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Depression is considered to be the most common mental disorder and is probed by several studies that chronic mild stress contributes to depression, and fortunately, most antidepressants ameliorate depressive-like behavior accompanied with reversed hippocampal neurogenesis defects. In our present study, we confirmed that different antidepressants repaired the stress-induced neuronal and behavioral deficits by modulating adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Antidepressant treatment restored the adult hippocampal neurodegeneration, which was impaired by chronic unpredicted mild stress displaying decreased proliferation and neuronal differentiation but increased apoptosis of newly formed neurons in dentate gyrus. Notably, sucrose preference ratio significantly correlated with both neuronal differentiation proportion and newborn apoptosis proportion, suggesting a mechanistic relationship between neurogenesis and behavior. Indeed, the neotype TREK-1 potassium channel blocker expressed an earlier and pronounced antidepressant manifestation compared to the traditional selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors fluoxetine. We therefore conclude that the administration of TREK-1 potassium channel antagonism can reverse the depressive deficits caused by chronic stress quickly via regulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis.

Purpose: To evaluate whether postoperative exercise training is effective in improving clinical outcomes such as the quality of life (QoL), exercise capacity and respiratory function of patients receiving pulmonary resection., Data Sources: The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and PEDro electronic databases were comprehensively searched to identify eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs)., Methods: The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed. The primary outcome was postoperative QoL and secondary outcomes were exercise capacity and respiratory function., Results: A total of eight studies involving 691 participants were enrolled in this systematic review and meta-analysis. For the postoperative QoL measured by 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the pooled results demonstrated that postoperative exercise training could significantly improve the SF-36 physical domain score [weighted mean difference (WMD) = 5.87, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.96 to 7.78, P＜0.001] and SF-36 mental domain score (WMD = 8.15, 95% CI: 0.13 to 16.16, P = 0.05). The results of further analysis for the eight dimensions of SF-36 were similar to the overall results. However, for secondary outcomes, no significant effects of postoperative exercise training on exercise capacity and respiratory function were observed., Conclusion: Postoperative exercise training could significantly improve the QoL of patients undergoing lung surgery. However, more RCTs with large samples are still needed to verify the effects of postoperative exercise rehabilitation on clinical outcomes of patients who receive pulmonary resection., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel electron-transporting unit, imidazo [1,2- b ]pyridazine (IP), was first reported for developing host materials. The IP moiety possesses excellent electron-transporting ability and great thermal stability. Using carbazole as p-type units and IP as n-type units, several bipolar host materials, namely, IP6Cz, IP68Cz, IP36Cz, and IP368Cz, were developed through altering the substitution site of the IP core. Among these four materials, 6-site-substituted IP6Cz and 6,8-site-substituted IP68Cz exhibit the best electroluminescence (EL) performance. IP6Cz- and IP68Cz-based red phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes using Ir(pq) 2 acac as the emitter exhibit extremely high EL efficiency with the maximum external quantum efficiency (η ext,max ) of 26.9 and 25.2% and an insignificant efficiency roll-off. Moreover, IP6Cz- and IP68Cz-based deep-red devices doped by Ir(piq) 2 acac also show satisfactory EL performance with a η ext,max of 20.5 and 19.9%, respectively. The influence of different substitution sites of the IP core on the photophysical and electrochemical properties was systematically investigated. This study demonstrates that IP could be a first-rate electron-transporting unit for bipolar materials for red-emitting devices.

FTY720 is a sphingosine 1 phosphate (S1P) receptor agonist approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, which is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder. Sepsis is a complex syndrome associated with progressive endotoxemic developments, which finally leads to damage of multiple organs, including the heart. In critical patients, cardiovascular dysfunction due to sepsis is a major cause of death. Previous studies have shown an association between S1P and cardioprotection in the situation of ischemia reperfusion and myocardial infarction. Therefore, we will study the role of S1P towards endotoxic cardiomyocytes. Different doses of FTY720 were applied or not to endotoxic cardiomyocytes. The concentration of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 was measured by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay. Western blotting was used to analyze the downstream signaling pathways. We discovered that FTY720 reduced the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 through the NF-ΚB pathway, inhibited the expression of caspase-3, and activated both protein kinase B and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. Additionally, the activation of protein kinase B and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 could be inhibited by the S1P1 and S1P3 receptor antagonist vulcanized polyethylene23019. Therefore, we infer that S1P exerts a protective effect towards endotoxic cardiomyocytes by decreasing the levels of TNF-α and IL-6, regulating apoptotic and survival signaling pathway. The S1P1 and S1P3 receptors are involved in the prosurvival signal activation.

Background: Oscillatory positive expiratory pressure (OPEP) training is a kind of breathing exercise with Acapella. The clinical value of OPEP has been widely discussed in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis as well as pulmonary cyst. However, few studies have explored the application of OPEP in surgery lung cancer patients underwent lobectomy. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore the impact of the application of OPEP device (acapella) in lung cancer patients undergoing video-assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS)., Methods: Sixty-nine patients receiving VATS lobectomy in Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from September 15, 2017 to January 15, 2018 were randomly divided into the acapella group (AG) or the control group (CG). The patients in the AG received oscillating positive expiratory pressure training and the CG underwent standard perioperative treatment. The differences of morbidity, pulmonary function, quality of life were compared between the two groups., Results: Thirty-five patients were assigned to the AG and thirty-four patients were assigned to the CG. The incidences of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) and atelectasis (2.9%, 0.0%) in the AG were significantly lower than that in the CG (20.6%, 14.7%)(P=0.03, P=0.03). The duration of total hospital stay and postoperative hospital stay in the AG (10.86±5.64, 5.09±4.55) d were significantly shorter than that in the CG (10.86±5.64, 5.09±4.55) d (P=0.01, P=0.01). The drug cost in the AG (4,413.60±1,772.35) ¥ were significantly lower than that in the CG (6,490.35±3,367.66) ¥ (P=0.01). The patients in the AG had better forced expiratory volume in the first second and peak expiratory flow [(1.50±0.32) L,(252.06±75.27) L/min] compared with the CG [(1.34±0.19) L, (216.94±49.72) L/min] (P=0.03, P=0.03) at discharge., Conclusions: The application of OPEP device during the perioperative period was valuable in decreasing PPCs and enhancing recovery for lung cancer patients receiving VATS lobectomy.

