Characterization of a spontaneous osteopetrosis model using RANKL-dysfunctional mice

Tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 11 (TNFSF11), or receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), is a crucial osteoclast-stimulating factor binding to RANK on osteoclast membranes. Mouse models are powerful tools for understanding the genetic mechanisms of related diseases. Here, we examined the utility of Tnfsf11 mutation in mice for understanding the mechanisms of bone remodeling and dysmorphology. The Tnfsf11gum mouse, discovered in 2011 at Jackson Laboratory, was used to study the genetic landscape associated with TNFSF11 inactivation in bone marrow tissues. Tnfsf11gum/+ and Tnfsf11+/+ mice were subjected to Micro-CT observation, ELISA analysis, histological evaluation, and massively-parallel mRNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis. Tnfsf11gum/+ mice exhibited severe osteopetrotic changes in the bone marrow cavity, along with significantly lower serum RANKL levels and a reduced number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive osteoclasts in the bone marrow compared to those in Tnfsf11+/+ mice. However, tooth eruption between Tnfsf11gum/+ and Tnfsf11+/+ mice did not differ. Furthermore, genes involved in osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, including Gli1, Slc35b2, Lrrc17, and Junb were differentially expressed. Heterozygous mutation of TNFSF11 was also associated with a slightly increased expression of genes involved in osteoclast proliferation and differentiation, including Tcirg1, Junb, Anxa2, and Atp6ap1. Overall, we demonstrate that single gene mutations in Tnfsf11 cause bone resorption instability without significantly altering the genes related to osteoblast and osteoclast activity in the bone marrow cavity, thus establishing an optimal resource as an experimental animal model for bone resorption in bone biology research.

Age-related patterns in high-risk alcohol and cannabis use and their associations with positive and negative affect in young adulthood

OBJECTIVE

We examined age-varying associations between young adult simultaneous alcohol and marijuana/cannabis use (SAM) and heavy episodic drinking (HED) and positive and negative affect to inform harm reduction efforts.

METHODS

Young adults reporting past-year alcohol use (n = 556; ages 19-25) were recruited in a state where alcohol and nonmedical cannabis use was legal for those 21 +. Participants provided 24 repeated monthly assessments. Among those reporting past-month cannabis use on at least one survey, logistic time-varying effect models estimated (1) the age-varying prevalence of and associations between past-month SAM and HED and (2) age-varying unique associations of affect with SAM and HED.

RESULTS

There was a positive age-varying association between HED and SAM over time that was highest at age 19 (OR = 7.56), decreased until age 20.7 (OR = 3.39), increased until age 23.0 (OR = 4.85), and decreased until the association became non-significant by age 25. Negative affect was positively associated with SAM from ages 20.7 to 23.0, peaking at age 21.8 (OR = 1.36). Positive affect was positively associated with HED from ages 19.4 to 20.4 (peak OR = 1.25) and ages 22.5 to 24.5 (peak OR = 1.38). In contrast, positive affect was not uniquely associated with SAM nor negative affect with HED across ages 19-25.

CONCLUSIONS

While HED and SAM were positively associated throughout young adulthood and interventions could target them in tandem, their associations with affect suggest differential etiologic processes. Preventive intervention and harm reduction efforts should attend to psychological context in which these behaviors occur.

Disease burden of bacteraemia with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales in Korea

BACKGROUND

Despite the significant impact of multi-drug-resistant bacteraemia, especially extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), the burden of disease has not been investigated thoroughly.

AIM

To evaluate the clinical outcomes and socio-economic burden of ESBL-E and CRE bacteraemia nationwide in the Republic of Korea.

METHODS

A search was undertaken for all cases of ESBL-E and CRE bacteraemia and matched controls in 10 hospitals in the Republic of Korea over 6 months. Patients with ESBL-E or CRE bacteraemia were classified as the R group, and matched controls with antibiotic-susceptible bacteraemia and without infection were classified as the S and N groups, respectively. Patients' clinical data were collected, and the economic burden was estimated based on medical expenses, loss of productivity and total costs.

FINDINGS

In total, 795 patients were identified, including 265 patients with ESBL-E or CRE bacteraemia and their matched controls. The mean total length of stay for patients with ESBL-E and CRE in the R group was 1.53 and 1.90 times that of patients in the S group, respectively. The 90-day mortality rates for ESBL-E in the R and S groups were 12.1% and 5.6%, respectively, and the corresponding figures for CRE were 28.6% and 12.0%. There were significant differences in the total costs between the R, S and N groups for both ESBL-E and CRE (ESBL-E: $11,151 vs $8712 vs $6063, P=0.004; CRE: $40,464 vs $8748 vs $7279, P=0.024).

CONCLUSION

The clinical and economic burden imposed by ESBL-E or CRE bacteraemia was extremely high. These findings suggest that efforts to control resistant bacteraemia are necessary to reduce this burden.

Impact of discontinuing isolation in a private room for patients infected or colonized with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) on the incidence of healthcare-associated VRE bacteraemia in a hospital with a predominantly shared-room setting

BACKGROUND

Isolating patients infected or colonized with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in a private room or cohort room to prevent hospital transmission is controversial.

AIM

To evaluate the effect of a relaxed isolation policy for VRE-infected or colonized patients on healthcare-associated (HA) VRE bacteraemia in an acute care hospital with a predominantly shared-room setting.

METHODS

The incidence of HA VRE bacteraemia was compared during a private isolation era (October 2014-September 2017), a cohort isolation era (October 2017-June 2020), and a no isolation era (July 2020-June 2022). Using Poisson regression modelling, an interrupted time-series analysis was conducted to analyse level changes and trends in incidences of HA VRE bacteraemia for each era.

