Search

A simple and effective route was established to regulate the drug release kinetics of hydrogels through a combination method of the polysaccharides matrix which delivers the drug and the mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) as a reservoir, making the system release the payload in a controlled manner. The composite MSN beads can construct one kind of novel sustained drug administration device maintaining 24 h activity. With the increase of the MSN ratio in the beads, the sustained-release profile can be increased. The drug release kinetics provide clear evidence that the composite MSN beads delivery systems can protect the model drug of bovine serum albumin from external denaturants and release them slowly in a predictable model. These composite MSN beads with higher drug-loading capacity and better retention ability may facilitate sustained/controlled drug delivery systems for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 39 was originally identified as the receptor of obestatin. In this study, the effects and mechanisms of GPR39 on cell proliferation and differentiation were investigated in cultured porcine intramuscular preadipocytes. Methods: Morphology of preadipocytes and accumulated lipid droplets within cells were identified by an inverted microscope. After transfected with constructed pCMV-GPR39 plasmid, cell proliferation was measured by using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium method, mRNA expression of GPR39, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBPα), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), Caspase-9 and adipocyte determination and differentiation factor-1 (ADD1) was determined by RNA preparation and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, protein expression of phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K), 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1, phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3 (pGSK3), total Akt and phosphorylated Akt (pAkt) was analyzed by Western blot. Results: It found that GPR39 mRNA and protein were expressed in porcine intramuscular preadipocytes and its expression was significantly up-regulated after treatment with Zn2+ whose function is found to be mediated by GPR39. Furthermore, over-expression of GPR39 further promoted the optical density value of cells, enhanced mRNA expression of PPARγ, C/EBPα and ADD1, and inhibited mRNA expression of Caspase-9. Protein expression of pGSK3 and pAkt was also increased by GPR39 stimulation. In addition, GPR39-induced proliferation and differentiation of porcine intramuscular preadipocytes was partially blocked by the Akt inhibitor (PDTC) and the PI3K inhibitor (LY294002). Conclusion: It indicated that GPR39 was a transducer of Zn2+, and enhanced proliferation and differentiation of porcine intramuscular preadipocytes through activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to fabricate composite gel beads based on natural polysaccharides. Hyaluronic acid (HA) and Chitosan (CS) were successfully admixed with Ca/alginate (SA) gel system to produce SA/HA/CS gel beads by dual crosslinking: the ionic gelation and the polyelectrolyte complexation. The preparation procedure was that the weight ratio of SA (2%, m/v) to HA (2%, m/v) was kept at 2:1, then the mixture was dripped into the Ca solution for ion-crosslinking, and finally polyelectrolyte crosslinked with 2% low molecular weight CS (LMW-CS) for 1.5 hours. The optimal formulation was achieved by adjusting the concentration and the weight ratio of SA, HA and LMW-CS. Due to the incorporation of HA and LMWCS, the swelling ratio of the beads at pH 7.4 was increased up to 120, and the time for the maximum swelling degree was prolonged to 7.5 h. The swelling behavior was obviously improved compared to the pure SA/Ca system. The preliminary results clearly suggest that the SA/HA/CS gel beads may be a potential candidate for biomedical delivery vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this report, novel biopolymer hydrogels composed of sodium alginate (SA) and the oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) with an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure were prepared by a combination of chemical and ionic cross-linking approaches. By using SA as the main raw material, OSA was obtained using sodium periodate. The gelation process of the IPN hydrogels was the formation of dual network: one gelatin network cross-linked by OSA with dihydrazide and another SA network cross-linked by Ca. The factors which affect its swelling properties were discussed. The best swelling ratio of the beads was 2300, and the swelling property was greatly affected by pH and preparation condition. The stability and swelling behavior of OSA/SA gel beads were better improved than the pure SA/Ca system. The OSA/SA hydrogel beads with the pH sensitivity and stability will be a good candidate for site-specific controlled drug release carrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of treatment effect of vitamin or antioxidant intake on diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) was inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to examine whether these supplements are effective in DPN treatment. We searched seven databases from inception to October 2021. All RCTs of DPN treatments with vitamin and antioxidant supplements were included. We performed sensitivity and subgroup analysis, and also tested for publication bias by the funnel plot and Egger's test. A total of 14 studies with 1384 patients were included in this systematic review. Three high-quality trials showed that vitamin and antioxidant supplements significantly increased sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) of the sural nerve (MD = 2.66, 95%CI (0.60, 4.72), P < 0.05, I2 = 0%). Seven studies (758 participants) suggested that these supplements might have