 442 nm. The biomolecules responsible for the reduction of Ag NPs were analyzed by FTIR. XRD result confirmed the presence of AgNPs with FCC crystal structure. The calculated crystalline size using Scherrer formula is in the range from 20 to 80 nm. TEM analysis ascertained spherical nature of the Ag NPs. The synthesized Ag NPs exhibited good antibacterial performance against gram-positive and gramnegative bacteria strains, which was studied using standard disc diffusion method. The synthesis of Ag NPs by this method is rapid, cost effective and can be used for various applications.

Rapid identification of dye adulteration in Kadsura longipedunculata by paper-based SERS / 药学实践杂志

Objective To establish a paper-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) method for the detection of dyed K adsura longipedunculata Finet et Gagnep .Methods Supported silver nanoparticles on filter paper were synthesized simply by soaking method .In addition ,factors including enrichment ratio of silver nanoparticles ,the enhancement effect and sta-bility of the SERS device were investigated .Results The K adsura longipedunculata Finet et Gagnep ,dyed by Erythrosine or Acid Red at low concentration had been detected successfully .Conclusion Combined with the paper device and SERS ,the ap-proach was rapid and non-destructive which could be used to identification of dyed K adsura longipedunculata Finet et Gagnep .

Potential antibacterial activit of crude extracts and silver nanoparticles synthesized from sargassum wightii.

The present work investigates the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) synthesized by biological method using Sargassum wightii. The fresh live seaweed was collected from the Mandapam coast of Tamilnadu, India. Solvent extract was prepared using acetone, petroleum ether and methanol. Aqueous extract of the seaweed was also used for the synthesis of silver Ag-NPs. Seaweed extract is used as a reducing agent of 2mM silver nitrate solution for the synthesis of Ag-NPs. Periodical monitoring of reaction mixture was done using UV-vis spectroscopy at 300-750 nm. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the sample confirms the presence of Ag-NPs. The antibacterial activity of solvent extract was done by Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. The methanol extract of the seaweed at a concentration of 250µg/ml exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against the test microorganism. The zone of inhibition ranging from 8-14 mm was observed with different extracts. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized Ag-NPs against the organism was also done by MIC test. The MIC of Ag-NPs was found to be 130µg/ml for all pathogenic microorganisms selected for the study. The zone of inhibition against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus anhtracis, Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio alginoyticus were found to be 10, 8, 10 and 9 mm, respectively. The synthesized Ag-NPs exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against the selected microorganisms than the solvent extract of seaweed.

Nanoparticulate drug-delivery systems: lymphatic uptake and its gastrointestinal applications.

One of the important challenges of modern drug therapy is the optimization of the pharmacological action of a drug along with the reduction of its toxic side effects in vivo. One response is the use of drug carriers that can provide site specific or targeted drug delivery combined with optimal drug release profiles. Nanoparticulate systems (NPS) as a drug delivery system is an emerging field in medical sciences since they are believed to target the delivery of the drug in cells reduce dose and thus reduce side effects and dose related toxicities.The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) uptake of nanoparticulate systems is nowadays well accepted phenomenon. Uptake of Nanoparticulates from the gut can provide an additional drug administration route with its own pharmacokinetic parameters and specific drug-carrying ability. The drug is transported into the GIT by carriers whose physicochemical characteristics must be taken into account, although the physico-chemical and pharmacological characteristics of the drug remain intact. In this article we concentrate particularly on the translocation of NPS via the lymphatic system, and their use.

Potential antibacterial activity of crude extracts and silver nanoparticles synthesized from Sargassum wightii.