FINDINGS

The proportion of VRE-infected or -colonized patients staying in shared rooms increased from 18.3% in the private isolation era to 82.6% in the no isolation era (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidences of HA VRE bacteraemia between the private isolation era and the cohort isolation era (relative risk: 1.01; 95% confidence interval: 0.52-1.98; P = 0.977) or between the cohort isolation era and the no isolation era (0.99; 0.77-1.26; P = 0.903). In addition, there was no significant slope increase in the incidence of HA VRE bacteraemia between any of the eras.

CONCLUSION

In a hospital with predominantly shared rooms, the relaxation of isolation policy did not result in increased HA VRE bacteraemia, when other infection control measures were maintained.

Chemo-photothermal therapeutic effect of chitosan-gelatin hydrogels containing methotrexate and melanin on a collagen-induced arthritis mouse model

Heat stimulation can promote osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Combining photothermal therapy and chemotherapy is an effective strategy for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Herein, we prepared chitosan/gelatin/β-glycerophosphate-melanin-methotrexate (CMM) hydrogel that could be used to perform simultaneous chemotherapy and photothermal therapy for patients with RA. The CMM solution was successfully converted to a gel state at body temperature. Due to intrinsic photothermal properties of melanin, CMM hydrogel exhibited effective temperature increase both in vitro and in vivo with increasing time of near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. After NIR laser irradiation, 50 % of methotrexate was rapidly released from the hydrogel within 3 h. Its release rate showed an instantaneous increase with additional NIR laser irradiation. After CMM hydrogel was injected directly into the paw joint of each collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mouse followed by irradiation with a NIR laser (808 nm, 0.5 W/cm², 3 min), swelling and redness at the inflamed area were significantly alleviated at 14 days after treatment. Micro-CT analysis confirmed that treated joints of mice were similar to normal joints. Hence, CMM hydrogel could be used as an attractive RA therapeutic agent for simultaneous chemo-photothermal therapy.

Alginate nanocapsules by water-in-oil emulsification and external gelation for drug delivery to fine dust stimulated keratinocytes

Methodologies for synthesizing drug-loaded alginate nanocapsules were optimized and indomethacin and phloroglucinol loading capacities were studied. Their biological effects were studied for ameliorating fine dust (FD) induced detrimental effects in keratinocytes. The 1 % alginate to oil phase ratio of 1:20 was the optimal parameter for water in oil emulsification. The oil phase was optimized to contain sunflower oil: span 80 ratios of 17:3. Nanocapsule drug encapsulation efficiencies were 36.91 ± 5.56 and 32.41 ± 4.05 % respectively for phloroglucinol (EG2P) and indomethacin (EG2I) while the loading capacities were 25.28 ± 3.36 and 23.15 ± 2.84 %. Dried nanocapsules indicated a 40-140 nm diameter range while their hydrodynamic diameter was 989.69 nm at pH 7.0. Nanocapsules swelling was pH-dependent and in releasing media of pH values 4.5, 7.4, and 8.5, the drug release indicated a complex mechanism of swelling, diffusion, and erosion while at pH 2.0 the drug release followed the non-Fickian release. EG2P and EG2I treatment dose-dependently lowered FD-induced intracellular ROS production, apoptosis and inflammatory responses mediated through the NF-κB pathway in FD stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes and reduced epidermal barrier degradation. Further research could investigate the use of this technique in formulating cosmeceuticals containing drug-loaded alginate nanocapsules for achieving controlled release.

Synthesis and drug release properties of melanin added functional allopurinol incorporated starch-based biomaterials

The main objective of this study was to prepare functional allopurinol (ALP) incorporated biomaterials using mungbean starch, polyvinyl alcohol, melanin (MEL), and plasticizers. Prepared biomaterials were characterized by FE-SEM and FT-IR analysis. Photothermal conversion efficiencies and ALP release properties of biomaterials were evaluated with NIR laser irradiation. When biomaterials were irradiated with the NIR laser, temperatures increase of MEL-added biomaterials were higher than those of MEL-non-added biomaterials. After NIR laser irradiation, ALP release rates of MEL-added biomaterials were 1.62 times faster than those of MEL-non-added biomaterials. In addition, ALP release using an artificial skin was increased by NIR laser irradiation. ALP release from biomaterials followed Fickian diffusion mechanism, while ALP release using an artificial skin followed a non-Fickian diffusion mechanism. Xanthine oxidase inhibitory (%) for MEL-added biomaterials with/without the addition of GL and XL were 47.5%, 61.7%, and 65.1%, respectively.

Biomedical Membrane of Fish Collagen/Gellan Gum Containing Bone Graft Materials

The development of a guided bone regeneration (GBR) membrane with non-mammalian fish collagen has the advantage of low risk for transmission of infectious diseases in tissue regeneration. In this work, a fish collagen/gellan gum and bone graft material (FC/GG-BGM) composite GBR membrane were fabricated through solution blending and casting procedures in a vacuum. The membranes were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy observation (SEM), and atomic force microscope (AFM) analyses. FT-IR results suggested that ionic interactions were formed between FC and GG both in composite powder and membranes. In vivo experiments showed that these FC/GG-BGM composite membranes could generate osteoblast minerals and promote loose bone calcification, thus accelerating bone regeneration. At 2 weeks, the defected site of rats treated with FC/GG-BGM membrane (0.377 ± 0.012 mm³) showed higher regeneration than that of rats treated with the bovine collagen membrane (0.290 ± 0.015 mm³) and control rats without membrane (0.160 ± 0.008 mm³). Compared with bovine collagen membrane, the FC/GG-BGM composite membrane displays better bone regeneration ability. Therefore, FC/GG-BGM composite membrane is suitable as a GBR membrane for bone regeneration.

