Intravitreal conbercept improves outcome of proliferative diabetic retinopathy through inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress.

Conbercept is a newly-developed anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drug. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of conbercept on inflammation and oxidative response in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Morphology changes in retinal microvasculature of PDR patients were determined by optical coherence tomographic angiography (OCTA). The mice were injected with streptozocin (STZ) for 20 weeks to induced PDR, then the changes in inflammatory factors, oxidative response and histological analysis were examined with Elisa assay, real time-PCR and commercial kits analysis. Conbercept treatment significantly alleviated the retinal pathological changes and significantly reduced intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1), IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α protein levels but not prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a) levels, all of which were remarkably elevated in aqueous fluid of PDR patients compared with non-PDR subjects. Meanwhile the inhibitory effects of conbercept on these inflammatory factors were proved by RT-PCR assays in mice experiments. And the inflammatory signal such as p-IKBα and p-p65 was correspondingly inhibited by conbercept in STZ-treated mice. Conbercept treatment significantly elevated the aqueous glutathione level of PDR patients and inhibited NOX-1, NOX-4 and ph22phox mRNA expressions and ROS production of PDR mice. Ki67 immunofluorescence staining showed that conbercept inhibited endothelial cell proliferation in retina of PDR mice. In conclusion, conbercept significantly inhibited the angiogenesis, inflammation and oxidative response in PDR mice, and these findings further reveals the molecular mechanisms of conbercept in treating PDR.

Traveling waves for SVIR epidemic model with nonlocal dispersal.

In this paper, we studied an SVIR epidemic model with nonlocal dispersal and delay, and we find that the existence of traveling wave is determined by the basic reproduction number ℜ0 and minimal wave speed c*. By applying Schauder's fixed point theorem and Lyapunov functional, the existence and boundary asymptotic behaviour of traveling wave solutions is investigated for ℜ0>1 and c>c*. The existence of traveling waves is obtained for ℜ0>1 and c=c* by employing a limiting argument. We also show that the nonexistence of traveling wave solutions by Laplace transform. Our results imply that (i) the diffusion and infection ability of infected individuals can accelerate the wave speed; (ii) the latent period and successful rate of vaccination can slow down the wave speed.

Global dynamics of an age-structured within-host viral infection model with cell-to-cell transmission and general humoral immunity response.

In this paper, an age-structured within-host viral infection model with cell-to-cell transmission and general humoral immune response is investigated. We give a rigorous mathematical analysis on some necessary technical materials, including the relative compactness and persistence of the solution semiflow, and existence of a global attractor. By subtle construction and estimates of a Lyapunov functional, we show that the global dynamics is determined by two sharp thresholds, namely, basic reproduction number $\Re_0$ and immune-response reproduction number $\Re_1$. When $\Re_0<1$, the virus-free steady state is globally asymptotically stable, which means that the viruses are cleared and immune-response is not active; when $\Re_1<1<\Re_0$, the immune-inactivated infection steady state exists and is globally asymptotically stable; and when $\Re_1>1$, which implies that $\Re_0>1$, the immune-activated infection steady state exists and is globally asymptotically stable. Numerical simulations are given to support our theoretical results.

Effects of Salt Loading on Plasma Osteoprotegerin Levels and Protective Role of Potassium Supplement in Normotensive Subjects.

BACKGROUND: Excess dietary salt is strongly correlated with cardiovascular disease, morbidity, and mortality. Conversely, potassium likely elicits favorable effects on cardiovascular disorders. In epidemiological studies, increased plasma osteoprotegerin (OPG) concentrations are associated with atherosclerosis and vascular deaths. Our study was designed to examine the effects of salt intake and potassium supplementation on plasma OPG levels in normotensive subjects.Methods and Results:The 18 normotensive subjects were selected from a rural community in China. They were sequentially maintained on low-salt diet for 7 days (3 g/day, NaCl), high-salt diet for 7 days (18 g/day), and high-salt diet with potassium supplementation for 7 days (18 g/day of NaCl+4.5 g/day of KCl). High-salt intake enhanced plasma OPG levels (252.7±13.9 vs. 293.4±16.1 pg/mL). This phenomenon was abolished through potassium supplementation (293.4±16.1 vs. 235.1±11.3 pg/mL). Further analyses revealed that the OPG concentration positively correlated with 24-h urinary sodium excretion (r=0.497, P<0.01). By contrast, OPG concentration negatively correlated with 24-h urinary potassium excretion (r=0.594, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Salt loading can enhance the production of circulating OPG. Potassium supplementation can reverse the effects of excessive OPG. Our study results may improve our understanding of the roles of salt and potassium in the risk of cardiovascular disorders.

[Effects of Ligustrazine on Serum S100ß Protein and Neuron-Specific Enolase in Elderly Patients Undergoing Orthopedics Operations].

