Dithiocarbazate-FeIII, -CoIII, -NiII, and -ZnII Complexes: Design, Synthesis, Structure, and Anticancer Evaluation.

Non-platinum-metal complexes show great potential as anticancer agents. Herein, a series of dithiocarbazate non-Pt-metal complexes, including [FeIII(L)2]·Cl·2H2O 1, [CoIII(L)2]·NO3·2.5H2O 2, [NiII(L)2] 3, and [ZnII(L)2] 4, have been designed and evaluated for their efficacy as antineoplastic agents. Among them, complex 2 exhibited higher anticancer efficacy than complexes 1, 3, 4, and cisplatin against several cancer cell lines. Hemolysis assays revealed that complex 2 showed comparable hemolysis with cisplatin. In vivo anticancer evaluations showed that complex 2 could retard tumor xenograft growth effectively with low systemic toxicity. Further studies revealed that complex 2 suppressed cancer cells by triggering multiple mechanisms involving the simultaneous inhibition of mitochondria and glycolytic bioenergetics. Overall, our study provides new insights into the anticancer mechanism of Co complexes, which can be used as a good strategy to overcome the flexibility of cancer cells to chemotherapy adaptation.

Effects of isolation conditions on structural and functional properties of the seed gum from Chinese quince (Chaenomeles sinensis).

Chinese quince seed gum (CQSG) extracted under water-, alkali- and acid- conditions at 25, 50, and 80 °C, were evaluated in terms of yield, monosaccharide composition, molecular distribution, thermal gravimetry, emulsifying stability, rheological properties, and free radical scavenging ability. The results showed that the yield of CQSG increased to 3.9% after water extraction at 80 °C. Alkali and acid treatments promoted the conversion of neutral sugars to the uronic acid branch. Regardless of the extraction temperature, the xylose chain was the main component (35%-40%); however, a reduction was observed as the extraction temperature increased to 80 °C. All CQSG solutions extracted under these isolation conditions exhibited non-Newtonian rheological behavior. Compared to water-extracted samples, the alkali-extracted samples showed the worst thermal stability, while the acid-treated samples showed the worst emulsifying stability. This study provides theoretical support for the potential application of CQSG polysaccharides in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

A retrospective study on the preventive effect of statin after carotid artery stenting.

ABSTRACT: This retrospective study appraised the preventive effect of statin after carotid artery stenting (CAS).Records were extracted for 100 patients with CAS surgery indicator, aged between 20 and 75 years old, and treated for statin. The cohort study included treatment group (statin and routine treatment) and control group (routine treatment), each group 50 patients. Outcomes consisted of degree of nerve defect (as measured by National Institute of Health Stroke Scale), lipid profiles (mg/dL), and CAS complications within 30 days after surgery.After treatment, there were no significant differences in National Institute of Health Stroke Scale, lipid profiles, and mortality rate between 2 groups. However, significant differences in total cholesterol (mg/dL, P = .03), low-density lipoprotein (mg/dL, P = .01), transient ischemic attack (P = .03), ischemic stroke (P = .04), and cardiac complications (P = .03) were identified within 30 days after CAS between 2 groups.The results of this study showed that prior statin treatment may be effective for the prevention of CAS complications.

Apatinib for treating advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after failed chemotherapy: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) originates from the secondary branch of the bile duct and the intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells, and is a rare pathological type of primary liver cancer. Recently, apatinib has been successfully used for a variety of malignancies. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 23-year-old female was noted with intermittent right upper abdominal distension, abdominal pain, and vomiting after eating for more than 1 month. The enhanced CT scan revealed multiple intrahepatic lesions, portal vein and right branch tumor emboli were present. DIAGNOSIS: Combined with the patient's medical history and pathology and immunohistochemistry, the diagnosis was confirmed as locally advanced unresectable ICC (cT4N1M1, Stage IVB). INTERVENTIONS: The disease progressed after six cycles of gemcitabine plus capecitabine chemotherapy. She received oral apatinib treatment since September 30, 2017. Due to related adverse reactions, the patient could not tolerate the treatment, and the subsequent reduction therapy was given. OUTCOMES: On April 11, 2018, the review of CT evaluation suggested that the disease was progressed. Hence, in this patient, apatinib as second-line treatment for advanced ICC showed a progression-free survival with 6 months. LESSONS: Apatinib as second-line treatment for advanced ICC is effective, and the adverse effects are tolerable. However, the efficacy and safety of apatinib in the treatment of ICC need to be further confirmed by large sample of prospective randomized controlled trials.