Indole-3-carbinol inhibits the proliferation of colorectal carcinoma LoVo cells through activation of the apoptotic signaling pathway

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is a phytochemical that exhibits growth-inhibitory activity against various cancer cells. However, there are limited studies on the effects of I3C on colon cancer cells. In this study, the growth-inhibitory activity of I3C against the human colorectal carcinoma cell line (LoVo) was examined. The results of the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, colony formation, and cell counting assays revealed that I3C suppressed the proliferation of LoVo cells. Microscopy and wound-healing analyses revealed that I3C affected the morphology and inhibited the migration of LoVo cells, respectively. I3C induced apoptosis and DNA fragmentation as evidenced by the results of fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated annexin V staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling assay, respectively. Additionally, I3C arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase and enhanced the reactive oxygen species levels. Western blotting analysis revealed that treatment with I3C resulted in the activation of apoptotic proteins, such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, caspase-3, caspase-7, caspase-9, Bax, Bim, and p53 in LoVo cells. These results indicate that I3C induces apoptosis in LoVo cells by upregulating p53, leading to the activation of Bax and caspases. Taken together, I3C exerts cytotoxic effects on LoVo cells by activating apoptosis.

Induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by tomentosin in hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and Huh7 cells

Tomentosin, a sesquiterpene lactone, is known to possess various biological activities. However, its anticarcinogenic activity against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells has not been investigated in detail. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the cytotoxic mechanism of tomentosin in human HCC cell lines HepG2 and Huh7. WST-1, cell counting, and colony formation assay results showed that treatment with tomentosin decreased the viability and suppressed the proliferation rate of HepG2 and Huh7 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis revealed increased population of cells at the SubG1 and G2/M stage, and decreased population of cells at the G0/1 stage in HepG2 and Huh7 cells treated with tomentosin. Annexin V/propidium iodide double staining and TUNEL assay results showed increased apoptotic cell population and DNA fragmentation in HepG2 and Huh7 cells treated with tomentosin. Western blotting analysis results showed that tomentosin treatment significantly increased the expression level of Bax, Bim (short form), cleaved PARP1, FOXO3, p53, pSer15p53, pSer20p53, pSer46p53, p21, and p27, but decreased the expression of Bcl2, caspase3, caspase7, caspase9, cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), CDK4, CDK6, cyclinB1, cyclinD1, cyclinD2, cyclinD3, and cyclinE in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, this study revealed that tomentosin, which acted through cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, may be a useful therapeutic option against HCC.

Stacking Fault Energy Analyses of Additively Manufactured Stainless Steel 316L and CrCoNi Medium Entropy Alloy Using In Situ Neutron Diffraction

Stacking fault energies (SFE) were determined in additively manufactured (AM) stainless steel (SS 316 L) and equiatomic CrCoNi medium-entropy alloys. AM specimens were fabricated via directed energy deposition and tensile loaded at room temperature. In situ neutron diffraction was performed to obtain a number of faulting-embedded diffraction peaks simultaneously from a set of (hkl) grains during deformation. The peak profiles diffracted from imperfect crystal structures were analyzed to correlate stacking fault probabilities and mean-square lattice strains to the SFE. The result shows that averaged SFEs are 32.8 mJ/m2 for the AM SS 316 L and 15.1 mJ/m2 for the AM CrCoNi alloys. Meanwhile, during deformation, the SFE varies from 46 to 21 mJ/m2 (AM SS 316 L) and 24 to 11 mJ/m2 (AM CrCoNi) from initial to stabilized stages, respectively. The transient SFEs are attributed to the deformation activity changes from dislocation slip to twinning as straining. The twinning deformation substructure and atomic stacking faults were confirmed by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The significant variance of the SFE suggests the critical twinning stress as 830 ± 25 MPa for the AM SS 316 L and 790 ± 40 MPa for AM CrCoNi, respectively.

The impact of perceived stress on skin ageing

Skin ageing can be divided according to phenotypical features into intrinsic (by the passage of time) and extrinsic (with the addition of the effects of environmental factors). Photoageing is by far the most researched factor of extrinsic ageing but the additional impact of other factors such as cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution ought to be taken into account. One of the least researched topics in relation to extrinsic skin ageing is the impact of psychological stress. A contemporary review of response of human skin to stress describes the molecular mechanisms of extrinsic skin ageing, but has fallen short of explaining resilience to stress exhibited by people. Mechanisms to regulate gene expression, define cellular identity and promote functionality are responsible for the adaptive response to stressful events. Conversely, maladaptive response of human tissues to chronic stress appears to have an impact on gene regulation. Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in organisms due to modifications in gene activity and expression, as opposed to the genetic code (DNA genome). Chronic stress appears to be an important factor in determining an individual's vulnerability to ageing and age-related comorbidities via epigenetic modifications. Forerunners in epigenetic research recognized the necessity of a reliable biomarker in order to develop a better understanding of the role of epigenomics in ageing. Genomic DNA methylation patterns (DNAm) appear to be valuable in age prediction but variability in specificity exists across species of mammals, human races and tissues. Neuroscience research appears to be leading the way in epigenomics whilst the lack of a valid and reliable DNAm-associated age predictor compatible with human skin tissue hinders research endeavours for the epigenetics of skin ageing.

Cytoprotective effects of taxifolin against cadmium-induced apoptosis in human keratinocytes

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal widely used in industry, and the skin is an important target of this metal. Taxifolin (Tax), a natural source of bioflavonoids found in various conifers, exerts multiple biologic effects on skin cells. However, the mechanisms by which Tax protects keratinocytes against Cd are currently unclear. We investigated the cytoprotective effects of Tax against Cd-induced apoptosis in the human HaCaT keratinocyte. The water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay and Annexin V/propidium iodide double-staining assay results showed that Cd-induced cell death was lower in cells treated with Tax (0–100 μM) than in cells treated with Cd alone. Additionally, a reduction of Cd-induced DNA fragmentation by Tax was shown by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay. The levels of reactive oxygen species were also lower in Cd/Tax-treated cells than in Cd-treated cells. We employed a two-dimensional electrophoresis-based proteomic analysis to identify treatment-related alterations in protein expression. Tax downregulated cathepsin B and D and upregulated hsp27, cyclophilin A, and peroxiredowin-1. Western blotting confirmed the downregulation of cathepsin B and D and the upregulation of hsp27. The cytoprotective effects of Tax against Cd-induced apoptosis were also characterized by the changes in the activity of caspase 3, -7, poly ADP-ribose polymerase, the cellular proliferation-related ERK1/2, and AKT. Furthermore, the levels of cell cycle-related proteins, such as SP1 and p21, decreased, whereas p53 level increased. We concluded that Tax reduced Cd cytotoxicity and Cd-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the apoptotic pathway.

