Search

Aims. The study is aimed at studying the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and exploring the potential predictor for AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis. Methods. A retrospective study adopting a stratified cohort sampling design was performed in a cohort of patients (n=237) diagnosed with acute pancreatitis without any renal injury. The following information including age, gender, serum creatinine, serum urea nitrogen, serum uric acid, serum cystatin C, fasting serum glucose, serum amylase, serum lipase, serum choline esterase, total protein, albumin, globulin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, total bile acids, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase were collected from each patient when they were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Student t-test was conducted to figure out the difference between patients with and without AKI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used for investigating the predictors for AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis. Results. 18 (7.6%) patients in total had developed AKI among the study group. Compared with patients without AKI (1.01 ± 0.26 mg/L), the level of baseline serum cystatin C (CYS-C) was significantly higher in patients with AKI (3.64 ± 2.17 mg/L, P<0.001). Baseline serum CYS-C (OR=203.594, P<0.001) was the independent and significant predictor for AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis. AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis could be identified with a sensitivity of 88.9% at specificity of 100% (AUC=0.948, 95% CI 0.879–1.000) by baseline serum CYS-C (cut-off value = 1.865 mg/L). Conclusions. Baseline serum CYS-C shall be adopted to predict the potential risk of AKI in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play a key role in tissue repair and regeneration. Previous studies have shown a positive correlation between the number of circulating EPCs and clinical outcomes of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). A recent study has further shown that intravenous infusion of human umbilical cord blood-derived endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) improves outcomes of mice subjected to experimental TBI. This follow-up study was designed to determine whether intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of ECFCs, which may reduce systemic effects of these cells, could repair the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and promote angiogenesis of mice with TBI. Adult nude mice were exposed to fluid percussion injury and transplanted i.c.v. with ECFCs on day 1 post-TBI. These ECFCs were detected at the TBI zone 3 days after transplantation by SP-DiIC18(3) and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Mice with ECFCs transplant had reduced Evans blue extravasation and brain water content, increased expression of ZO-1 and claudin-5, and showed a higher expression of angiopoietin 1. Consistent with the previous report, mice with ECFCs transplant had also increased microvascular density. Modified neurological severity score and Morris water maze test indicated significant improvements in motor ability, spatial acquisition and reference memory in mice receiving ECFCs, compared to those receiving saline. These data demonstrate the beneficial effects of ECFC transplant on BBB integrity and angiogenesis in mice with TBI.

A series of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives were synthesized by the three-component reaction of aromatic aldehyde, malononitrile and 6-amino-4-hydroxy-2-mercaptopyrimidine catalyzed by sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS) in aqueous media. It was interesting that further aromatization took place automatically. This method provides several advantages such as easier work-up, milder reaction conditions and environmental friendly.

[structure: see text]. The self-assembly in aqueous solution of tripyrazolate trianion linkers (H3L = 1 and 2) with coordinated dimetallic clips leads to the formation of Pd12L4 cages with interior cavities of 1800 Angstroms3 and 1500 Angstroms3, respectively, confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, cold spray ionization mass spectrometry (CSI-MS), and single-crystal X-ray analysis.

The design and synthesis of novel polypyrazolyl aromatic bridging ligands 1,3,5-tris(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyra- zol-4-yl)benzene and 2,4,6-tris(4-(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)phenyl)-1,3,5-triazine from simple starting materials mesitylene and p-tolunitrile were reported.

Two pyrazolate-bridged dinuclear Pd(II) diimine complexes {[(phen)Pd]2L2}(NO3)2 (1) and {[(bpy)Pd]2L2}(NO3)2 (2) have been synthesized through metal–metal interaction and spontaneous deprotonation from 1H-3,5-diphenylpyrazole (HL) in aqueous solution. These complexes show Pd(II)⋯Pd(II) interactions and anion binding have been characterized by elemental analyses, 1H and 13C NMR, ESI-MS, UV–Vis and luminescent spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction methods.

The expression levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) including miR-21, have been reported to change in response to traumatic brain injury (TBI), suggesting that they may influence the pathophysiological process in brain injury. To analyze the potential effect of miR-21 on neurological function after TBI, we employed the fluid percussion injury rat model and manipulated the expression level of miR-21 in brain using intracerebroventricular infusion of miR-21 agomir or antagomir. We found that upregulation of miR-21 level in brain conferred a better neurological outcome after TBI by improving long-term neurological function, alleviating brain edema and decreasing lesion volume. To further investigate the mechanism underlying this protective effect, we evaluated the impact of miR-21 on apoptosis and angiogenesis in brain after TBI. We found that miR-21 inhibited apoptosis and promoted angiogenesis through regulating the expression of apoptosis- and angiogenesis-related molecules. In addition, the expression of PTEN, a miR-21 target gene, was inhibited and Akt signaling was activated in the procedure. Taken together, these data indicate that miR-21 could be a potential therapeutic target for interventions after TBI.

