Differential interference of copper with endophytic bacterial inoculation: Atrazine decontamination in Acorus tatarinowii and culture solution.

To clarify the interference effects of inorganic ions, Acorus tatarinowii and endophytic bacterium Herbaspirillum huttiense (Hh) were combined to decontaminate atrazine pollution under different copper levels. This study verified inoculation effects and revealed the complicated processes of atrazine transformation in solutions. 35.9% leaf biomass was promoted by Hh inoculation, and the value was lowered to 7.87% by high doses of copper. The changing trend of leaf N, K, and S contents, and tiller numbers were consistent with that of leaf biomass. Hh injection improved atrazine accumulation by 43.5% in roots, and under copper interference, this value lowered to 10.6%. Hh promoted atrazine deethylation in plants, which was copper-dose dependent in different plant organs. In solutions, atrazine was conjugated with small-molecule secretions at m/z 118, detoxicated into 2-hxydroatrazine and 2-hydroxy-4-acetamido-atrazine, then the triazine ring opened. Copper interference had a more significant impact on residual atrazine conversion products than Hh inoculation treatments. Hh treatment promoted the ring-opening degradation of atrazine in water. The addition of high doses of copper ions promoted the oxidative process of atrazine while inhibiting its ring-opening transformation process in water.

NaCl-mediated strategies for the trade-off between Cd bioconcentration and translocation in Solanum nigrum L.

Salt interference significantly affects the behavior of heavy metals in the environment. This study compared and analyzed the response process, migration, and transformation of cadmium (Cd) in the hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum (S. nigrum) under different NaCl levels to reveal the interference mechanisms of salt in plant remediation of Cd-contaminated soil. The results showed that Cd and salt stress significantly inhibited the growth of plants. The stress effect had more potent growth inhibition at the root than aboveground, thus inducing changes in the spatial configuration of the plants (decreased root-to-aboveground biomass ratio). Salt could activate Cd in plants, enhancing the inhibitory effect on plant growth. Salt increased Cd bioavailability due to the rhizosphere acidification effect, increasing plants' Cd accumulation. The Cd bioconcentration factor in plant roots peaked during the high Cd-high salt treatment (117.10), but the Cd accumulation of plants peaked during the high Cd-low salt treatment (233.04 µg plant-1). Salt additions and increased Cd concentrations enhanced root compartmentalization, inhibiting Cd transport to the aboveground. Changes in Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements confirmed that the functional groups in plants provided binding sites for Cd. These findings can help guide the phytoremediation of Cd contamination under saline soil conditions.

How does phosphorus influence Cd tolerance strategy in arbuscular mycorrhizal - Phragmites australis symbiotic system?

To clarify how phosphorus (P) influences arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) interactions with host plants, we measured the effects of variation in environmental P levels and AMF colonization on photosynthesis, element absorption, ultrastructure, antioxidant capacity, and transcription mechanisms in Phragmites australis (P. australis) under cadmium (Cd) stress. AMF maintained photosynthetic stability, element balance, subcellular integrity and enhanced antioxidant capacity by upregulating antioxidant gene expression. Specifically, AMF overcame Cd-induced stomatal limitation, and mycorrhizal dependence peaked in the high Cd-moderate P treatment (156.08%). Antioxidants and compatible solutes responded to P-level changes: the primary driving forces of removing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and maintaining osmotic balance were superoxide dismutase, catalase, and sugars at limited P levels and total polyphenol, flavonoid, peroxidase, and proline at abundant P levels, we refer to this phenomenon as "functional link." AMF and phosphorus enhanced Cd tolerance in P. australis, but the regulation of AMF was P-dependent. Phosphorus prevented increases in total glutathione content and AMF-induced GSH/GSSG ratio (reduced to oxidized glutathione ratio) by inhibiting the expression of assimilatory sulfate reduction and glutathione reductase genes. The AMF-induced flavonoid synthesis pathway was regulated by P, and AMF activated Cd-tolerance mechanisms by inducing P-dependent signaling.