Natural melanin-loaded nanovesicles for near-infrared mediated tumor ablation by photothermal conversion

Photothermal therapy requires a biocompatible material to absorb near-infrared (NIR) light and generate sufficient heat. Herein, we suggest natural melanin-loaded nanovesicles (melasicles) as photothermal therapeutic agents (PTA) for NIR mediated cancer therapy in vivo. The mean size of these melasicles was 140 ± 15 nm. They showed excellent colloidal stability. After irradiation from 808 nm NIR laser at 1.5 W cm^-2, the melasicles showed good photothermal conversion efficiencies both in vitro and in vivo. In drug release study, laser irradiation increased fluidity of vesicle membrane due to photothermal generation from melanin. Initial drug release in the laser irradiation group was higher than that in the no laser irradiation group. After injecting the melasicles into tail veins of CT-26 bearing mice, tumors were suppressed or eliminated after irradiation at 1.5 W cm^-2 for 5 min once or twice. These results suggest that melasicles could be used as attractive PTA for cancer therapy and localized drug release.

Anticarcinogenic effect of indole-3-carbinol (I3C) on human hepatocellular carcinoma SNU449 cells

Many cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, contain indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which is a known anticarcinogen. However, the anticarcinogenic effects of I3C on liver cancer have not been investigated. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the anticarcinogenic effects of I3C in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) SNU449 cells. The results of MTT and WST-1 assays indicated that treatment of SNU449 cells with I3C decreased viability in dose- and time-dependent manners, while colony formation assays indicated that I3C also inhibited proliferation of SNU449 cells. Moreover, fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis showed that I3C induced apoptosis in SNU449 cells in dose- and time-dependent manners. Furthermore, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling revealed that I3C induced DNA fragmentation in SNU449 cells in a time-dependent manner, while Western blotting showed that apoptotic proteins such as p53, cleaved PARP, caspase-3, and caspase-7 were activated in SNU449 cells following treatment with I3C. Finally, reactive oxygen species-related protein peroxiredoxin-1 and thioredoxin-1 expression decreased in I3C-treated SNU449 cells. The aim of our study is to investigate the unknown mechanisms responsible for the apoptotic effects of I3C on human HCC SNU449 cells, and the results suggest that I3C may be useful for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer.

Frequency and risk factors of drug-induced liver injury during treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the risk factors for drug-induced liver injury (DILI) during the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and to compare the frequency of DILI in patients with and those without chronic liver disease (CLD).

SETTING

This was a retrospective observational cohort study including 299 consecutive patients who started MDR-TB treatment from January 2009 to December 2013.

DESIGN

Of the 299 patients, 35 had alcoholic liver disease (ALD group), 16 had hepatitis B virus infection (HBV group) and 11 had hepatitis C virus infection (HCV group). The remaining 237 patients without CLD were selected as the control group.

RESULTS

DILI occurred in 29 (9.7%) patients. The frequency of DILI was significantly higher in the ALD (17.1%, P = 0.038), HBV (31.3%, P = 0.005) and HCV groups (27.3%, P = 0.037) than in the control group (6.3%). Among all patients taken together, having HBV and HCV infection were independent risk factors for the occurrence of DILI during MDR-TB treatment.

CONCLUSION

DILI during MDR-TB treatment occurred more frequently in patients with CLD due to ALD, HBV and HCV infection than in those without CLD.

Association between Systolic Blood Pressure after Thrombolysis and Early Neurological Improvement in Ischaemic Stroke Patients

Introduction

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between systolic blood pressures (SBPs) within 12 hours after intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) treatment and early neurological outcomes.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study of acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) patients who received intravenous rtPA administration. SBPs at the time of rtPA bolus and thereafter every hour were collected. The mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation values of SBP during the periods of 0-2 h, 2-6 h, and 6-12 h were calculated. The primary outcome was major neurologic improvement (MNI) at 24 hours after thrombolysis.

Results

Serial measures of SBPs revealed different 12-hour courses between the patients with and without MNI. The difference of SBP tendency was statistically significant (p=0.013). In univariate analysis, patients with MNI showed lower levels of mean SBPs during the periods of 2-6 h and 6-12 h (p=0.030 and p=0.005, respectively), and higher frequency of very early neurologic improvement (VENI) at the end of rtPA infusion (p<0.001). In logistic regression analysis, VENI at 1 h, mean SBP value during 6-12 h, and atrial fibrillation were independently related to MNI at 24 h.

Conclusions

SBP level during the first 12 hours after intravenous rtPA treatment may be an important clinical factor that is associated with early neurological improvement of AIS patients.

A drug release system induced by near infrared laser using alginate microparticles containing melanin

The photothermal effect is used in a new drug release system to control drug delivery in a specific region. Melanin absorbs near-infrared (NIR) light with a high photothermal conversion efficiency, and as a result, an NIR laser can be used to induced drug release from alginate microparticles containing melanin (ALG-Mel microparticles). The temperature of the ALG-Mel microparticle solution at a concentration of 5mg/mL increased to 38.1°C from 26.0°C after irradiation with 808nm NIR at 1.5W/cm² for 5min, and this increase in temperature was found to be independent of the ALG-Mel microparticle concentration. After the NIR laser irradiation, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) was released from the ALG-Mel microparticles to 87.4±0.5% of the total loaded drug for 24h. Without NIR laser irradiation, 5-FU was released from the ALG-Mel microparticles to 60.8±1.5% of the total loaded drug for 24h. These results indicate that NIR laser irradiation can be used with ALG-Mel microparticles as a drug delivery system for release within a target region.

