Porous chitosan microsphere for controlling the antigen release of Newcastle disease vaccine: preparation of antigen-adsorbed microsphere and in vitro release.

Porous chitosan microspheres suitable for the delivery of antigen were prepared using a wet phase-inversion method. The pore structure of the chitosan microsphere could be modified by the change of pH value of the coagulation medium, which is the aqueous tripolyphosphate (TPP) solution. High porosity of chitosan microsphere with an open porous structure on its surface was prepared by coagulation in TPP aq. solution of pH 8.9. The porous chitosan microspheres were modified chemically with reagents to introduce three types of functional groups; carboxyl, hydrophobic acyl and quaternary ammonium groups. Antigen of ND vaccine was immobilized into the pores of porous chitosan microspheres and the adsorbed antigen was assayed by the Hemoglobin Aggregation (HA) analytical method. Sustained-release of ND vaccine's antigen could be achieved through an adsorption-desorption release test. The chemical modifications of the porous chitosan microspheres have a strong large influence on the adsorption efficiency or release rates of the antigen investigated. The porous microspheres have a higher adsorption efficiency and the slower release rate of antigen when modified chemically with 3-chloro-2-hydroypropyltrimethylamonium chloride.     

Use of vacuum-assisted wound closure to manage limb wounds in patients suffering from acute necrotizing fasciitis

BACKGROUND: An effective regimen to treat patients suffering from acute necrotizing fasciitis requires surgical removal of devitalized tissues, systemic administration of broad antimicrobials and ameliorating underlying systemic disease processes. The task of managing wounds consequential to surgical debridement, on the other hand, can be difficult. We had the opportunity of using a vacuum-assisted wound closure (VAC) technique in 12 patients with non-healing wounds in either the upper or the lower limb because of acute necrotizing fasciitis. The usefulness of the device was assessed by comparing with the conventional approach of wet dressing technique of wound care. METHODS: A vacuum-assisted wound closing device was used in 12 patients with open wounds. For comparison, the conventional technique of wound care, i.e., the wet dressing technique, was used in 12 patients. The change in wound size, amount of drainage and the mortality rate were recorded in each group. RESULTS: The extent of wound size reduction noted in the VAC group was 47%, while in the conventional wet-to-dry dressing (CWD) group, it was 41%. The amount of drainage reduction noted was 49% in the VAC group and 39% in the CWD group. The cost of supplies for the CWD group was about one-seventh that of the VAC group. On the other hand, time required for the care was decreased by 3.7-fold with the use of the VAC technique. CONCLUSION: The VAC technique of wound closure was found to be effective in managing non-healing limb wounds consequential to surgical treatment for patients suffering from acute necrotizing fasciitis. Although the cost of the VAC device was high, morbidity was much lower when compared to the CWD technique.     

Relationship of blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk factors in normotensive middle-aged men

We conducted this study to investigate whether subjects with high-normal systolic blood pressure (SBP) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and/or diabetes compared to subjects with low-normal SBP, using metabolic syndrome (MetS) as a risk factor for future CVD/diabetes.The study included 6133 apparently healthy Taiwanese men aged 40-65 years. All subjects were normotensive, and none took medication for any abnormal MetS component. To avoid the effect of age on blood pressure, we stratified patients first by age then by SBP (that is, low, middle, and high SBP). We pooled all the low, middle, and high SBP groups from the different age strata to create 3 larger groups (Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3, respectively). The MetS components in subjects with the lowest SBP (Group 1) were compared with those in the other 2 groups. All of the MetS components, except for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), were significantly lower in Group 1. Thus, it was not surprising that Group 2 and Group 3 had significantly higher odds ratios for abnormal body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides than Group 1 (but not for HDL-C). Specifically, Group 3 had a 1.7-fold higher odds ratio (p < 0.001) for having MetS than Group 1. Age, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, LDL-C, and log triglycerides correlated significantly with SBP. In multivariate linear regression analysis, we found that only body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, and log triglycerides remained significantly related to SBP. Among them, body mass index had the highest β value.In conclusion, the level of SBP was highly correlated with body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, and triglycerides in subjects with normotension. Although there is not a cause-and-effect relationship, the risk of CVD and diabetes was significantly associated with an elevation of SBP, even when the SBP remained within the normal range. Further studies are needed to determine whether normotensive subjects would benefit from medical management.     

Primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the lung: a case report

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in adults. However, primary MFH of the lung is rare, with only a few cases reported in the literature. Here, we report the case of an 86-year-old male who was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaint of exertional dyspnea and poor appetite. Chest roentgenography revealed a 9 x 15 cm, pleural-based opacity in the left lower lobe. Chest computerized tomography disclosed a well-defined mass with heterogeneous density in the left lower lung field. The diagnosis of MFH was confirmed by thoracoscopic lung biopsy and pathologic examination. Supportive care was given because of extreme old age and poor performance status (the patient's Karnofsky performance status was 30). The patient died from respiratory failure 2 months later.     