Oral mucosal graft ureteroplasty versus ileal ureteric replacement: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To describe outcomes of oral mucosal graft ureteroplasty (OMGU) and ileal ureter replacement (IUR) and determine the relative merits of both procedures. METHODS: Databases (including PubMed, Embase and Cochrane) were interrogated for eligible trials that assessed outcomes of OMGU or IUR from 2000 to 30 July 2022. The variables analysed were reconstruction success rates, stricture length, hospital stays, perioperative complications and long-term complications. RESULTS: A total of 23 single-arm studies were included. The pooled reconstruction success rates for OMGU and IUR were 94.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 91.0%-97.7%) and 85.8% (95% CI 81.0%-90.0%), respectively. Stricture length of patients in the OMGU and IUR groups were 3.73 (95% CI 3.17-4.28) and 11.55 (95% CI 9.82-13.29) cm, respectively. The maximal stricture length repaired by OMGU was 8 cm. The hospital stays were 5.85 (95% CI 3.88-7.82) and 11.55 (95% CI 6.93-16.17) days in the OMGU and IUR groups, respectively. The incidences of low-grade postoperative complications were 13.6% (95% CI 6.9%-20.3%) and 27.3% (95% CI 19.5%-35.1%), high-grade postoperative complications were 4.6% (95% CI 1.8I-8.5%) and 13.0% (95% CI 9.4%-17.1%), and long-term complications (occurred at > 3months) were 9.0% (95% CI 1.7%-20.0%) and 35.4% (95% CI 25.8%-45.6%) in the OMGU and IUR groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: An OMGU is an effective, minimally invasive, and safe alternative to IUR for the management of long ureteric strictures. OMGU was the preferred treatment for long ureteric strictures, especially obstructed ureter segments of ≤8 cm.

Process analysis of asymmetric interaction between copper and atrazine in a system of macrophytes.

To clarify the mutual influence and inner processes between heavy-metal and pesticide pollutants, single copper and atrazine as well as binary mixtures were spiked in a system of aquatic Acorus tatarinowi Schott. The results show that: the total copper amount in roots was 23.31 and 41.46 times as much as those in leaves in single and co-contaminated copper pollution. In the solution, the copper removal reached equilibrium in 3 days. Atrazine raised plant-mediated copper removal by 20.69 % by calculating mass balance, and the increase in pH value and organic matter and the decrease of nitrate in solutions were key factors driving it. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the pH increase was mainly caused by the decline of nitrate and increases in organic matter in the solution. Hydroxyl units on the surface of organic matter in solutions provided binding sites for Cu2+, which was demonstrated by CO and OH peak position alterations in Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer. In turn, the root contained 2.56 and 2.04 times as much as atrazine in leaves in single and co-contaminated atrazine treatments. In the solution, atrazine removal became stable after 7 days. Cu2+ inhibited the total accumulation of atrazine in plants by 12.5 %. Copper-induced biological phenol-like components in solution decreased the total atrazine accumulation in A. tatatinowii.

Effects of Ag nanoparticles on plant growth, Ag bioaccumulation, and antioxidant enzyme activities in Phragmites australis as influenced by an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus.

Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) are considered an emerging contaminant in recent years, and their harmful effects on plants pose new concerns, especially in coexistence with soil microorganisms. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), as mutualistic fungi with most terrestrial plants, may contribute to alleviating nanotoxicity in plants. Herein, AgNP toxicity of different concentrations (1, 5, 10, 50, 100 mg/kg) on reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steudel) as influenced by mycorrhizal inoculation with Funneliformis mosseae was investigated. The results revealed that concentration is the main factor influencing the AgNP phytotoxicity; AgNP dose had biphasic effects on AMF colonization, plant biomass, and antioxidant enzyme activities. Thereinto, different antioxidant enzymes had different tolerances to AgNP stress, and the turning point of their activities was respectively the following: POD-5 mg/kg < SOD-10 mg/kg < CAT-50 mg/kg. The growth configuration (root:shoot ratio) of Phragmites australis increased firstly and then decreased to cope with the increasing AgNP concentration. Additionally, the Ag accumulation and translocation of AgNP-exposed plants were relatively lower than that of equivalent Ag+-exposed plants. However, AMF inoculation improved plant antioxidant capability and biomass growth in response to AgNP-induced toxicity. Meanwhile, AMF effectively regulated the root:shoot ratio to accommodate AgNP stress. The linear model fittings and heat maps showed that the mycorrhizal plants exhibited a higher Ag accumulative rate and root partitioning (Ag organ distribution: root > stem > leaf) than the non-inoculated plants. Overall, our results demonstrated that AMF could diminish the negative effects induced by AgNPs and promote Ag immobilization in plant roots so as to alleviate AgNP-posed environmental risks.

The mechanism of arbuscular mycorrhizal enhancing cadmium uptake in Phragmites australis depends on the phosphorus concentration.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is a vital strategy to enhance the phytoremediation of cadmium (Cd) pollution. However, the function of AMF was influenced by phosphorus (P) concentration. To reveal the effect of AMF on the Cd accumulation of host plants under different P concentrations and how the AMF and P interact, this study comparatively analyzed the regulatory effects of AMF on the Cd response, extraction, and transportation processes of Phragmites australis (P. australis) under different P levels, and explored its physiological, biochemical and molecular biological mechanisms. The study showed that AMF could induce different growth allocation strategies in response to Cd stress. Moreover, AMF promoted plant Cd tolerance and detoxification by enhancing P uptake, Cd passivation, Cd retention in the cell wall, and functional group modulation. Under P starvation treatments, AMF promoted Cd uptake by inducing Cd to enter the iron pathway, increased the transport coefficient by 493.39%, and retained Cd in stems. However, these effects disappeared following the addition of P. Additionally, AMF up-regulated the expression of ZIP, ZIP, and NRAMP genes to promote cadmium uptake at low, medium, and high phosphorus levels, respectively. Thus, the Cd response mechanism of the AMF-P. australis symbiotic system was P dose-dependent.

Dual-source powered nanomotor with integrated functions for cancer photo-theranostics.

While the miniaturization and motility of artificial nanomotors made them popular tools for exploring novel and innovative biomedical cancer treatment strategies, the integration of multiple functions on the small motor bodies is key to achieve further progress but remains unresolved. Here, we propose a dual-source powered Janus nanomotor whose composition integrates multiple photo-theranostic functions such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing, fluorescence imaging/photoacoustic imaging (PAI), photodynamic therapy (PDT), and photothermal therapy (PTT). This nanomotor can be fabricated by sputtering a thin gold layer onto one side of mesoporous silica (mSiO2) combined with surface modification by photo-sensitizer, Raman reporter, and catalase. Upon illumination with 808 nm near-infrared light, the half-coated gold nanoshell serves as PAI/PTT agent, and by upconverting NIR to visible light, the pre-loaded photosensitizer can be excited by the upconverted light of UCNPs to convert the dissolved oxygen (O2) into reactive oxygen species for efficient PDT. Furthermore, ratiometric SERS signal can be captured to quantitatively detect the tumor marker, H2O2, in cellular microenvironments. The immobilized catalase as a nano-engine can catalyze endogenous H2O2 to O2. This function not only improves the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and therefore enhances PDT efficiency, but also provides a thrust force for deep penetration. As a proof of concept for the in vivo trial we performed cancer photo-theranostics where our nanomotors successfully treated a mouse breast tumor in a subcutaneous tumor model. The results are promising and encourage the use of an integrated nanomotor platform that could be further developed into a photo-theranostic agent for superficial cancer treatment.