Phase I/II clinical trial to assess safety and efficacy of intratumoral and subcutaneous injection of HVJ-E in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients

Inactivated Sendai virus particles (hemagglutinating virus of Japan envelope (HVJ-E)) have a novel antitumor effect: HVJ-E fused to prostate cancer cells via cell surface receptor causes apoptosis of prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. HVJ-E also induces antitumor immunity by activating natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T cells and suppressing regulatory T cells in vivo. We conducted an open-label, single-arm, phase I/II clinical trial in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) to determine the safety and efficacy of intratumoral and subcutaneous injection of HVJ-E. Patients with CRPC who were docetaxel-resistant or could not receive docetaxel treatment were eligible. HVJ-E was injected directly into the prostate on day 1 and subcutaneously on days 5, 8 and 12 in two 28-day treatment cycles using a 3+3 dose-escalation design. The primary end points were to evaluate safety and tolerability of HVJ-E. The secondary end points were to analyze tumor immunity and antitumor effect. The study is registered at UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, number UMIN000006142. Seven patients were enrolled, and six patients received HVJ-E. Grade 2 or 3 adverse events (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Ver. 4.0) were urinary retention and lymphopenia from which the patients recovered spontaneously. No Grade 4 adverse events were observed. Radiographically, three patients had stable disease in the low-dose group, and one patient had stable disease and two had progressive disease in the high-dose group. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) declined from 14 to 1.9 ng ml^-1 in one patient in the low-dose group after two cycles of HVJ-E treatment, and the PSA response rate was 16.6%. NK cell activity was elevated from day 12 to day 28 after HVJ-E administration, whereas serum interleukin-6, interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-β and IFN-γ levels were not affected by HVJ-E treatment. Intratumoral and subcutaneous injections of HVJ-E are feasible and PSA response was observed in a subgroup of CRPC patients.

Thermohydrogel Containing Melanin for Photothermal Cancer Therapy

Melanin is an effective absorber of light and can extend to near infrared (NIR) regions. In this study, a natural melanin is presented as a photothermal therapeutic agent (PTA) because it provides a good photothermal conversion efficiency, shows biodegradability, and does not induce long-term toxicity during retention in vivo. Poloxamer solution containing melanin (Pol-Mel) does not show any precipitation and shows sol-gel transition at body temperature. After irradiation from 808 nm NIR laser at 1.5 W cm^-2 for 3 min, the photothermal conversion efficiency of Pol-Mel is enough to kill cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The tumor growth of mice bearing CT26 tumors treated with Pol-Mel injection and laser irradiation is suppressed completely without recurrence postirradiation. All these results indicate that Pol-Mel can become an attractive PTA for photothermal cancer therapy.

Selenium Nanoparticles Formed by Modulation of Carrageenan Enhance Osteogenic Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Fabrication of nano-sized selenium (Se) particles may help to expend the applications of Se. In this study, we focused on the preparation and characterization of Se nanoparticles (Se NPs) modulated with carrageenan (CA). Furthermore, their influence on osteoblast cell growth was investigated in vitro. Spherical Se-NPs, of 100-200 nm diameter, were prepared simply by adding κ-, ι-, and λ-CA, which has sulfate groups, hydroxyl groups, and carboxyl groups. CA-modulated Se NPs (CA-Se NPs) were readily suspended in liquid medium with no precipitation over long time periods. In particular, it was found through Alizarin Red S staining that the growth of osteoblast D1 cells treated with λ-CA-Se NPs was improved significantly. These results suggest that Se NPs can be prepared simply, using CA, have good suspension stability in liquid medium, and λ-CA-Se NPs may induce the growth of osteoblast cells.

The Alginate Layer for Improving Doxorubicin Release and Radiolabeling Stability of Chitosan Hydrogels

PURPOSE

Chitosan hydrogels (CSH) formed through ionic interaction with an anionic molecule are suitable as a drug carrier and a tissue engineering scaffold. However, the initial burst release of drugs from the CSH due to rapid swelling after immersing in a biofluid limits their wide application as a drug delivery carrier. In this study, alginate layering on the surface of the doxorubicin (Dox)-loaded and I-131-labeled CSH (DI-CSH) was performed. The effect of the alginate layering on drug release behavior and radiolabeling stability was investigated.

METHODS

Chitosan was chemically modified using a chelator for I-131 labeling. After labeling of I-131 and mixing of Dox, the chitosan solution was dropped into tripolyphosphate (TPP) solution using an electrospinning system to prepare spherical microhydrogels. The DI-CSH were immersed into alginate solution for 30 min to form the crosslinking layer on their surface. The formation of alginate layer on the DI-CSH was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and zeta potential analysis. In order to investigate the effect of alginate layer, studies of in vitro Dox release from the hydrogels were performed in phosphate buffered in saline (PBS, pH 7.4) at 37 °C for 12 days. The radiolabeling stability of the hydrogels was evaluated using ITLC under different experimental condition (human serum, normal saline, and PBS) at 37 °C for 12 days.

RESULTS

Formatting the alginate-crosslinked layer on the CSH surface did not change the spherical morphology and the mean diameter (150 ± 10 μm). FT-IR spectra and zeta potential values indicate that alginate layer was formed successfully on the surface of the DI-CSH. In in vitro Dox release studies, the total percentage of the released Dox from the DI-CSH for 12 days were 60.9 ± 0.8, 67.3 ± 1.4, and 71.8 ± 2.5 % for 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 mg Dox used to load into the hydrogels, respectively. On the other hand, after formatting alginate layer, the percentage of the released Dox for 12 days was decreased to 47.6 ± 1.4, 51.1 ± 1.4, and 57.5 ± 1.6 % for 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 mg Dox used, respectively. The radiolabeling stability of DI-CSH in human serum was improved by alginate layer.

