Influence of gut microecology in the development of malignant tumors and its potential therapeutic application: A review.

A microbial ecosystem is a complex community of multiple bacterial interactions. The potential role of gut microbiota in human health has already attracted the attention of many researchers. Dysregulation of the gut microbial community has been suggested to be closely associated with the progression of various chronic diseases. Malignant neoplasms represent a major global health burden and are now the leading cause of death. The formation of tumors is often thought to be influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Recent research advances have indicated that multiple malignancies may also be attributed to the gut microbiota. In this review, we highlight the complex interactions between gut microbes and their metabolites, as well as the potential impact of gut microecology on the occurrence and development of tumors. In addition, potential strategies for targeted therapy of tumors using gut microecology are discussed. In the near future, intestinal microecology is likely to be used for early screening of tumors and subsequent clinical treatment.

[Variational Trend and Characteristics of Air Pollution in Baoding City].

To understand the trends and characteristics of air pollution in Baoding in recent years, an analysis of air quality and air pollutant concentrations in Baoding from 2013 to 2018 was carried out. The results showed that: 1 from 2013 to 2018, the comprehensive index of Baoding dropped from 11.6 to 6.6, the days of severe pollution decreased from 114 days to 27 days, and cumulative concentration of pollutants during severe pollution decreased from 57.34% to 20.59%. This indicated that the air quality of Baoding city has improved year on year from 2013 to 2018. Not only has the number of heavy pollution days and the annual average concentration of pollutants decreased, but also the proportion of cumulative concentrations of pollutants during heavy pollution has decreased. the difference between the average concentration level of Baoding city and "2+26" Cities is getting smaller and smaller. ② Summer ρ(O3-8h) increased year on year. In 2017 and 2018, the heavy pollution days caused by O3 accounted for 17.0% and 14.8% of the heavy pollution days of the year, respectively, and the ozone pollution gradually became prominent; the characteristic value of NO2 in autumn was higher than that of SO2, CO, PM2.5, and PM10, indicating that the type of pollution in autumn was more motorized. The sources of pollution in winter changed from the partial combustion of coal in 2013-2014 to a mixed influence of partial combustion of coal and incomplete combustion in 2015-2018. ③ In 2016, 2017, and 2018, a high cumulative concentrations of PM2.5 during the high pollution season that accounted for 5.56%, 6.21%, and 2.58% declined as compared to that during the same period in 2015; this was the largest decline among the six pollutants; PM10 followed; The decreases of SO2 and NO2 were small, indicating that the emergency measures were better in cutting peaks of particulate matter than the gaseous pollutants during heavy pollution in Baoding. In a heavy pollution event during the high pollution season in 2018, partial-burning coal-type pollution increased as compared to that during the high pollution season in 2017, indicating that the coal combustion was still one of the pollution sources that Baoding city needed to control. In summary, Baoding should strengthen the management and control of motor vehicles in autumn, and gradually change from the original coal control measures to a combination of coal control and diesel control in winter; in the future, the focus of air pollution prevention and control should be strengthened toward O3 pollution.

[Preparation of novel gypenosides long-circulating liposomes consisted by sphingomyelin and beta-sitosterol modified by PEG].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of preparing novel gypenosides long-circulating liposomes with PEG grafted on beta-sitosterol (PEG-Sito). METHOD: Succinicanhydride was adopted to connect beta-sitosterol and PEG 2000. Sphingomyelin and PEG-Sito was used as material to prepare gypenosides long-circulating liposomes by using ethanol injection method. Encapsulation efficiency was determined by using protamine precipitation method. H-NMR was used to verify the synthesis of PEG-Sito, the novel gypenosides long-circulating liposomes were characterized by particle size, zeta potential and atomic force microscope. RESULT: The synthesis of PEG-Sito was verified by 1H-NMR. Encapsulation efficiency of long-circulating liposomes prepared by ethanol injection method was 74.3%, particle size was 288.1 nm, zeta potential was -20.25 mV, the morphology were round observed by AFM. CONCLUSION: The novel gypenosides long-circulating liposomes prepared with PEG-Sito was feasible, it had a high encapsulation efficiency and good morphology.