improvement on motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) of the peroneal nerve in DPN patients with the random-effect model (MD = 0.60, 95%CI (0.28, 0.92), P < 0.05, I2 = 65%). In four studies, these supplements could have improved on MNCV of the median nerve with the fixed-effect model (MD = 4.22, 95%CI (2.86, 5.57), P < 0.05, I2 = 0%). However, ten studies (841 participants) have suggested that vitamin and antioxidant supplements have not decreased glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Vitamin and antioxidant supplements may improve the conduction velocity of nerves, including median, sural and peroneal nerves of patients with DPN. But these supplements have not decreased HbA1c in DPN patients. Several trials with a large sample size are needed to provide evidence support for clinical practice in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic waste mainly refers to the solid waste that is generated by residents' daily life. If the organic waste is converted into energy through anaerobic digestion, it will reduce the adverse impact on the environment and contribute to reduction in consumption of fossil fuel. Analysis of the space and time differences of various kinds of microbial community in fermentation process, plays a very important role for controlling the fermentation process effectively, understanding the fermentation stage, optimization of fermentation conditions and improving the efficiency of biogas production. This paper investigated the temporal and spatial distribution of microbial community during the semi-dry fermentation of organic waste, and studied the relationship of acid production, methane production and ammonia production using most probable number (MPN). The experiment used anaerobic fermentation under one-time charging medium temperature (37°C), and designed six sampling positions. The inoculum was biogas slurry fermented with pig manure, and the concentration was 30%, pH value was adjusted to 7.0 before anaerobic fermentation. The results showed that, in the early stage of organic waste anaerobic fermentation, large amounts of air existed in the reactor, and there was less number of anaerobic bacteria. With the formation of the anaerobic environment and rich nutrients, the number of anaerobic bacteria began to rise. The anaerobic acidification bacteria and anaerobic ammonification bacteria proliferated earliest, and the acidification bacteria was prior to reach maximum than ammonification bacteria and occupied the dominant position. The methane bacteria didn't proliferate at the start-up phase, they enter the fast growth stage after 15 days, and the peak value was 3.24×109 mL-1 on the 25th day. In the gas peak decline period, the number of anaerobic ammonification bacteria and anaerobic acidification bacteria began to decline, however, the methane bacteria number kept on the order of magnitude in the whole period. The anaerobic cellulose-decomposing bacteria grew slowly, and the number was only 106 mL-1 on the 45th day. In the space, numbers of anaerobic acid bacteria and methane bacteria in the central part were more than those at the edge, and the numbers in the bottom were more than on the top; the most number of anaerobic ammoniation bacteria grew in middle edge and center position; at the same height, the numbers of edge position were more than the center position basically. The anaerobic cellulose-decomposing bacteria began to proliferate in the bottom. The number of the anaerobic bacteria on the top was lower than other places, due to the residual air on the top that was not conducive to the growth of anaerobic bacteria. In the reactor design, intermediate feed may be given priority to, edges feed was complementary, which was conducive to make full use of fermentation materials, and to improve the efficiency of the reactor. The dynamic model of anaerobic acidification bacteria and methanogens distribution differences was constructed preliminarily, and the correlation coefficients of fitting model were 0.824 and 0.939, respectively. The established model could predict effectively, and could provide the appropriate reference value of semi-dry anaerobic fermentation technology. The applicability of the model still requires further test to verify, therefore, the reactor enlarged gradually can be used for further study and parameters correction. This paper has theoretical significance for the technological processes of biogas production from organic waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The difference between the chemical polarities of the two categories of active chemical constituents in Chinese angelica volatile oil (CAVO) and Chinese angelica water extract (CAWE) greatly limit the development and clinical application of Chinese angelica preparation. Object: The aim of this study is to design and prepare a 'whole Chinese angelica' microemulsion (WCAM) that contains both CAVO and CAWE and at the same time to evaluate it in vivo and in vitro. Materials and methods: CAVO and CAWE extracted from Chinese angelica were used as the oil and aqueous phases, respectively, to prepare the WCAM; its physicochemical property was observed, and its drug potency and oral bioavailability were evaluated. Results: The formula of the WCAM was optimized as Tween-80:ethanol:CAVO:CAWE = 3:3:1:40. The droplet size of the WCAM was 72.64 nm and the WCAM was proved to be physicochemically stable when it was kept at 0 °C, 4 °C, 25 °C and 40 °C for 3 months. The WCAM could markedly prolong blood clotting time, decrease whole blood viscosity and whole blood reduced viscosity at different shear rates, and improve hemorheological parameters. The results of the pharmacokinetic evaluation show that the AUC0-7 of the WCAM was 4510.66 and was about 4.41-fold compared to that of danggui concentrated pills (an existing Chinese angelica pharmaceutical preparation). Conclusion: It can be