CONCLUSIONS

The formation of alginate layer on the surface of the DI-CSH is useful for improving the drug release behavior and radiolabeling stability.

The uncovering of ESE-1 in human neutrophils: implication of its role in neutrophil function and survival

Epithelium-specific Ets transcription factor 1 (ESE-1) is a member of the E26 transformation-specific family of transcription factors that has an epithelial-restricted constitutive expression but is induced by inflammatory stimuli in non-epithelial cells. Here we report that ESE-1 is constitutively expressed in human, but not in murine, neutrophils and that ESE-1 is modestly upregulated in septic patient neutrophils. In normal human neutrophils, ESE-1 was detected at both RNA and protein levels but was found to be an unstable nuclear protein ex vivo. ESE-1 transcription was also induced during all-trans retinoic acid-mediated HL-60 differentiation, a human promyelocytic cell line often used as an in vitro model of human neutrophils. Elf3-/- mice had normal neutrophils but a reduced number of circulating B-lymphocytes. These findings indicate a potential role of ESE-1 in regulating human neutrophil differentiation and function, and that it has different roles in the immune system of different species.

Optical imaging of absorption and distribution of RITC-SiO2 nanoparticles after oral administration

Purpose

In this study, we investigated the absorption and distribution of rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RITC)-incorporated silica oxide nanoparticles(SiNPs) (RITC-SiNPs) after oral exposure, by conducting optical imaging, with a focus on tracking the movement of RITC-SiNPs of different particle size and surface charge.

Methods

RITC-SiNPs (20 or 100 nm; positively or negatively charged) were used to avoid the dissociation of a fluorescent dye from nanoparticles via spontaneous or enzyme-catalyzed reactions in vivo. The changes in the nanoparticle sizes and shapes were investigated in an HCl solution for 6 hours. RITC-SiNPs were orally administered to healthy nude mice at a dose of 100 mg/kg. Optical imaging studies were performed at 2, 4, and 6 hours after oral administration. The mice were sacrificed at 2, 4, 6, and 10 hours post-administration, and ex vivo imaging studies were performed.

Results

The RITC-SiNPs were stable in the HCl solution for 6 hours, without dissociation of RITC from the nanoparticles and without changes in size and shape. RITC-SiNPs flowed into the small intestine from the stomach and gradually moved along the gut during the experiment. In the ex vivo imaging studies, optical signals were observed mostly in the lungs, liver, pancreas, and kidneys. The orally administered RITC-SiNPs, which were absorbed in the systemic circulation, were eliminated from the body into the urine. The 20 nm RITC-SiNPs showed higher uptake in the lungs than the 100 nm RITC-SiNPs. The distribution of the 100 nm RITC-SiNPs in the liver was higher than that of the 20 nm RITC-SiNPs, but the differences in the surface charge behavior were imperceptible.

Conclusion

We demonstrated that the movement of RITC-SiNPs after oral exposure could be traced by optical imaging. Optical imaging has the potential to provide valuable information that will help in understanding the behavior of SiNPs in the body following exposure.

Local Retention and Combination Effects of Biocompatible Doxorubicin-Loaded and Radioiodine-Labeled Microhydrogels in Cancer Therapy

I-131-labeled chitosan microhydrogels (I-131-CMH) that are retained at an injection site without leaking free I-131 into normal tissue can provide opportunities to improve cancer therapy. This study focuses on the development of doxorubicin-loaded I-131-CMH (Dox-I-131-CMH) for use in radiochemotherapy against cancer. The radiolabeling of I-131-CMH was found to be stable over a period of 2 weeks with no disassociation of free I-131, and Dox showed a sustained release from the CMH. When I-131-CMH were injected into the thigh muscle or tumor tissue, in vivo gamma imaging showed a retention at the injection site with no significant leakage of I-131 into other areas of normal tissue, and after an intrahepatic arterial injection, I-131-CMH were selectively retained in the liver. Dox-I-131-CMH had significant synergistic therapeutic effects of radiation and chemotherapy on mouse breast cancer models. In this regard, Dox-I-131-CMH may be a new alternative agent for cancer therapy.

The effect of PPAR-γ agonist on (18)F-FDG PET imaging for differentiating tumors and inflammation lesions

INTRODUCTION

(18)F-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-d-glucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) has been used for imaging human cancers for several decades. Despite its extensive use, (18)F-FDG PET imaging has limitations in the tumor findings. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential of a PPAR-γ agonist pioglitazone (PIO) to distinguish tumors and inflammatory lesions in (18)F-FDG PET imaging.

METHODS

Studies of cellular uptake of (18)F-FDG and Western blot were performed in macrophage (RAW264.7) and three tumor cell lines (A549, KB, and MDA-MB-231) after treatment with PIO. In vivo microPET/CT imaging and biodistribution were performed in animal models.

RESULTS

The uptake of (18)F-FDG in the macrophages was decreased and uptake of (18)F-FDG in the tumor cells was increased when these cells were treated with PIO. Western blot showed that the expression of Glut1 was reduced by treatment of PIO in the macrophage cells, whereas the expression of Glut1 in the tumor cells was increased. In vivo PET/CT imaging revealed that (18)F-FDG uptake (%ID/g) in the tumors was enhanced from 4.05±1.46 to 5.28±1.92 for A549, from 3.9±0.5 to 4.9±0.2 for KB, and from 9.14±0.86 to 13.48±2.07 for MDA-MB-231 tumors after treatment with PIO. Unlike tumors, the RAW264.7 xenograft model showed the reduced (18)F-FDG uptake in the inflammatory lesion from 11.74±1.19 to 6.50±1.47. The results of biodistribution also showed that (18)F-FDG uptake in the tumors were increased after treatment of PIO. However, the uptake of inflammation lesions was reduced.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we demonstrated the effect of a PPAR-γ agonist PIO on (18)F-FDG uptake in tumors and inflammation in vitro and in vivo. PIO has potential to differentiate tumors and inflammatory lesions on (18)F-FDG PET imaging.