Physicochemical, Rheological and Sensory Properties of Different Brands of Sesame Pastes.

The chemical characteristics, rheological properties and sensory evaluation of nine different brands of the sesame pastes were investigated. The sesame pastes showed a significant difference for the crude fat, protein, crude fibre, total sugars, total ash, moisture content, and acid values (p < 0.05). The fat content ranged from 51.80% to 61.56%, and the protein content varied between 16.08% and 18.97%. All sesame paste samples are pseudoplastic materials. The flow indexes lied between 0.67 and 0.81 for the tested sesame pastes (p > 0.05). The consistency coefficient of the different sesame paste brands varied significantly (p < 0.05), ranging from 4.48 to 24.21 Pa・sn, indicating that the consistency coefficient is a more sensitive parameter for measuring the flow behaviour of foodstuff. The areas of the hysteresis loops of the white-sesame paste of "Haoweisi" brand and the black-sesame paste of "A Yimeng couple" brand were higher than the other sesame pastes, indicating that these two samples were difficult to be restored to their original structures and such restoration required a longer time. Both Storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G″) of the sesame pastes increased with increasing frequency, and G' values were greater than the G″ values, exhibiting the typical properties of the viscoelastic solid, the results may provide the valuable reference for choosing the sesame pastes as the spreadable butters or salad dressings, and for further processing.

Performance of a Heating Block System Designed for Studying the Heat Resistance of Bacteria in Foods.

Knowledge of bacteria's heat resistance is essential for developing effective thermal treatments. Choosing an appropriate test method is important to accurately determine bacteria's heat resistances. Although being a major factor to influence the thermo-tolerance of bacteria, the heating rate in samples cannot be controlled in water or oil bath methods due to main dependence on sample's thermal properties. A heating block system (HBS) was designed to regulate the heating rates in liquid, semi-solid and solid foods using a temperature controller. Distilled water, apple juice, mashed potato, almond powder and beef were selected to evaluate the HBS's performance by experiment and computer simulation. The results showed that the heating rates of 1, 5 and 10 °C/min with final set-point temperatures and holding times could be easily and precisely achieved in five selected food materials. A good agreement in sample central temperature profiles was obtained under various heating rates between experiment and simulation. The experimental and simulated results showed that the HBS could provide a sufficiently uniform heating environment in food samples. The effect of heating rate on bacterial thermal resistance was evaluated with the HBS. The system may hold potential applications for rapid and accurate assessments of bacteria's thermo-tolerances.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Teratoscincus roborowskii (Squamata: Gekkonidae).

The complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial genome of Teratoscincus roborowskii was sequenced here. It was determined to be 16,644 base pairs in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a control region. The 22 tRNA genes could be folded into the typical cloverleaf structure described for vertebrate mitochondrial tRNAs. The base composition of the heavy strand was 30.33% A, 30.35% C, 14.65% G and 24.67% T. The control region was located between the tRNA-Pro and tRNA-Phe genes and is 1248 bp in length and some tandem repeat sequences were found in it.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Papilio polytes (Lepidoptera Papilionidae).