OBJECTIVE: To observe effects of Ligustrazine on serum S100p protein and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in elderly patients undergoing orthopedics operations. METHODS: Totally 60 patients undergoing selective total hip replacement, 65-80 years old, who were in line with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade I or II, were randomly assigned to the Ligustrazine group (Group L) and the normal saline control group (Group S). The right internal jugular vein catheters were placedcephalad and ensured theirs tips in jugular venous bulbs after anesthesia induction and tracheal intubation. Patients in Group L received 2 mg/kg Ligustrazine Injection (40 drops within one minute) and those inGroup S received equal volume of normal saline via central veins before operations. Other medicines were the same for all patients during and after operation. Five millimeter blood sample was collected frominternal jugular venous bulbs before operation (T0), 24 h (T1), 72 h (T2), 168 h (7th day, T3) after operation. Serum was collected after centrifuge. S100ß protein and NSE concentration were analyzed usingELISA. Mini-mental state examinations (MMSE) were scored by the same doctor at T0, T1, T2, and T3,respectively. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in MMSE scores, serum S1000 protein, or NSE at TO (P > 0.05). Compared with TO, S100 P protein and NSE concentration increased and MMSE scores decreased at T1, T2, and T3 in the two groups. All indices except S100P protein and NSE at T3 were statistically different between Group L and Group S (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Serum S100P protein and NSE could be changed by pre-operation injecting Ligustrazine at certain dose in elderly patients undergoing orthopedics operations.

A Tetraperylene Diimides Based 3D Nonfullerene Acceptor for Efficient Organic Photovoltaics.

A nonfullerene acceptor based on a 3D tetraperylene diimide is developed for bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics. The disruption of perylene diimide planarity with a 3D framework suppresses the self-aggregation of perylene diimide and inhibits excimer formation. From planar monoperylene diimide to 3D tetraperylene diimide, a significant improvement of power conversion efficiency from 0.63% to 3.54% can be achieved.

[Spectral characteristics of white organic light-emitting devices based on phosphorescent system of three iridium chelates].

A white organic light-emitting device (WOLED) with a yellow phosphorescence material, bis[2-(4-tertbutylphenyl) benzothiazolato-N,C2 '] iridium (acetylacetonate) [(t-bt)2Ir(acac)], and two blue phosphorescence materials, iridium(Ill) bis (4', 6'-difluorophenylpyridinato) tetrakis(1-pyrazolyl) borate (FIr6) and bis[(4, 6-difluorophenyl)-pyridinato-N, C2 '] (picolinate) iridium (III) (FIrpic), were fabricated. Stable white emission was realized by using undoped ultrathin yellow emissive layer (EML), two doped blue EMLs together with the proper thickness of an interlayer confining the exciton. The WOLED performed pure white light emission with the Commissions Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.29+/-0.01, 0.34+/-0.01) from 6 to 14 V. Moreover, electroluminescence (EL) characteristics of the devices were also studied to verify the emissive mechanism from a phosphorescent system consisting of three iridium chelates. Also, the results showed that the triple-phosphor-element EMLs WOLED had lower efficiency roll-off owing to the stable recombination zone.

Effects of feeding salt-tolerant forage cultivated in saline-alkaline land on rumen fermentation, feed digestibility and nitrogen balance in lamb.

BACKGROUND: Mixing salt-tolerant plants with other plants may affect rumen fermentation, which could result in an increase of feed conversion rate. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of partially or entirely replacing the corn stover with a mixture of salt-tolerant forage (Dahurian wildrye grass, weeping alkaligrass and erect milkvetch) in the diet of lambs on ruminal fermentation, feed digestibility and nitrogen (N) balance. Ratios of corn stover to the mixture of salt-tolerant forages in the four experimental diets were 100:0, 67:33, 33:67 and 0:100, respectively, for control, low (LF), medium (MF) and high (HF). RESULTS: Ruminal pH was lower (P = 0.048) with LF and MF than with control and HF diets. Total VFA concentration was consistently higher (P = 0.039) for LF and MF than for control and HF with increasing amount of salt-tolerant forage. Ratio of acetate to propionate was linearly (P = 0.019) decreased due to the decrease in acetate production. Digestibilities of OM, NDF and CP in the whole tract linearly (P < 0.002) decreased with increasing amount of salt-tolerant forage. Similarly, retained N and ratio of retained N to digestible N also linearly (P < 0.005) decreased. CONCLUSION: Feeding salt-tolerant forage cultivated in saline-alkaline land improved rumen fermentation with increased total VFA production, and changed the rumen fermentation pattern to increased butyrate production. However, the decreased feed digestibility in the whole digestive tract of lamb may reduce nutrient availability to animals and thus adversely affect animal productivity. Additionally, feeding salt-tolerant forages may require more protein supplement to meet animal requirements, because of the low protein content and low protein digestibility of the salt-tolerant forages.