Peptide-loaded nanoparticles and radionuclide imaging for individualized treatment of myocardial ischemia

PURPOSE

To determine whether chitosan hydrogel nanoparticles loaded with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) peptides (81-91 fragments) capable of targeting the ischemic myocardium enhance angiogenesis and promote therapeutic effects and whether radionuclide image-guided dosage control is feasible.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Experimental procedures and protocols were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Rats (n = 32, eight per group) were subjected to myocardial ischemia (control group) and received chitosan hydrogel nanoparticles with VEGF165 proteins (chitosan VEGF) or VEGF81-91 peptides (chitosan peptides) via apical puncture. Ischemic hearts receiving chitosan without angiogenic factors served as the chitosan control. Myocardial perfusion was examined 7 days after surgery by using technetium 99m ((99m)Tc) tetrofosmin (37 MBq) autoradiography, and changes in vascular density with immunohistochemical staining were reviewed. Kruskal-Wallis test and Bonferroni corrected Mann-Whitney U test were used for multiple comparisons. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare myocardial retention of (99m)Tc chitosan.

RESULTS

Thirty minutes of myocardial ischemia resulted in perfusion defects (median, 54%; interquartile range [IQR], 41%-62%). Chitosan VEGF decreased perfusion defect extent (median, 68%; IQR, 63%-73%; P = .006 vs control) and increased vascular density (median, 81 vessels per high-power field; IQR, 72-100; P = .009 vs control). Administration of chitosan peptides reduced the degree of perfusion defects (median, 66%; IQR, 62%-73%; P = .006 vs control) and increased vascular density (median, 82 vessels; IQR, 78-92; P = .006 vs control). The effects of chitosan peptides on perfusion and vascular density were comparable to those seen with chitosan VEGF proteins (P = .713 and P = .833, respectively). Chitosan radiolabeled with (99m)Tc was administered twice at reperfusion with a 1-hour interval to determine whether image-guided dosage control is feasible. The hearts initially retained 4.6% (IQR, 4.1%-5.0%) of (99m)Tc chitosan administered and 9.2% (IQR, 6.6%-12.7%; P = .068) with subsequent injection.

CONCLUSION

VEGF peptides have angiogenic potential and resulted in therapeutic effectiveness. Adjunct use of single photon emission computed tomography was also demonstrated for individualized treatment of myocardial ischemia by further tailoring the therapeutic dosing. Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Monotherapy with tacrolimus for heart and liver transplant: a case report

BACKGROUND

Multiple-organ transplantation cases are rare, partly due to the shortage of donor organs. However, recent reports of outcomes of multiple-organ transplantations show encouraging survival rates for recipients as compared to single-organ transplant recipients.

CASE REPORT

A 33-year-old female who was a known hepatitis B carrier and who had been diagnosed with peripartum dilated cardiomyopathy was experiencing end-stage heart failure. The patient received orthotopic heart transplantation. After heart transplantation, the recipient received prednisolone, cyclosporine, and mycophenolate mofetil for immunosuppressive therapy. Seventy-one days later, the recipient began to develop progressive jaundice, ascites, and hepatoencephalopathy and was re-admitted to the hospital. Fulminant hepatitis was diagnosed. She was referred for emergency cadaveric liver transplantation 110 days after the heart transplantation because of her critical condition. After transplantation, she was improved and her condition maintained by a single immunosuppressive therapy, tacrolimus, with mean dose of 0.06 mg/kg/d.

CONCLUSION

We presented a case that was complicated by fulminant hepatitis after heart transplantation and successfully rescued by liver transplantation.

Effect of angiogenesis induced by consecutive intramuscular injections of vascular endothelial growth factor in a hindlimb ischemic mouse model

PURPOSE

Angiogenesis plays a major role in various physiological and pathological situations. Thus, an angiogenic therapy with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been commonly recommended as a representative therapeutic solution to recover the insufficient blood supply of collateral vessels in an ischemic lesion. In this study, the injection method and injection time point of VEGF proteins were focused to discover how to enhance the angiogenic effect with VEGF.

METHODS

Mouse models (n = 15) were divided into control, VEGF treatment by intra-venous injection (VEGF-IV) and VEGF treatment by intra-muscular injection (VEGF-IM). Right proximal femoral arteries of mice were firmly sutured to obstruct arterial blood-flow. In the VEGF-IV treatment group, VEGF proteins were injected into the tail vein and, in the VEGF-IM treatment group, VEGF proteins were directly injected into the ischemic site of the right thigh after postoperative day 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 follow-ups. Blood-flow images were acquired by (99m)Tc Gamma Image Acquisition System to compare the ischemic-to-non-ischemic bloodstream ratio at postoperative days 5, 15, and 30.

RESULTS

VEGF-IM treatment significantly induced higher an angiogenic effect rather than both the control group (P = 0.008) and VEGF-IV treatment group (P = 0.039) at the 30th day.

CONCLUSION

During all experiments, angiogenesis of VEGF-IM treatment represented the most evident effect compared with control and VEGF-IV group in a mouse model of hindlimb ischemia.

Unusual congenital pulmonary anomaly with presumed left lung hypoplasia in a young dog

A seven-month-old, entire, male miniature schnauzer dog was referred with acute vomiting, inappetence and depression primarily as a result of a gastric foreign body (pine cones). During investigations, thoracic radiographs revealed increased volume of the right lung lobes, deviated cardiomediastinal structures and elevation of the heart from the sternum. Thoracic computed tomography revealed left cranial lung lobe hypoplasia and extension of the right cranial lung parenchyma across the midline to the left hemithorax. Branches of the right pulmonary vessels and bronchi also crossed the midline and extended to the left caudal lung lobe. These findings suggested that the right and left lungs were fused. In humans this finding is consistent with horseshoe lung, which is an uncommon congenital malformation. To the authors' knowledge, this case represents the first report of such a pulmonary anomaly in a dog.