Endostatin-cytosine deaminase fusion protein suppresses tumor growth by targeting neovascular endothelial cells

Endostatin, an angiogenesis inhibitor tested in multiple clinical trials, selectively targets neovascular endothelial cells, suppressing tumor growth. To enhance the therapeutic efficacy of endostatin, we fused endostatin with cytosine deaminase, which converts a prodrug 5-flucytosine into a cytotoxic 5-fluorouracil. This therapeutic strategy was developed based on the observation that the endostatin-green fluorescence protein gene and endostatin-luciferase gene selectively target to endothelial cells in vitro and to the tumor site in vivo, respectively. When we used the endostatin-cytosine deaminase fusion protein to treat s.c. grafted tumors or experimental metastasis tumors, our results showed that endostatin-cytosine deaminase treatment provided stronger tumor growth suppression and increased mean survival time of the mice compared with the treatments of endostatin alone, cytosine deaminase alone, or endostatin plus cytosine deaminase. The endostatin-cytosine deaminase protein significantly inhibited the growth of endothelial cells and preferentially induced tumor cell apoptosis. This endostatin-cytosine deaminase fusion approach opens an avenue for cancer-targeting therapy.     

S100P interacts with integrin α7 and increases cancer cell migration and invasion in lung cancer

S100P, a Ca2⁺ binding protein, has been shown to be overexpressed in various cancers. However, its functional character in lung cancer remains largely unknown. In this study, we show that S100P increases cancer migration, invasion and metastasis in lung cancer cells. Ectopic expression of S100P increases migration, invasion and EMT in less invasive CL1-0 lung cancer cells. Conversely, knockdown of S100P suppressed migration and invasion, and caused a reversion of EMT in highly invasive lung cancer cells. These effects were transduced by increasing the interaction of S100P with integrin α7, which activated focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and AKT. Blocking FAK significantly decreased S100P-induced migration by decreasing Src and AKT activation, whereas inhibiting AKT reduced S100P upregulation on ZEB1 expression. Further study has indicated that S100P knockdown prevents the spread of highly metastatic human lung cancer in animal models. This study therefore suggests that S100P represents a critical activator of lung cancer metastasis. Detection and targeted treatment of S100P-expressing cancer is an attractive therapeutic strategy in treating lung cancer.     

Isokotomolide A, a new butanolide extracted from the leaves of Cinnamomum kotoense, arrests cell cycle progression and induces apoptosis through the induction of p53/p21 and the initiation of mitochondrial system in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells

This study is the first to investigate isokotomolide A (IKA), a butanolide compound isolated from the leaves of Cinnamomum kotoense Kanehira & Sasaki (Lauraceaee), which exhibits an anti-proliferative activity in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells. The results show that IKA inhibits the proliferation of A549 by blocking cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase and inducing apoptosis. Blockade of cell cycle was associated with increased p21/WAF1 levels and reduced amounts of cyclin D1, cyclin E, Cdk2, Cdk4, and Cdk6 in a p53-mediated manner. IKA treatment also increased p53 phosphorylation (Ser15) and decreased the interaction of p53-MDM2. IKA treatment triggered the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, indicated by changing Bax/Bcl-2 ratios, cytochrome c release and caspase-9 activation. In addition, pre-treatment of cells with caspase-9 inhibitor inhibited IKA-induced apoptosis, indicating that caspase-9 activation was involved in A549 cells' apoptosis induced by IKA. Our study reports here for the first time that the induction of p53/p21 and the initiation of the mitochondrial apoptotic system may participate in the anti-proliferative activity of IKA in human non-small cell lung cancer cells.     

Effects of resistance exercise on the HPA axis response to psychological stress during short-term smoking abstinence in men

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of resistance exercise on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA) response to mental challenge, withdrawal symptoms, urge to smoke, and cognitive stress during 24-hour smoking abstinence.

Methods

8 sedentary smokers (mean ± SD age: 20.1 ± 1.7 y; height: 171.6 ± 10.8 cm; body mass: 70.4 ± 12.0 kg; smoking history: 2.9 ± 0.8 y) completed a 24-hour ad libitum smoking trial (SMO) followed by two 24-hour smoking abstinence trials. During abstinence trials, participants performed six whole body resistance exercises (EX) or a control condition (CON) in the morning, followed by mental challenge tasks in the afternoon. Plasma adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), and salivary and serum cortisol were measured during each visit at rest (REST), and then before (PRE-EX), immediately after (IP-EX), and 30 min after exercise (30-EX); and before (PRE-MC), immediately after (IP-MC), and 30 min after mental challenge (30-MC).

Results

Resistance exercise significantly (p ≤ 0.05) elevated plasma ACTH and serum cortisol at IP-EX during EX compared with SMO and CON trials. Resting ACTH, salivary and serum cortisol concentrations at Pre-MC did not differ between EX and CON trials. The HPA axis response to mental challenge was similar after EX and CON trials. Finally, resistance exercise did not reduce withdrawal symptoms, urge to smoke, or stress.

Conclusion

Resistance exercise did not substantially alter resting HPA hormones or the HPA response to mental challenge tasks during 24 h of smoking abstinence.