Recent advances in responses of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi - Plant symbiosis to engineered nanoparticles.

The application of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) is increasing in all walks of life, inevitably resulting in a high risk of ENMs entering the natural environment. Recent studies have demonstrated that phytoaccumulation of ENMs in the environment may be detrimental to plants to varying degrees. However, plants primarily assimilate ENMs through the roots, which are inevitably affected by rhizomicroorganisms. In this review, we focus on a group of common rhizomicroorganisms-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). These fungi contribute to ENMs immobilization and inhibition of phytoaccumulation, improvement of host plant growth and activation of systematic protection in response to excess ENMs stress. In present review, we summarize the biological responses of plants to ENMs and the modulatory mechanisms of AMF on the immobilization of ENMs in substrate-plant interfaces, and indirectly regulatory mechanisms of AMF on the deleterious effects of ENMs on host plants. In addition, the information of feedback of ENMs on mycorrhizal symbiosis and the prospects of future research on the fate and mechanism of phyto-toxicity of ENMs mediated by AMF in the environment are also addressed. In view of above, synergistic reaction of plants and AMF may prove to be a cost-effective and eco-friendly technology to bio-control potential ENMs contamination on a sustainable basis.

[Symbiosis between hyperaccumulators and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their synergistic effect on the absorption and accumulation of heavy metals: a review].

The remediation of heavy-metal (HM) contaminated soil using hyperaccumulators is one of the important solutions to address the inorganic contamination widely occurred worldwide. Hyperaccumulators are able to hyperaccumulate HMs, but their planting, growth, and extraction capacities are greatly affected by HM stress. The application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) enhances the function of hyperaccumulators by combining the functional advantages of both, improving the efficiency of remediation, shortening the remediation cycle, and maintaining the stability and persistence of the remediation. Thus, the combined use of AMF with hyperaccumulators has broad prospects for application in the management of increasingly complex and severe HM pollution. This review starts by defining the concept of hyperaccumulators, followed by describing the typical hyperaccumulators that were firstly reported in China as well as those known to form symbioses with AMF. This review provides a systematic and in-depth discussion of the effects of AMF on the growth of hyperaccumulators, as well as the absorption and accumulation of HMs, the effects and mechanism on the hyperaccumulator plus AMF symbiosis to absorb and accumulate HMs. AMF enhances the function of hyperaccumulators on the absorption and accumulation of HMs by regulating the physicochemical and biological conditions in the plant rhizosphere, the situation of elements homeostasis, the physiological metabolism and gene expression. Moreover, the symbiotic systems established by hyperaccumulators plus AMF have the potential to combine their abilities to remediate HMs-contaminated habitat. Finally, challenges for the combined use of remediation technologies for hyperaccumulator plus AMF symbiosis and future directions were prospected.

Multi-level methods to quantify risk assessment, source apportionment and identifying key risk areas of soil toxic elements in Ashi River watershed, China.

With the advancement of small watershed governance in agricultural production process, soil toxic element pollution issue in watersheds constitutes a recent research hot spot. The Ashi River watershed is an agriculture-dominated small watershed which is exposed to toxic element sources, posing high risk of toxic element pollution to the planting areas. In this study, collection of soil samples was carried out along the periphery of the river network, and the soil physicochemical parameters and toxic elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) were analyzed. The results showed that: (1) The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and potential ecological risk index were used to evaluate the pollution degree, and the contents of As, Cd, and Zn in some sampling sites exceeded risk screening values. Moreover, soils closer to mining sources were found to be more polluted; (2) Redundancy analysis confirmed the contribution rate relationship between environmental factors and toxic elements. C/N ratio, total carbon (C), and total potassium (K) exhibited significant relationships with toxic elements (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), respectively. Moreover, geographic locations (longitude, latitude, and elevation) showed significant impacts on toxic element contents (except for Cu); (3) The apportionment of toxic element pollution sources by using principal component analysis showed that Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd were mainly related to mining activities, while As was closely related to insecticide and herbicide, and Cr was mainly related to soil parent material and electroplating factory; (4) Through the integrated resistance base surface and toxic element sources combined with minimum cumulative resistance model, the toxic element risk areas were identified. The middle reaches corresponded to the extremely high risk zone, which undeniably requires the strengthening of the environmental management.

