RESUMO
We report on the preparation and characterization of fluorine-doped hydrophilic carbon nanoparticles by the exposure of hexafluorobenzene or a water/hexafluorobenzene bilayer solution to femtosecond laser pulses. Uniform atom distributions are achieved not only on the particle surface but also inside the particles. The semi-ionic character of C-F bonds and the non-aggregating feature of the nanoparticles play key roles in the water-dispersible character of fluorine-doped carbon nanoparticles. We suggest the following building-up process of carbon nanoparticles: the fragmentation of hexafluorobenzene initiated by the electrons generated in laser-induced plasma followed by the reconstruction of a carbon framework of nanoparticles.
RESUMO
gp130 is a common signal-transducing receptor subunit for the interleukin (IL)-6 cytokine family. Studies in genetically engineered animal models have demonstrated a critical role for the gp130-dependent cardiomyocyte survival pathway in the transition to heart failure. In the present study, we examined plasma levels of the IL-6 family of cytokines and the soluble form of their receptors in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Circulating levels of the IL-6 family of cytokines, soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), and soluble gp130 (sgp130) were examined in 48 patients with various degrees of CHF, including dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM), and valvular cardiomyopathy (VCM). Circulating levels of IL-6, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and sgp130 significantly increased in association with the severity of CHF. No significant difference was observed in the circulating levels of sIL-6R and IL-11 among these patients. Interestingly, DCM patients showed higher circulating sgp130 levels than patients with ICM or VCM. Our findings suggest that gp130 expression in the heart is likely to be dynamic, and that the IL-6 family of cytokines and their common receptor gp130 participates in the pathogenesis of CHF, especially in DCM.