The complete sequence mitochondrial genome of Papilio polytes was determined using long PCR and conserved primers walking approaches. The genome was 15,260 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and 1 control region (CR). The gene composition and order of P. polytes were similar to other lepidopteran species. All protein-coding genes begin with ATG and ATT as initiation codon except COI using CGA. 8 genes (ATP8, ATP6, ND3, ND5, ND4L, ND6, Cytb and ND1) ended with TAA and TAG stop codon, the remaining five genes had incomplete stop codon T. The overall base composition of the genome in descending order was 39.51% A, 11.86% C, 40.75% T and 7.88% G, with a A + T bias of 80.26%. CR is located between the 12S rRNA and tRNA-Met genes and is 439 bp in length, with an AT content of 83.37%.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Papilio bianor (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), and its phylogenetic position within Papilionidae.

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Papilio bianor was determined in the present paper. The complete mtDNA from P. bianor was 15,358 base pairs in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a control region. The P. bianor genes were in the same order and orientation as the completely sequenced mitogenomes of other lepidopteran species. To determine the phylogentic position of P. bianor with related species within Papilionidae, the Bayesian phylogenetic tree was reconstructed with the concatenated nucleotide dataset of the 13 protein-coding genes. The phylogenetic trees confirmed that P. bianor and four species of Papilionidae clustered into a clade, and shared a close relationship with Papilio maraho. Meanwhile, the molecular phylogenetic trees also confirmed that Papilionidae is a monophyletic group, and Pieridae is closely related with Lycaenidae and Nymphalidae.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Goniurosaurus luii (Squamata, Eublepharidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Goniurosaurus luii has been determined in the present paper. The genome was 16,519 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and 1 control region (CR). Its gene composition and order was similar to most other Squamate reptiles. The overall base composition of the genome in descending order was 34.11% A, 26. 01% C, 27.43% T, and 12.45% G, with a slight AT bias of 61.54%. CR was located between the tRNA-Pro and tRNA-Phe genes and was 1147 bp in length, some tandem repeat sequences and conserved elements (CSB2-3) were found in the control region.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Takydromus sexlineatus (Squamata, Lacertidae).

The complete sequence mitochondrial genome of Takydromus sexlineatus was determined using long PCR and conserved primers walking approaches. The genome was 18,943 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and 1 control region (CR). The gene composition and order of T. sexlineatus were similar to most other squamate reptiles. All protein-coding genes begin with ATG as initiation codon except COI using GTG. Seven genes (ATP8. ND4L. ND5. Cytb. ND1. COI and ND6) ended with TAA, TAG, AGGA and AGA stop codon, the remaining 6 genes had incomplete stop codons T/TA. The overall base composition of the genome in descending order was 31.48% A, 24.67% C, 30.79% T and 13.05% G, with a slight A + T bias of 62.27%. CR is located between the tRNA-Pro and tRNA-Phe genes and is 3562 bp in length, some tandem repeat sequences, conserved elements (CSB1-3) and termination associated sequences (TAS1-3) were found in the control region.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Spilornis cheela (Falconiformes, Accipitridae): comparison of S. cheela and Spizaetus alboniger.

Here, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of Spilornis cheela (Falconiformes, Accipitridae), which is considered as endemic raptor species and listed in the second category of National Key Protected Wild Animals in China. The genome is 18,291 bp in size. Its gene arrangement pattern was identical with that of Spizaetus alboniger. We compared the mitochondrial genome of S. cheela with that of S. alboniger. Nucleotide sequence similarity between the two whole mitochondrial genomes was 84.34%, and the relatively low similarity seems to indicate that the two species are distinctly separated on the species level. The information on the mitochondrial genome comparison of the two species is discussed in detail in this paper.

[NO may function in the downstream of Ca2+ in ethylene induced stomatal closure in Vicia faba L].