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth and toxic element uptake of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud under zinc/cadmium stress.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in improving plant tolerance and accumulation of zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd). The growth, physiology and absorption of elements and transport in Phragmites australis (P. australis) were investigated under Zn and Cd stress to identify the transport mechanisms of toxic trace elements (TE) under the influence of AMF. Thus, AMF were observed to alleviate the toxic effects of Zn and Cd on P. australis by increasing plant biomass and through different regulatory patterns under different TE concentrations. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) increased under Zn stress, and the activities of SOD, catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and APX significantly increased under high concentrations of Cd. AMF differ in their strategies of regulating the transport of different metals under TE stress. Under Zn stress, the concentration of Zn in P. australis decreased by 10-57%, and the effect on Zn translocation factor (TFZn) was concentration-dependent. AMF increased the TFZn under low concentration stress, but decreased under high concentration stress. Under Cd stress, the concentration of Cd increased by as much as 17-40%, and the TFCd decreased. AMF were also found to change the interaction of Zn×Cd. In the absence of AMF, Cd exposure decreased the Zn concentrations in P. australis at Zn100 mg/L and Zn300 mg/L, while it increased the contents of Zn at Zn700 mg/L. The opposite trend was observed following treatment with AMF. However, regardless of the concentration of Cd, the addition of Zn decreased the concentration of Cd in both treatments in both the presence and absence of AMF. Under different TE stress conditions, the regulation of metal elements by AMF in host plants does not follow a single strategy but a trade-off between different trends of transportations. The findings of our study are important for applying AMF-P. australis systems in the phytoremediation of Zn-Cd co-contaminated ecosystems.

Earthworm and arbuscular mycorrhiza interactions: Strategies to motivate antioxidant responses and improve soil functionality.

Earthworms and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) act synergistically in the rhizosphere and may increase host plant tolerance to Cd. However, mechanisms by which earthworm-AMF-plant partnerships counteract Cd phytotoxicity are unknown. Thus, we evaluated individual and interactive effects of these soil organisms on photosynthesis, antioxidant capacity, and essential nutrient uptake by Solanum nigrum, as well as on soil quality following Cd exposure (0-120 mg kg-1). Decreases in biomass and photosynthetic activity, as well as nutrient imbalances were observed in Cd-stressed plants; however, the addition of AMF and earthworms reversed these effects. Cd exposure increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activities, whereas inoculation with Rhizophagus intraradices decreased those. Soil enzymatic activity decreased by 15-60% with increasing Cd concentrations. However, Cd-mediated toxicity was partially reversed by soil organisms. Earthworms and AMF ameliorated soil quality based on soil enzyme activity. At 120 mg kg-1 Cd, the urease, catalase, and acid phosphatase activities were 1.6-, 1.4-, and 1.2-fold higher, respectively, in soils co-incubated with earthworms and AMF than in uninoculated soil. Cd inhibited shoot Fe and Ca phytoaccumulation, whereas AMF and earthworms normalized the status of essential elements in plants. Cd detoxification by earthworm-AMF-S. nigrum symbiosis was manifested by increases in plant biomass accumulation (22-117%), chlorophyll content (17-63%), antioxidant levels (SOD 10-18%, POD 9-25%, total polyphenols 17-22%, flavonoids 15-29%, and glutathione 7-61%). It also ameliorated the photosynthetic capacity, and macro- and micronutrient statuses of plants; markedly reduced the levels of malondialdehyde (20-27%), superoxide anion (29-36%), and hydrogen peroxide (19-30%); and upregulated the transcription level of FeSOD. Thus, the combined action of earthworms and AMF feasibly enhances metal tolerance of hyperaccumulating plants and improves the quality of polluted soil.