The present work investigates the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) synthesized by biological method using Sargassum wightii. The fresh live seaweed was collected from the Mandapam coast of Tamilnadu, India. Solvent extract was prepared using acetone, petroleum ether and methanol. Aqueous extract of the seaweed was also used for the synthesis of silver Ag-NPs. Seaweed extract is used as a reducing agent of 2mM silver nitrate solution for the synthesis of Ag-NPs. Periodical monitoring of reaction mixture was done using UV-vis spectroscopy at 300-750 nm. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the sample confirms the presence of Ag-NPs. The antibacterial activity of solvent extract was done by Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay. The methanol extract of the seaweed at a concentration of 250μg/ml exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against the test microorganism. The zone of inhibition ranging from 8-14 mm was observed with different extracts. The antibacterial activity of the synthesized Ag-NPs against the organism was also done by MIC test. The MIC of Ag-NPs was found to be 130μg/ml for all pathogenic microorganisms selected for the study. The zone of inhibition against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus anhtracis, Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio alginoyticus were found to be 10, 8, 10 and 9 mm, respectively. The synthesized Ag-NPs exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against the selected microorganisms than the solvent extract of seaweed.

Effects of selected metal oxide nanoparticles on multiple biomarkers in Carassius auratus / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the biological effects of nanoscale copper oxide (nCuO), zinc oxide (nZnO), cerium dioxide (nCeO2) and their mixtures on Carassius auratus.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Juvenile fish (Carassius auratus) were exposed to aqueous suspensions of nCuO, nZnO, and nCeO2 (alone and in mixtures) at concentrations of 20, 40, 80, 160, and 320 mg/L. The biomarkers-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in brain, sodium/potassium-activated ATPase (Na+/K+-ATPase) in gill, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in liver-were determined after 4 days of exposure. Integrated biomarker response (IBR) was calculated by combining multiple biomarkers into a single value.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>AChE and SOD activities were significantly inhibited by all test metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) at high concentrations (⋝160 mg/L) with the exception of nCeO2. Na+/K+-ATPase induction exhibited bell-shaped concentration-response curves. CAT activity was significantly inhibited at concentrations equal to or higher than 160 mg/L. The order of IBR values was nCeO2 ≈ nZnO/nCeO2 ≈ nCuO/nCeO2 < nCuO/nZnO/nCeO2 < nZnO < nCuO < nCuO/nZnO. The joint effect seemed to be synergistic for nCuO/nZnO mixtures, additive for the ternary mixture and less than additive or antagonistic for the binary mixtures containing nCeO2.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Concentration-dependent changes of enzymatic activities (AChE, Na+/K+-ATPase, SOD, and CAT) were observed in fish exposed to nanoscale metal oxides. IBR analysis allowed good discrimination between the different exposures and might be a useful tool for the quantification of integrated negative effects induced by NPs toward fish.</p>

Transport mechanism of lactosyl-norcantharitin and lactosyl-norcantharitin nanoparticles across Caco-2 monolayer model / 中草药

Objective: To study the mechanisms of absorption and transport of lactosyl-norcantharitin (Lac-NCTD) and lactosyl-norcantharitin nanoparticles (Lac-NCTD-NPs) in intestinal membranes. Methods: The Caco-2 cell monolayer model was used to study the transport mechanism of Lac-NCTD and Lac-NCTD-NPs across the membranes. The relative factors for enhancing the absorption of drug carriers, including time, temperature, pH value, drug concentration, enhancers, and inhibitors, were also investigated. The differences between Lac-NCTD and Lac-NCTD-NPs in transport of membranes were explored. Results: Lac-NCTD was not only absorbed simply by active transport but also through paracellular transference as the minor. The Lac-NCTD uptake was not controlled by pH value, but positively correlated to uptake time and negatively correlated to temperature and it was also significantly enhanced by the inhibitor of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2). Apparent permeability coefficients (Papp) of basolateral (BL) to apical (AP) was higher than that of AP to BL. Sodium deoxycholate (SDCh) slightly enhanced the drug absorption but oxophenylarsine had no effect. Conclusion: The uptake and absorption of Lac-NCTD are active transport as the dominant process. P-gp and MRP2 have strong efflux effects on the uptake and transepithelial transport of Lac-NCTD. Lac-NCTD-NPs could significantly enhance the drug absorption compared with Lac-NCTD.