concluded, that the WCAM is a promising Chinese angelica preparation that has great prospects in the treatment of dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water-based antimicrobial agents, used in environmentally friendly applications, are widely used in wood protection industries. Furthermore, nanomaterials as antimicrobial agents, because of their biocidal component, huge specific surface area, and unique nanoscale effect, have attracted attention in the field of biodurability. We employed aqueous dispersed nano-silver with a diameter of 10 nm~20 nm to treat poplar wood and evaluated its leaching resistance and anti-mold effect on the wood surface. The results revealed that the higher the retention of the nano-silver, the stronger the protection efficiency of the wood surface against three molds (Aspergillus niger V. Tiegh, Penicillium citrinum Thom, and Trichoderma viride Pers. ex Fr); and the leachability of the nano-silver presented a slowly growing trend with the increase in the retention. When the wood surface attained a silver retention of 0.324 g·m−2, its anti-mold efficiency against Aspergillus niger V. Tiegh, Penicillium citrinum Thom, and Trichoderma viride Pers. ex Fr reached 80, 75, and 80%, respectively, which achieved or even exceeded the required standard value of effective mold inhibition (75%). Notably, the nano-silver leaching rate at this retention attained merely 4.75 %. The nanoparticle, well distributed on a wood surface, may promote sufficient contact with fungi as well as strong interaction with wood cell wall components, which probably contributed to the effective anti-mold efficiency and the leaching resistance. This study provided positive evidence for the anti-mold effect of nano-silver on wood surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a growing number of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) projects have been deployed in rural areas as a means of addressing the problems of information deficiency, ineffective communication and poor economic conditions. We adopt a Chinese culture, called shuren culture, as our theoretical lens to explore how this culture enables ICT adoption, diffusion and usage in rural China. By presenting a case study of ICT4D in rural China, we identify seven core elements of shuren culture at three levels, and we establish an online and offline shuren culture model that sheds light on key activities for achieving ICT4D. This study makes two contributions: (1) we contribute to the small number of extant ICT4D studies, and (2) we offer a novel explanation of how shuren culture enables ICT4D involving stakeholders in online and offline settings. • The Chinese shuren culture enables ICT selection, access, diffusion, skill training, online interaction and continuous use. • This study identifies seven elements of shuren culture at three levels, and establishes an online and offline model. • This study provides an in-depth case study and offer a novel explanation of the enabling mechanism of shuren culture in ICT4D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Dietary INU and LBP treatments restore the gut dysbiosis by elevating beneficial bacteria and SCFAs in T2DM. • Dietary INU and LBP interventions enhance gut barrier by activating gut mucosal γδ IELs via TLR2 in T2DM. • Dietary INU and LBP suppress the inflammation via reducing LPS and inflammatory cytokines in T2DM. Previously we demonstrated the anti-diabetic effect of dietary inulin (INU), but the underling mechanism still remains unclear. In this study, 8 weeks treatment of INU with or without Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) decreased blood glucose, plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inflammation in diabetic rats. Moreover, altered gut microbial community and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were found after the intervention. Intriguingly, these changes in gut microbiota were closely correlated with improved mucosal Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2+γδ intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) and tight-junction proteins (including ZO-1 and occludin) in gut barrier. Taken together, our results highlighted that dietary INU combined with LBP possessed the ability to modify gut microbiota and improve diabetes-related biochemical abnormalities through improving gut barrier by activating gut mucosal γδ IELs via TLR2, which may potentially contribute to the control of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is no known cause for ulcerative colitis (UC), an inflammatory bowel disease that is difficult to treat. This assay aimed to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DOP) in mice with acute UC induced by dextran sulphate sodium (DSS). We found that DOP could improve weight loss, decrease the disease activity index (DAI), and regulate the release of interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 in DSS-induced acute UC mice. Additionally, DOP preserved the integrity of the intestinal barrier in UC mice by increasing goblet cell density and maintaining tight junctions. DOP significantly enhanced total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the bloodstream. In terms of serum biochemistry, DOP markedly elevated levels of bilirubin (BIL), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bile acid (TBA), creatinine (Crea), and creative kinase isoenzyme (CKMB). Furthermore, DOP increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillales. DOP also improved intestinal health and stimulated the synthesis of potent anti-inflammatory and antiviral substances by regulating the metabolism of purines, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes. Therefore, DOP can be considered a functional dietary supplement for the treatment of UC, as it improves the condition of DSS-induced UC mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]