Hydrophilic Ultralong Organic Nanophosphors.

Ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP), enabling of persistent luminescence after removal of external excitation light, shows great promise in biological applications such as bioimaging in virtue of antibackground fluorescence interference. Despite of good biocompatibility and outstanding phosphorescent properties, most current organic phosphors are hydrophobic with poor water solubility in the form of bulk crystal with large size, limiting their potential in the biological field. Here, a facile and versatile approach is provided to obtain nanoscale hydrophilic phosphorescent phosphors (HPPs) by physically loading ultralong organic phosphors into hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The as-prepared HPPs can be well suspended in aqueous solution and effectively internalized by HeLa cells with very low cytotoxicity. Such HPPs are successfully applied for afterglow bioimaging in living nude mice with a very high signal-to-noise ratio up to 31. The current study not only provides a universal strategy to realize UOP in aqueous media but also demonstrates their great potential for biomedical purposes as an advanced imaging indicator with long-lived emission lifetime.

Self-Propelled Micro/Nanomotors for On-Demand Biomedical Cargo Transportation.

Micro/nanomotors (MNMs) are miniaturized machines that can perform assigned tasks at the micro/nanoscale. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in the design, preparation, and applications of MNMs that are powered by converting different sources of energy into mechanical force, to realize active movement and fulfill on-demand tasks. MNMs can be navigated to desired locations with precise controllability based on different guidance mechanisms. A considerable research effort has gone into demonstrating that MNMs possess the potential of biomedical cargo loading, transportation, and targeted release to achieve therapeutic functions. Herein, the recent advances of self-propelled MNMs for on-demand biomedical cargo transportation, including their self-propulsion mechanisms, guidance strategies, as well as proof-of-concept studies for biological applications are presented. In addition, some of the major challenges and possible opportunities of MNMs are identified for future biomedical applications in the hope that it may inspire future research.

Integration of earthworms and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi into phytoremediation of cadmium-contaminated soil by Solanum nigrum L.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and earthworms independently enhance plant growth, heavy metal (HM) tolerance, and HM uptake, thus they are potential key factors in phytoremediation. However, few studies have investigated their interactions in HM phytoextraction by hyperaccumulators. This study highlights the independent and interactive effects of earthworms and AMF on Solanum nigrum. Plants inoculated with either AMF or earthworms exhibited ameliorated growth via enhancement of productivity, metal tolerance, and phosphorus (P) acquisition. Co-inoculation with both had more pronounced effects on plant biomass and P acquisition in shoots, but not in roots, and in Cd-polluted soils it significantly promoted (P < 0.05) shoot biomass (20.7-134.6 %) and P content (20.4-112.0 %). AMF and earthworms increased Cd accumulation in plant tissues, but only AMF affected Cd partitioning between shoots and roots. Although AMF decreased root-to-shoot translocation of Cd at high Cd levels, this was counterbalanced by earthworms. Both AMF and its combination with earthworms enhanced Cd phytoavailability by altering Cd chemical fractions and decreasing pH. Co-inoculation increased Cd removal amounts up to 149.3 % in 120 mg kg-1 Cd-spiked soils. Interactions between the two organisms were synergistic in Cd phytoextraction. Thus, earthworm-AMF-plant symbiosis potentially plays an essential role in phytoremediation of HM-polluted soils.

Enhancement of ultralow-intensity NIR light-triggered photodynamic therapy based on exo- and endogenous synergistic effects through combined glutathione-depletion chemotherapy.

