[The efficacy of eltrombopag plus cyclosporine A in patients with transfusion-dependent non-severe aplastic anemia: a retrospective study from single center]

The main purpose of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of eltrombopag plus cyclosporine A (CsA) in transfusion-dependent non-severe aplastic anemia(TD-NSAA). The clinical characteristics of 13 TD-NSAA patients who received initial treatment of eltrombopag plus CsA from 2019 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The 3-month overall hematological response (OR) rate was 12/13. Until the end of follow-up, 12 patients responded, among whom 2 patients reached complete response (CR) and 9 patients reached partial response (PR) and 1 with HR. Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) developed in one patient at 6 months after treatment. Five of thirteen patients reported mild adverse reactions, which were all manageable. Compared with historical data, the combination of eltrombopag with CsA is an effective regimen in patients with TD-NSAA.

Size-dependent influence of NOx on the growth rates of organic aerosol particles

Atmospheric new-particle formation (NPF) affects climate by contributing to a large fraction of the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOMs) drive the early particle growth and therefore substantially influence the survival of newly formed particles to CCN. Nitrogen oxide (NOx) is known to suppress the NPF driven by HOMs, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unclear. Here, we examine the response of particle growth to the changes of HOM formation caused by NOx. We show that NOx suppresses particle growth in general, but the suppression is rather nonuniform and size dependent, which can be quantitatively explained by the shifted HOM volatility after adding NOx. By illustrating how NOx affects the early growth of new particles, a critical step of CCN formation, our results help provide a refined assessment of the potential climatic effects caused by the diverse changes of NOx level in forest regions around the globe.

GM1 ganglioside regulates the proteolysis of amyloid precursor protein

Plaques containing amyloid beta-peptides (Abeta) are a major feature in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and GM1 ganglioside is an important component of cellular plasma membranes and especially enriched in lipid raft. GM1-bound Abeta (GM1/Abeta), found in brains exhibiting early pathological changes of AD including diffuse plaques, has been suggested to be involved in the initiation of amyloid fibril formation in vivo by acting as a seed. However, the role of GM1 in amyloid beta-protein precursor (APP) processing is not yet defined. In this study, we report that exogenous GM1 ganglioside promotes Abeta biogenesis and decreases sAPPalpha secretion in SH-SY5Y and COS7 cells stably transfected with human APP695 cDNA without affecting full-length APP and the sAPPbeta levels. We also observe that GM1 increases extracellular levels of Abeta in primary cultures of mixed rat cortical neurons transiently transfected with human APP695 cDNA. These findings suggest a regulatory role for GM1 in APP processing pathways.

Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the particulate phase of cigarette smoke using a gas chromatographic-high-resolution mass spectrometric technique

A new procedure is developed for the extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the particulate phase of cigarette smoke. The procedure applies solid-phase extraction using a Bond Elut CH cartridge as a sample preparation step. The efficiency of the cleanup procedure is verified using a gas chromatographic (GC)-high-resolution mass spectrometric (MS) technique, proving that no interference occurs in the PAHs' determination. The efficient cleanup allows GC detection using either high- or low-resolution MS detection. Enhanced sensitivity is obtained using GC-MS and selected ion monitoring. This new technique has several advantages over other reported techniques. The method is simple and robust and has good repeatability and accuracy. The estimated detection limit is 0.1 ng/cigarette for benzo[a]pyrene. In addition to that, the recovery from the smoke pad in which the smoke is collected is approximately 97% for all PAHs. Results for the PAH analyses for 1R5F, 1R4F, and 1R3 Kentucky reference cigarettes are reported in this study. These results provide useful evidence for clarifying the controversy about previously reported data.