Prediction of CAF-related genes in immunotherapy and drug sensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma: a multi-database analysis.

This study aims to identify the cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF)-related genes that can affect immunotherapy and drug sensitivity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Expression data and survival data associated with HCC were obtained in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) analysis was performed to obtain CAF-related genes. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression was used for regression analysis and risk models. Subsequently, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) analysis, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) analysis, Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) analysis and drug sensitivity analysis were performed on the risk models. Survival analysis of CAF scores showed that the survival rate was lower in samples with high CAF scores than those with low scores. However, this difference was not significant, suggesting CAF may not directly influence the prognosis of HCC patients. Further screening of CAF-related genes yielded 33 CAF-related genes. Seven risk models constructed based on CDR2L, SPRED1, PFKP, ENG, KLF2, FSCN1 and VCAN, showed significant differences in immunotherapy and partial drug sensitivity in HCC. Seven CAF-related genes may have important roles in immunotherapy, drug sensitivity and prognostic survival in HCC patients.

Sijunzi Decoction Targets IL1B and TNF to Reduce Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) in Ulcerative Colitis: Evidence from Silicon Prediction and Experiment Validation.

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the mechanism of Sijunzi Decoction (SJZ) in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods: The study aimed to investigate the active components and targets of SJZ in the treatment of UC by screening databases such as TCMSP, GeneCards, OMIM, Distinct, TTD, and Drugbank. An online Venn tool, Cytoscape 3.7.2, and Autodock Tools were used to analyze the components and targets. The study also used a mouse model of UC to further investigate the effects of SJZ. HE staining, immunofluorescence, ELISA, qPCR, and Western blot were used to detect various indices. Results: Eighty-three active components and 112 action targets were identified from SJZ, including 67 targets for treating UC-related NETs. The five core targets identified were AKT1, JUN, IL1B, PTGS2, and TNF, and molecular docking studies indicated that the five targets were well-docked with ginsenoside Rh2, isoflavones, and formononetin. Animal experiments demonstrated that SJZ could alleviate various parameters such as weight, colon length, spleen index, disease activity index, and intestinal pathology of the UC mice. Immunofluorescence and Western blot showed that SJZ could reduce the expression of IL1B and TNF in intestinal neutrophils while increasing the expression of Occludin. Cellular immunofluorescence suggests that SJZ can reduce the expression of TNF and IL1B in NETs. The qPCR results also suggested that SJZ could inhibit TNF signal. Furthermore, ELISA results suggested that SJZ could inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6) while promoting the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10, IL-37, TGF-ß). Conclusion: SJZ treats UC by reducing the content of intestinal NETs, with primary targets on the NETs being IL1B and TNFand suppress TNF signal. The practical components of SJZ may be ginsenoside Rh2, isoflavones, and formononetin.

Inhibition of Q235 corrosion in sodium chloride solution by chitosan derivative and its synergistic effect with ZnO.

A novel chitosan Schiff base derivative (CVZ) doped with ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) was synthesized and investigated. The corrosion protection performance was evaluated via electrochemical measurements and surface analyses. Compared to the undoped derivative (CV), the results show that the corrosion inhibition efficiency of CVZ sharply increases from 67.7 % to 99.6 %. The surface mean roughness decreases from 1.2350 µm of the blank sample to 0.7004 µm with CVZ protection. Additionally, the inhibition mechanism of the inhibitor and the synergistic effect between CV and ZnONPs were discussed. The strategy of organic/inorganic hybrid and the synergistic effect can inspire the development of chitosan as a green corrosion inhibitor with low concentration and high efficiency.

Preparation and characterization of long-term antibacterial and pH-responsive Polylactic acid/Octenyl succinic anhydride-chitosan @ tea tree oil microcapsules.

Encapsulation technology can increase the stability and maintain the volatile active substances of plant essential oils. In the present study, tree essential oil (TTO) was encapsulated with polylactic acid (PLA) modified by octenyl succinic anhydride chitosan (OSA-CS) as shell materials to form long-term antibacterial and pH-responsive microcapsules. The PLA/OSA-CS@TTO microcapsules were characterized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and antibacterial performance testing. The results showed that the average particle size of microcapsules was 10 µm, and the encapsulation efficiency and drug loading efficiency of TTO reached 81.5 % and 60.3 %. After 4800 min of release in media at different pH (5 and 7) still sequestered 55.32 % and 56.74 % of TTO which approved the shell of microcapsules responded to different pH values. The microcapsules remained stable for 80 days after drying, and preserving 39.7 % of the core material. The morphology of PLA/OSA-CS@TTO microcapsules revealed that the PLA/OSA-CS@TTO microcapsules presented smooth and firm structure. Antibacterial test for staphylococcus aureus of those microcapsules implied that the bacteriostatic rate reached 100 % after 72 h. Bio-based macromolecular modification strategies can provide inspiration for the development of green microcapsules.