Although photodynamic therapy (PDT), which uses a photosensitizer (PS) to generate toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon laser irradiation to kill cancer cells, has been widely applied, the relatively high laser intensity required causes photodamage to healthy neighboring cells and limits its success. Furthermore, glutathione (GSH, an antioxidant) is overexpressed in cancer cells, which can scavenge the generated ROS, thus lowering PDT efficacy. Herein, ultralow-intensity near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered PDT was developed and enhanced through combined GSH-depletion chemotherapy (Chemo) based on exo- and endogenous synergistic effects. Highly emissive upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) were prepared and coated with a solid silica shell, which was used to encapsulate the PS rose bengal and bond the drug camptothecin with a disulfide-bond linker. The combination of highly emissive UCNPs and a matchable PS with an optimized loading dosage enabled ROS to be generated for PDT even upon 808 nm laser irradiation with ultralow intensity (0.30 W cm-2). According to the American National Standard, this laser intensity is below the maximum permissible exposure of skin (MPE, 0.33 W cm-2). Once the prepared nanoparticles endocytosed and encountered intracellular GSH, the disulfide-bond linker was cleaved by GSH, leading to drug release and GSH depletion. PDT was therefore simultaneously enhanced through the exogenous synergic effect of Chemo (namely, the "1 + 1 > 2" therapeutic effect) and the endogenous synergic effect as a result of GSH depletion. It was proven both in vitro and in vivo that this novel dual-synergistic Chemo/PDT system exhibits remarkable therapeutic efficacy with minimal photodamage to healthy neighboring cells.

Disassembly of Hydrophobic Photosensitizer by Biodegradable Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 for Photodynamic Cancer Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT), an alternative to conventional cancer therapeutics, has gained increasing attention for its noninvasive advantage and simultaneous fluorescence imaging property. PDT is a tripartite process that functions in the simultaneous presence of a photosensitizer (PS), light, and available oxygen molecules. However, many highly efficient PSs are hydrophobic and highly tend to self-aggregate in aqueous solution, leading to quick quenching of the PDT effect. Here we construct zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) containing water-insoluble photosensitizer zinc(II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc), a typical hydrophobic PS, by one-step coprecipitation process, named as ZnPc@ZIF-8. The micropores of ZIF-8 act as molecular cages to separate and maintain hydrophobic ZnPc in the monomeric state and protect it against self-aggregation, which enables the encapsulated ZnPc to generate cytotoxic singlet oxygen (1O2) under light irradiation (650 nm) in aqueous condition. The formed nanosystem of ZnPc@ZIF-8 can be endocytosed by cancer cells and exhibits red fluorescent emission with excellent photodynamic activity for cancer treatment in vitro. In addition, ZnPc@ZIF-8 is acid-sensitive and would completely degrade after PDT, which can be monitored by the self-quenching of fluorescence emission of ZnPc. This work paves a facile way for resolving the problem of solubility and bioavailability of hydrophobic PS by utilizing metal-organic frameworks as nanocarriers.

[Diagnostic value of serum CEACAM1 in patients with pancreatic cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic value of serum CEACAM1 in patients with pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Fifty patients with pancreatic cancer and 50 with chronic pancreatitis were examine for serum levels of CEACAM1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The cut-off values and area under curve (AUC) of CEACAM1 was obtained by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The diagnostic efficiency of the tumor markers for pancreatic cancer was assessed by the fourfold table. RESULTS: The serum level and positivity rate of CEACAM1 in pancreatic cancer patients were higher than those in chronic pancreatitis patients (P<0.05). Based on the ROC curve, the cut-off values and AUC of CEACAM1 were 13.835 ng/ml and 0.780, respectively (P<0.05). In pancreatic cancer patients, the diagnostic sensitivities of the tumor markers decreased in the order of CEACAM1 < CA242 < CA19-9 (P<0.05), and the specificity in the order of CA242 < CA19-9 < CEACAM1 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: CEACAM1 shows a higher diagnostic sensitivity than CA19-9 and CA242 for pancreatic cancer, but due to its low specificity this marker alone is not sufficient for diagnostic purposes.