Wound senescence: A functional link between diabetes and ageing?

Arguably, the two most important causes of pathological healing in the skin are diabetes and ageing. While these factors have historically been considered independent modifiers of the healing process, recent studies suggest that they may be mechanistically linked. The primary contributor to diabetic pathology is hyperglycaemia, which accelerates the production of advanced glycation end products, a characteristic of ageing tissue. Indeed, advanced age also leads to mild hyperglycaemia. Here, we discuss emerging literature that reveals a hitherto unappreciated link between cellular senescence, diabetes and wound repair. Senescent cells cause widespread destruction of normal tissue architecture in ageing and have been shown to be increased in chronic wounds. However, the role of senescence remains controversial, with several studies reporting beneficial effects for transiently induced senescence in wound healing. We recently highlighted a direct role for senescence in diabetic healing pathology, mediated by the senescence receptor, CXCR2. These findings suggest that targeting local tissue senescence may provide a therapeutic strategy applicable to a broad range of chronic wound types.     

牙龈间充质干细胞递送支架载体的研究进展

组织工程技术通过利用支架材料、种子细胞、生长因子以达到修复或再生组织器官的目的。支架材料的作用是为种子细胞提供机械支撑并且保护细胞免受体内有害微环境的影响。因此,选择或制备适当的支架材料是组织工程中的关键一步。近年来,将支架材料和牙龈间充质干细胞(gingival mesenchymal stem cells,GMSCs)联合应用于组织工程的研究逐渐走向成熟。本文就组织工程中牙龈间充质干细胞递送支架载体的研究现状进行综述,以期为GMSCs组织工程递送支架载体材料的开发和选择提供思路。     

Tier-based skin irritation testing of hair cleansing conditioners and their constituents

Purpose/Aim: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require specific testing to demonstrate the safety of personal care and cosmetic products or their ingredients. Recently, there have been reports of skin irritation associated with the use of commercially available cleansing conditioners. The goal of this study was to implement a tier-based safety assessment to evaluate the skin irritation potential of six commercially available cleansing conditioners and their ingredients.

Materials and Methods: The first tier of testing utilized the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) QSAR Toolbox to perform an in silico evaluation of the skin irritation potential of the product ingredients, and the second tier of testing utilized an OECD in vitro guideline test to evaluate the skin irritation potential of each product.

Results: Thirty-two ingredients were evaluated using the OECD QSAR Toolbox profiler for the tier one analysis; nine ingredients received a structural alert for skin irritation/corrosion. In the tier two in vitro analysis, the evaluated cleansing conditioner products were all classified as non-irritants.

Conclusions: These results provide evidence that use of the evaluated commercially available cleansing conditioners would not be expected to cause skin irritation among consumers. Additionally, this study demonstrates that the presence of structural alerts does not always accurately predict the safety of a product, as focused tier-based testing is necessary to comprehensively evaluate a product. This study illustrates a tier-based safety assessment approach, applicable to a wide variety of health endpoints, which efficiently and adequately evaluates the safety of personal care and cosmetic products and their ingredients.     

Forced Oxidative Degradation Pathways of the Imidazole Moiety of Daclatasvir

Daclatasvir hydrochloride (DCV) is the active pharmaceutical ingredient of Daklinza, a marketed product for the treatment of hepatitis C viral infection. The intrinsic stability of daclatasvir was evaluated via a forced degradation study. DCV was found to be stable in the solid state. In solution, its carbamate moiety is susceptible to basic hydrolysis, whereas its imidazole is liable to base-mediated autoxidation to form degradants 1 and 3, 7-8, respectively. The imidazole moiety can also be oxidized to form degradants 6-7 in the presence of hydrogen peroxide or azobisisobutyronitrile. The chloro-adduct degradant 9 was also observed in hydrogen peroxide solution. Furthermore, the imidazole moiety is sensitive to photodegradation in solution. Degradants 2-8 were observed in a solution of DCV exposed to high intensity light/UV light; the formation of degradants 2 and 5-8 was postulated through 4 degradation pathways. The degradants 3 and 4 were deemed to be secondary degradants of 7 and 5, respectively.     