The oxidative coupling of 2-naphthol (1a) and 6-bromo-2-naphthol (1b) to 1,1′-binaphthol (2a) and 6,6′-dibromo-1,1′-binaphthol (2b), respectively, have been carried out rapidly and in excellent yield by employing a series of solid Lewis acids, FeCl3/Al2O3, FeCl3/SiO2 and Fe3+ exchanged montmorillonite, as catalysts and aerial oxygen as oxidant.

An easy cleavage of acetals has been carried out in excellent yield under catalysis of montmorillonite K 10 in refluxing wet acetone.

Background Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are critical for repairing injured tissue. Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) are a homogeneous subtype of EPCs. We investigated whether intravenously infused human ECFCs homed to injured brain promoted angiogenesis and ameliorate neurologic disabilities in a mouse model of traumatic brain injury. Materials and methods ECFCs were generated by in vitro propagation of EPCs from human umbilical cord blood. Young female nude mice received intravenously ECFCs from human newborns (1 × 10 6 ) 1 h after they were exposed to lateral fluid percussion injury. Neurologic function was evaluated by a modified neurologic severity score and Morris water maze. ECFC homing and neovascularization at the site of injury were examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization and histochemistry on days 2 and 14 after injury, respectively. Results Donor ECFCs were detected in injured brain 24 h after infusion. The modified neurologic severity score and Morris water maze tests were used to evaluate neurologic disability, and found the rate of neurologic disability was improved in mice that received ECFCs. Microvessel density and expression of the proangiogenic growth factors stromal cell–derived factor-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor were also increased in the region of injured brain from mice that received ECFCs compared with those received vehicle control. Conclusions These data suggest that ECFCs are effective in promoting neovascularization and improving neurologic functions after traumatic brain injury.

A series of nanosized cavity-containing bipyrazolate-bridged metallomacrocycles with dimetal centers, namely, {[(bpy)M]8L4}(NO3)8 [L=3,3',5,5'-tetramethyl-4,4'-bipyrazolyl, Pd, Pt; 1,4-bis-4'-(3',5'-dimethyl)-pyrazolylbenzene), Pd; and 1,4-bis-4'-(3',5'-dimethyl)-pyrazolylbiphenyl, Pd], {[(phen)M]8L4}(NO3)8 [L=3,3',5,5'-tetramethyl-4,4'-bipyrazolyl, Pd, Pt; 1,4-bis-4'-(3',5'-dimethyl)-pyrazolylbenzene, Pd; and 1,4-bis-4'-(3',5'-dimethyl)-pyrazolylbiphenyl, Pd], {[(bpy)Pd]6L3}(NO3)6 [L=1,4-bis-4'-(3',5'-dimethyl)-pyrazolylbenzene,], {[(phen)Pd]6L3}(NO3)6 [L=1,4-bis-4'-(3',5'-dimethyl)-pyrazolylbenzene,], {[(bpy)Pd]4L2}(NO3)4 [L=1,3-bis-4'-(3',5'-dimethyl)-pyrazolylbenzene, and 1,2-bis-4'-(3',5'-dimethyl)-pyrazolylbenzene,], and {[(phen)Pd]4L2}(NO3)4 [L=1,3-bis-4'-(3',5'-dimethyl)-pyrazolylbenzene, and 1,2-bis-4'-(3',5'-dimethyl)-pyrazolylbenzene,] (where bpy=2,2'-bipyridine and phen=1,10-phenanthroline) have been synthesized through a directed self-assembly approach that involves spontaneous deprotonation of the 1H-bipyrazolyl ligands in aqueous solution. These complexes, with weak Pd(II)...Pd(II) or Pt(II)...Pt(II) interactions, have been characterized by elemental analysis, 1H and 13C NMR, cold-spray ionization or electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, UV-visible spectroscopy, and luminescence spectroscopy. Complexes and have also been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

A [3 + 3] modular self-assembly gives rise to the formation of basket-shaped, crown ether-functionalized, nano-sized trimetallo-macrocycles, which function as structural analogues of cyclotriveratrylenes (CTV).

Oxidation of cholesterol ( 1a ) or pregnenolone ( 1b ) with pyridinium dichromate (PDC) in dimethylformamide (DMF) or in dichloromethane (DCM) and pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC) in DCM provided cholest-4-en-3,6-dione ( 2a ) or pregn-4-en-3,6,20-trione ( 2b ). TLC monitoration of the reactions implied that cholest-5-en-3-one ( 3a ) or pregn-5-en-3,20-dione ( 3b ) and cholest-4-en-3-one ( 4a ) or pregn-4-en-3,20-dione ( 4b ) might be intermediates. Individual oxidation of 3a or 3b with PDC and PCC could give 2a or 2b , but 4a or 4b remained unchanged. Further investigation indicated that 4a or 4b was an isomerization product of 3a or 3b on silica gel TLC plate rather than really existence in the reaction mixture. These results shown steroidal 5-en-3-ones were intermediates of the transformation of steroidal 5-en-3β-ols to steroidal 4-en-3,6-diones oxidized by PDC and PCC.

Acetalization of aldehydes and ketones is catalysed by montmorillonite K-10 in refluxing benzene or toluene in excellent yields.