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Owing to their inherent flexibility and excellent biocompatibility, liquid metals (LMs) have been explored at the frontiers of clinical therapy. Herein, a LM and tanshinone IIA (TA) drugs were dispersed into sodium alginate (SA) solution by ultrasonication to prepare SA/LM/TA, which is an injectable biomaterial for stable drug release and intrapericardial injection for the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI). The SA/LM/TA has a low viscosity and can be injected smoothly using a syringe. In rat models of MI, we demonstrated that SA/LM/TA injection in the pericardial cavity is a biosafe and effective method to deliver a carrier containing LM particles and TA drugs for MI treatment. After injection, the drug release is slow and stable in the pericardial cavity, increasing the cardiac retention of drugs. After surgery and treatment for 7 days, the cardiac function of rats improved compared with the control group and the TA direct injection group. The intrapericardial injection of SA/LM/TA improves cardiac functions and mitigates cardiac remodeling post myocardial infarction of rats. Overall, the present study establishes a therapeutic strategy for treatment of myocardial infarction by intrapericardial injection of SA/LM/TA and expands the application categories of LM biomaterials in disease treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore whether Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) exhibits heart protective effect in myocardial infarction (MI) rats and to identify the potential signaling pathways involved. Methods: MI rats induced by ligating the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery were assigned to sham coronary artery ligation or coronary artery ligation. Totally 36 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group (distilled water, n=9), MI group (distilled water, n=9), PNS group (PNS, 40 mg/kg daily, n=9) and fosinopril group (FIP, 1.2 mg/kg daily, n=9) according to a random number table. The left ventricular morphology and function were conducted by echocardiography. Histological alterations were evaluated by the stainings of HE and Masson. The serum levels of C reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) and the ratio of metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of MMP-9 (TIMP-1) were determined by ELISA. The levels of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 (MAP2K3), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), phosphorylation of p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β1), collagen I, nuclear factor kappa B p65 (NFκB p65), phosphorylation of NFκB p65 (p-NFκB p65), and phosphorylation of inhibitory kappa Bα (p-Iκ Bα) in hearts were measured by Western blot and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. Results: PNS improved cardiac function and fibrosis in MI rats (P<0.05). The serum levels of CRP, TNF-α, GDF-15 and the ratio of MMP9/TIMP1 were reversed by PNS in MI rats. The expressions of TGF-β1, collagen I, MAP2K3, p38 MAPK, p-p38 MAPK, NFκB p65, p-NFκB p65, and p-IκBα were down-regulated, while ATF3 increased with the treatment of PNS (P<0.05). Conclusions: PNS may improve cardiac function and fibrosis in MI rats via regulating ATF3/MAP2K3/p38 MAPK and NFκB signaling pathways. These results suggest the potential of PNS in preventing the development of ventricular remodeling in MI rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of Yuchang suppository on experimental ulcerative colitis rats and the effect of PPARγ/NF-KB signaling pathway. Methods: The UC rat model was replicated by 2.4.6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)/ethanol method and randomly divided into normal control group, model group, high-dose group of Yuchang suppository, middle dose group , Low-dose group and sulfasalazine group, 8 rats in each group. After 14 days of treatment, the general condition of the rats was observed and the disease activity index was scored. The changes of serum TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 levels were detected by ELISA. The colonic mucosal injury index (CMDI) score and colon were observed by colon specimens. Histopathological changes; RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of PPARγ and NF-KB genes and proteins in colon tissue. Results: Compared with the normal control group, the DAI and CMDI scores in the model group and the levels of serum TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, NF-κB p65 mRNA and protein in colon tissue were significantly increased, PPAR. - γ mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly reduced. The levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and the expression of NF-κB p65 mRNA and protein in colon tissue were lower than those in the model group, and the expression levels of PPARγ mRNA and protein were high. In the model group. In the improvement of NFκBp65 and PPAR-γ gene and protein expression in rat colonic mucosa, the high-dose group and the middle-dose group were significantly better than the low-dose group. Conclusion: Yuchang suppository can significantly improve the symptoms and histopathology of UC model rats. The mechanism may be through activation of PPARγ, blocking the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway, and down-regulating inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-1β. The expression is such that the inflammatory response is alleviated or eliminated, thereby achieving the therapeutic effect of UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the free radical-scavenging activity and antioxidant activity of silk sericin hydrolysates (SSH). SSH were obtained by hydrolysis of silk sericin with alcalase, trypsin, neutrase, bromelin, papain and flavourzyme. Its ability to scavenge 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonicacid) (ABTS) cation radicals and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The antioxidant activities of the SSH, including lipid peroxidation in linoleic acid system, reducing power and ferrous ion chelating ability, were evaluated. The results showed that different protease hydrolysates possessed different ability to quench the ABTS cation radicals and DPPH radicals. Among those tested, alcalase hydrolysate exhibits the highest scavenging activity than other proteases (P < 0.05). Alcalase hydrolysate exerted the highest peroxidation inhibition than other proteases (P < 0.05). The reducing power and ferrous ion chelating ability of six SSH were significant. These results indicated that six SSH were natural antioxidants with potent antioxidative activity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Most of silk sericin must be removed during raw silk production at the reeling mill and the other stages of silk processing. At present, silk sericin is mostly discarded in the silk processing wastewater. If silk sericin was recovered and recycled, it could represent a significant economic and social benefit. Silk sericin is a natural macromolecular protein derived from silkworm Bombyx mori. Silk sericin is useful because of its antioxidant activity. Silk sericin can be cross-linked, copolymerized and blended with other macromolecular materials, especially artificial polymers, to produce materials with improved properties. The protein is also used as an improving reagent or a coating material for natural and artificial fibers, fabrics and articles. The materials modified with silk sericin and sericin composites are useful as degradable biomaterials, biomedical materials and functional membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The product rotational polarizations of reaction Li+HF→LiF+H at different collision energies, as well as at the different vibrational states and rotational states, are calculated by using the quasi-classical trajectory method based on a new potential energy surface constructed by Aguado et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 119 (2003) 10088]. We investigate the alignment and the orientation of the product molecule by calculating the P(θr, ϕr) distributions describing polar angle distribution, the P(θr) distributions describing the k–j′ correlation and the P(ϕr) distributions describing the k–k′–j′ correlation. We also explore the dependence of reaction probabilities and cross sections on the rotational and vibrational quantum number of the title reaction. It is concluded that the vibrational state has more important impact on the angular distribution, reaction probability and cross section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]