Through pharmacological combined with laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) and spectrophotography to study the role of Ca2+ and NO in signaling during Vicia faba L. stomatal movement response to ethylene (Eth). The results showed that treatment with ethephon (0.004%, 0.04%, 0.4%) resulted in a time- and dose-dependent stomatal closure under light. NO scavenger cPTIO, nitrate reductase inhibitor NaN3, or extracellular Ca2+ chelation EGTA reduced ethylene-induced stomatal closure. Moreover, ethylene was shown to enhance nitric oxide levels and, corresponding, nitrate reductase activity. Inhibition of the nitrate reductase diminished ethylene-induced NO production in both stomatal guard cell and leaf. Finally, ethylene-induced NO levels and nitrate reductase activity decreased when Ca2+ was compromised. On the basis of biochemical and pharmacological experimental results, we can conclude that Ca2+ and NO were involved in the signal transduction pathway of ethylene induced stomatal closure. Nitrate reductase-derived NO may represents a novel downstream component of Ca2+ signaling cascade during ethylene-induced stomatal movement in Vicia faba L.

[The role of nitric oxide in ethylene-induced stomatal closure in Vicia faba L].

The effects of nitric oxide (NO) and ethylene on Vicia faba L. stomatal movement were studied. The results showed that NO donor SNP (sodium nitroprusside) 10 micromol/L and ethylene 0.04% could induce stomatal closure distinctly and they could promote stomatal closure when treated together. When treated with AVG (an inhibitor of ethylene synthesis), c-PTIO (a specific scavenger of NO) and NaN(3) (an inhibitor of NR), the effects of NO- and ethylene-induced stomatal closure were inhibited but the inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) had little effect. We presumed that there was coordinative effect between NO and ethylene in regulation of stomatal closure; ethylene could induce stomatal closure by regulating the production of nitrate reductase (NR)-dependent NO.

Nonopsonic phagocytosis of Lactobacilli by mice Peyer's patches' macrophages.

The ingestion of lactobacilli is of great importance for the probiotic effect of host gut Peyer's patches (PPs) macrophages. The present study is in time focus on the investigation of the factors determining the ingestion of lactobacilli by PPs macrophages. Physicochemical properties of cell surface and adhesive property of nine Lactobacillus strains were examined in the present work. The association of the bacteria with PPs macrophage was checked with macrophage monolayers on coverslips. The influence of lactobacilli on macrophages phagocytic capacity was also investigated with a neutral red uptake assay in vitro. The results show that the macrophages could ingest lactobacilli in a strain dependent manner, and the most ingested strain is L. plantarum Lp6 compared to other tested strains, which displayed strain specific enhancement on the phagocytic activity of PPs macrophages. And there is no correlation between the physicochemical or adhesive properties of the cell surface and the ingestion. The association of L. plantarum Lp6 with PPs macrophage could be decreased by Protease K treatment. Surface proteins of L. plantarum Lp6 could promote the ingestion of fluorescent latex beads by PPs macrophages. In conclusion, the hydrophobicity of the cell surface might not be the key factor determining the association of lactobacilli with PPs macrophages. Cell surface proteins are the media for the binding L. plantarum Lp6 to macrophages.

Characterization of a cDNA coding for an extracellular calmodulin-binding protein from suspension-cultured cells of Angelica dahurica.

In order to characterize a specific extracellular 21-kDa calmodulin-binding protein (named: ECBP21) from Angelica dahurica L. suspension-cultured cells, the cDNA coding for the protein has been cloned. Here, Southern blot analysis shows that there are at least two copies of ECBP21 gene in Angelica genome. Using truncated versions of ECBP21 and synthetic peptide in CaM binding assays, we mapped the calmodulin-binding domain to a 16-amino acid stretch (residues 200-215) at the C-terminal region. The ECBP21 was localized in the cell wall area by the immunogold electron microscopy and by GFP labeling method. These results define ECBP21 as a kind of an extracellular calmodulin-binding protein (CaMBP). Furthermore, using Northern blot analysis, we examined the expression dynamics of ecbp21 during the incubation of Angelica suspension-cultured cells and the treatments with some growth regulators. The above studies further provide the molecular evidence for the existence of the gene coding for extracellular CaMBPs and imply a possible role for ECBP21.