Interleukin-18 promoter polymorphisms and plasma levels are associated with increased risk of periodontitis: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence has showed that interleukin-18 (IL-8) promoter polymorphisms and plasma IL-18 levels may be associated with increased risk of periodontitis, but individually published results are inconclusive. The aim of this meta-analysis was to derive a more precise estimation of these associations. METHODS: A literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, SpringerLink, China BioMedicine and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was conducted on articles published before April 1st, 2013. Crude odds ratio (OR) or standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Nine case-control studies were included with a total of 576 periodontitis patients and 458 healthy controls. Two common polymorphisms (-607A > C and -137G>C) in the IL-18 gene were addressed. Our meta-analysis results indicated that the C variant of IL-18 -607A>C polymorphism was associated with increased periodontitis risk (C allele vs. A allele: OR = 1.86, 95 % CI: 1.30-2.65, P = 0.001; AC+CC vs. AA: OR = 2.64, 95 % CI: 1.34-5.21, P = 0.005). There was also a significant association between the C variant of IL-18 -137G>C polymorphism and an increased periodontitis risk (C allele vs. G allele: OR = 1.47, 95 % CI: 1.13-1.91, P = 0.004; GC+CC vs. GG: OR = 1.66, 95 % CI: 1.21-2.29, P = 0.002). Furthermore, the mean levels of plasma IL-18 of periodontitis patients were also higher than those of healthy controls (SMD = 1.18, 95 % CI: 0.51-1.85, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The current meta-analysis suggests that IL-18 promoter polymorphisms and plasma IL-18 levels are associated with increased risk of periodontitis. IL-18 promoter polymorphisms and elevated plasma IL-18 levels may be useful biomarkers for predicting the development of periodontitis.

[Preparation and liver targeting of floxuridinyl dibutyrate solid lipid nanoparticles].

This paper described the preparation and liver targeting traits of new solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) containing floxuridinyl dibutyrate (FUDRB) modified with beta-D-galactosides (G2). FUDRB-SLN and FUDRB-G2SLN were prepared by thin layer ultrasonic technique. Transmission electron microscopy micrograph analysis demonstrated that the particle sizes of FUDRB-SLN and FUDRB-G2SLN were (137.5 +/- 11.1) nm and (95.0 +/- 10.7) nm. Drug loading were 9.64% and 8.56%, and entrapment efficiency were 99.81% and 96.23%, respectively. The concentrations of floxuridine (FUDR) in serum and some organs (liver, kidney and lung) were determined by RP-HPLC after iv administration of SLN. FUDR release was confirmed, and a significant enrichment of SLN modified with G2 was observed in liver with G2 complex (targeting rates of SLN-G2 was 8.28 for liver) in comparison with FUDR-sol (targeting rate was 2.56). FUDR could be detected in liver in mice at 480 min after iv administration of FUDRB-G2SLN. These results suggested that incorporation of G2 (4%-5%, g/g) into SLN enhanced the liver targeting-ability of FUDRB. SLN containing G2 could be a useful drug carrier system for liver targeting.

[Physical and chemical characteristics of individual mineral particles in an urban fog episode].

Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray detector (SEM-EDX) were used to study the four aerosol samples collected in Beijing air during the fog and non-fog episodes in winter. Size-distribution of mineral particles in fog sample displayed two major peaks at the size range of 0.1-0.3 microm and 1-2.5 microm. EDX analyses indicated that the major chemical compositions varied greatly in the individual mineral particles of the fog and non-fog episodes, especially the sulfur. A total of 9 different mineral categories were classified, namely, "Si-rich", "Ca-rich", "S-rich", "Fe-rich", "Mg-rich", "Al-rich", "Ti-rich", "K-rich" and "Cl-rich". About 55% of the "Ca-rich" in the fog samples comprised of Ca (50% +/- 1.2%)and S (37% +/- 1.6%) and about 72% of the "S-rich" comprised of S (44% +/- 1.5%) and Ca (33% +/- 2%), illustrating that particles with abundant sulfur were also enriched with abundant calcium. It is suggested that the "Ca-rich" alkali minerals could alleviate acidity of the fog water in Beijing air. The S/Ca mean ratio of mineral particles in the fog sample was 6.11, being 8 times higher than the S/Ca mean ratio of the non-fog samples (0.73). This result showed that sulfuration on the surfaces of aerosol particles was extremely severe, and that the conversion efficiency from SO2 to sulfates was relatively high.