Coupling of air/metal and substrate/metal surface plasmon polaritons in Au slit arrays fabricated on quartz substrate

We report on the coupling of the air/metal mode and the substrate/metal mode surface plasmon polaritons in one-dimensional metallic slit arrays fabricated on a dielectric substrate. Anti-crossing is exhibited at an incident angle where the two independent modes can be resonantly excited at a specific wavelength. The size of the anti-crossing gap was measured while changing the metal thickness.

Nonpolymeric surface-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for in vivo molecular imaging: biodegradation, biocompatibility, and multiplatform

A new approach to the surface engineering of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) may encourage their development for clinical use. In this study, we demonstrated that nonpolymeric surface modification of SPIONs has the potential to be an advanced biocompatible contrast agent for biomedical applications, including diagnostic imaging in vivo.

METHODS

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is an innate biomaterial derived from the body, was coated onto the surface of SPIONs. An in vivo degradation study of ATP-coated SPIONs (ATP@SPIONs) was performed for 28 d. To diminish phagocytosis, ATP@SPIONs were surface-modified with gluconic acid. We next studied the ability of the SPIONs to serve as a specific targeted contrast agent after conjugation of cMet-binding peptide. The SPIONs were conjugated with Cy5.5 and labeled with (125)I for multimodality imaging. In vivo and in vitro tumor-targeted binding studies were performed on U87MG cells or a U87MG tumor model using animal SPECT/CT, an optical imaging system, and a 1.5-T clinical MR scanner.

RESULTS

ATP@SPIONs showed rapid degradation in vivo and in vitro, compared with ferumoxides. ATP@SPIONs modified with gluconic acid reduced phagocytic uptake, showed improved biodistribution, and provided good targetability in vivo. The gluconic acid-conjugated ATP@SPIONs, when conjugated with cMet-binding peptide, were successfully visualized on the U87MG tumors implanted in mice via multimodality imaging.

CONCLUSION

We suggest that ATP@SPIONs can be used as a multiplatform to target a region of interest in molecular imaging. When we consider the biocompatibility of contrast agents in vivo, ATP@SPIONs are superior to polymeric surface-modified SPIONs.

Secondhand smoke exposure and osteoporosis in never-smoking postmenopausal women: the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

SUMMARY

The association between secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and lumbar and femoral neck osteoporosis was assessed in postmenopausal never-smoking Korean women. The presence of family members who actively smoked was associated with femoral neck osteoporosis. The number of cigarettes consumed by cohabitant smokers was positively associated with lumbar and femoral neck osteoporosis.

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to assess the association between SHS and postmenopausal osteoporosis.

METHODS

Of 2,067 postmenopausal women (age, ≥55 years) participating in the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 925 never-smokers identified through interviews and urinary cotinine level verification were enrolled. Cross-sectional relationships between self-reported SHS exposure and osteoporosis of the lumbar vertebrae and femoral neck (defined using the World Health Organization T-score criteria) were investigated by bone densitometry.

RESULTS

Participants having actively smoking family members showed increased adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for femoral neck osteoporosis compared with participants not exposed to SHS (aOR, 3.68; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.23-10.92). Participants whose cohabitant smokers consumed any number of cigarettes per day showed increased occurrences for lumbar and femoral neck osteoporosis compared with the nonexposed group. Participants whose cohabitant smokers consumed ≥20 cigarettes/day showed increased aORs for lumbar (aOR, 5.40; 95 % CI, 1.04-28.04) and femoral neck (aOR, 4.35; 95 % CI, 1.07-17.68) osteoporosis compared with participants not exposed to SHS.

CONCLUSIONS

In postmenopausal never-smoking Korean women, exposure to SHS was positively associated with osteoporosis. This finding further emphasizes a need to identify vulnerable groups exposed to SHS to increase bone health.

Optical imaging to trace near infrared fluorescent zinc oxide nanoparticles following oral exposure

Background

Understanding how nanomaterials are distributed in the body after exposure is important for assessing whether they are safe. In this study, we investigated the behavior and accumulation of nanoscaled and submicron-scaled zinc oxide (ZnO) particles in the body using optical imaging following oral exposure.

Methods

To trace these nanoparticles in the body, ZnO nanoparticles were conjugated with a monoreactive hydroxysuccinimide ester of Cy5.5 (Cy5.5-NHS), and the conjugation-stabilizing effect of Cy5.5 on the nanoparticles was evaluated in simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2) for 7 hours. To compare the distribution of Cy5.5-NHS and Cy5.5-conjugated ZnO nanoparticles, Cy5.5-NHS 0.5 mg/kg and Cy5.5-conjugated ZnO nanoparticles 250 mg/kg were administered orally to healthy rats. We collected blood from the rats at predesignated time points for 7 hours after administration, and optical imaging studies were performed at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 hours after dosing. To investigate the extent of nanoparticle accumulation in the organs and tissues, the mice were sacrificed at 23 hours after administration, and the organs were removed and imaged.

Results

Cy5.5-conjugated ZnO nanoparticles were stable in simulated gastric fluid for 7 hours. The signal intensity of Cy5.5-NHS in blood was highest 3 hours after oral administration, and Cy5.5-conjugated ZnO nanoparticles showed the highest signal intensity in blood 5–7 hours after administration. In vivo optical images indicated that Cy5.5-NHS showed optical signals in the lung, liver, and gastrointestinal tract after oral administration, whereas Cy5.5-conjugated ZnO nanoparticles were seen only in the gastrointestinal tract. Seven hours following administration, biodistribution studies demonstrated that Cy5.5-NHS accumulated in the lung and liver, and Cy5.5-conjugated ZnO nanoparticles resulted in a strong signal in the kidney and liver. Different-sized ZnO nanoparticles showed dissimilar patterns of biodistribution in ex vivo optical images.

Conclusion

ZnO nanoparticles are absorbed into the tissues following oral exposure and their behavior can be monitored and evaluated using optical imaging.