翻转课堂教学法在天然药物化学实验中的应用

目的利用翻转课堂教学法改进传统的天然药物化学实验课教学模式,提高该课程的教学效果。方法从实验教学的课程设计与开发,课前自主学习、课中内化及课后评估和讨论等环节进行了一系列的探讨与改革。结果翻转课堂教学模式为解决学生长期以来在天然药物化学实验课中缺乏主动参与性、探索性等问题提供一剂良方。结论在天然药物化学实验课教学中引入翻转课堂教学模式的初步探索为天然药物化学实验课的改革提供了依据和思路。     

含功能性油的水飞蓟宾超饱和自纳米乳的制备与体外评价

目的制备含功能性油的水飞蓟宾超饱和自纳米乳(SLB-S-SNEDDS),并对其进行表征及体外评价研究,以提高难溶性药物水飞蓟宾的生物利用度。方法铁氢化钾还原力与1,1-二苯基-2-苦肼基(DPPH)自由基清除实验筛选功能性油脂;伪三元相图考察乳化剂乳化能力;测定粒径、多分散指数(PDI)、Zeta电位等考察混合油相比例与载药量;相容性与溶出度实验筛选促过饱和物质并考察其质量浓度;从外观、粒径分布、自乳化效率、形态学等方面表征SLB-S-SNEDDS,并进行溶出度、抗氧化能力、细胞毒性等体外评价。结果所得SLB-S-SNEDDS处方为(1)小麦胚芽油/Capryol 90-Cremophor ELP-Transcutol HP与(2)沙棘籽油/Capryol 90-Cremophor ELP-Transcutol HP,1 g基质(包含0.043 g小麦胚芽油或沙棘籽油、0.387 g Capryol 90、0.380 g Cremophor ELP、0.190 g Transcutol HP),水飞蓟宾的添加量为各组分平衡溶解度之和的20%,Soluplus的添加量为上述总质量的0.1%。小麦胚芽油、沙棘籽油体系分别为淡黄色、亮黄色透明状均一液体,2种体系自乳化分散后均呈近球形白色扁平乳滴,粒径约为50 nm,乳化时间均为65 s。与药物原料及SLB-SNEDDS相比,SLB-S-SNEDDS中水飞蓟宾的累积溶出率8h内均维持在85%～110%,表明该体系能够显著提高药物的溶出度。SLB-S-SNEDDS与铁氰化钾反应后的吸光度(A值0.452～0.782,0.488～0.765)以及DPPH自由基清除率(39.09%～96.02%,30.54%～89.20%)均高于相应质量浓度下水飞蓟宾原料的A值与清除率(0.411～0.760,22.89%～63.21%),表明2种处方体系均能提高水飞蓟宾的抗氧化能力。细胞毒性实验结果显示,在5、10μmol/L药物浓度下,水飞蓟宾原料组、水飞蓟宾S-SNEDDS组及其相应的空白S-SNEDDS组细胞生存率均90%,说明SLB-S-SNEDDS及其所用辅料对人克隆结肠腺癌细胞(Caco-2)毒性较小、安全性较好。结论制备的含功能性油SLB-S-SNEDDS在提高水飞蓟宾累积溶出率的同时,增强了其抗氧化能力,为将超饱和自纳米乳(S-SNEDDS)用于改善难溶性药物水溶性及其生物活性提供有益参考。     

Antimicrobial and antileukemic effects: in vitro activity of Calyptranthes grandifolia aqueous leaf extract

ABSTRACT

Natural products are still a promising source of bioactive molecules. Food and Drug Administration data showed that approximately 49% of the approved molecules originate naturally or chemically-resemble these substances, of which more than 70% are being used in anticancer therapy. It is noteworthy that at present there are no scientific studies to prove the effectiveness and safety of a number of plants used in folk medicine such as in the case of Calyptranthes grandifolia O. Berg (Myrtaceae) originally from South America. The aim of the present study was to determine the biological potential and toxicological effects of the aqueous leaf extract of C. grandifolia. The main detected phytoconstituents were condensed tannins and flavonoids and a high quantity of polyphenols. Regarding the antimicrobial potential, the extract exerted inhibitory activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results also revealed the extract induced DNA damage in a concentration-dependent manner in RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, C. grandifolia produced cytotoxicity in leukemia cell lines (HL60 and Kasumi-1) without affecting isolated human lymphocytes but significantly inhibited JAK3 and p38α enzyme activity. Taken together, these findings add important information on the biological and toxicological effects of C. grandifolia, indicating that aqueous extract may be a source of natural antimicrobial and antileukemic constituents.