ortho-Methyl effects are exploited to tune steric hindrance between side-chain N,N'-diaryls and polycyclic dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazine, and in turn control the conformations of N,N'-diphenyl-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazine (DPAC) and its ortho-methyl derivatives Mx-My (x=0, 1 or 2, y=1 or 2, x and y correlate with the number of methyl groups in the ortho-positiond of N,N'-diphenyl). The magnitude of steric hindrance increases as x and y increase, and the V-shaped dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazine skeleton is gradually tuned from a bent (DPAC) to planar (M2-M2) structure in the ground state. As a result, the relaxation of the excited-state structure of DPAC and its numerous analogues could be mimicked by model structures Mx-My, demonstrating for the first time the the conformation change from bent-to-planar and hence a large range of energy-gap tuning of polycyclic conjugated structures controlled by the steric hindrance., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Objective To investigate the isolation and identification of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and the effect of -80DegreesCelsius cryopreservation on the structural integrity of the EVs' membrane. Methods EVs were isolated and purified from the culture supernatant of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC-CS) by ultrahigh velocity centrifugation. The size and morphology of EVs were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of CD63 protein. The integrity of the EVs' membrane structure was observed by TEM at different time after storage at -80DegreesCelsius. Results SEM showed that a large number of EVs with membrane structures, round or oval and ranged in size from 50 to 1000 nm were attached onto BMSC surface. Under TEM, BMSC-EVs were similar in morphology and size to them under SEM. Western blotting revealed that BMSC-EV expressed the marker protein CD63. BMSC-EVs had a complete membrane structure at the first month and the third month, whereas BMSC-EV's membrane structure ruptured at the sixth month after storage at -80DegreesCelsius. Conclusion BMSC-EVs is successfully extracted, and the membrane structure integrity get worse with the prolongation of cryopreservation time.

Background: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), especially postoperative pneumonia (POP), directly affect the rapid recovery of lung cancer patients after surgery. Peak expiratory flow (PEF) can reflect airway patency and cough efficiency. Moreover, cough impairment may lead to accumulation of pulmonary secretions which can increase the risk of PPCs. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of preoperative PEF on PPCs in patients with lung cancer., Methods: Retrospective research was conducted on 433 lung cancer patients who underwent lobectomy at the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2014 to December 2015. The associations between preoperative PEF and PPCs were analyzed based on patients' basic characteristics and clinical data in hospital., Results: Preoperative PEF value in PPCs group (280.93±88.99) L/min was significantly lower than that in non-PPCs group (358.38±93.69) L/min (P<0.001). According to the binary logistics regression analysis, PEF and operative time were independent risk factors for PPCs. Further, ROC curve showed that PEF=320 L/min was the cut-off value for predicting the occurrence of PPCs (AUC=0.706, 95%CI: 0.661-0.749). The incidence of PPCs in PEF≤320 L/min group (26.6%) was significantly higher than that in PEF>320 L/min group (9.4%)(P<0.001)., Conclusions: Preoperative PEF and PPCs are correlated, and PEF may be used as a predictor of PPCs.

Several studies have demonstrated extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could promote neural regeneration following central nervous system injury. However, the therapeutic effects of MSC-EVs in peripheral nerve regeneration remain poorly understood. This study was aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of local application of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSCs) derived EVs in rat sciatic nerve crush injury model. EVs were isolated from the culture supernatants of BMSCs under serum-free conditioned medium, and identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Then, the crush-injured segment of rat was treated by BMSC-EVs or PBS, and assessed the nerve regeneration. Results showed that BMSC-EVs size ranged from 40 to 300 nm and had a typical membrane structure under TEM and SEM. BMSC-EVs treatment promote the function recovery by sciatic function Index, improve the histomorphometric repair in nerve regeneration, and increase the expression of GAP-43, a marker for axon regeneration. The present study demonstrated that BMSC-EVs could promote the functional recovery and nerve regeneration of crush-injured sciatic nerves in rat. BMSC-EVs provide a novel cell-free therapeutic approach to peripheral nerve therapy., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2017.)

Objectives: The goal of this study was to assess the impact of a preoperative 1-week, systematic, high-intensity inpatient exercise regimen on patients with lung cancer who had risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs)., Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 101 subjects of a preoperative, 7-day systematic, integrated, high-intensity pulmonary exercise regimen. The control group received standard preoperative care. We analysed the occurrence of PPCs in both groups as the primary outcome; other outcomes included changes in blood gas, quality of life, peak expiratory flow rate, the 6-min walk distance and others., Results: The 6-min walk distance showed an increase of 22.9 ± 25.9 m in the intervention group compared with 4.2 ± 9.2 m in the control group, giving a between-group difference of 18.7 m (95% confidence interval: 8.8-28.6; P < 0.001); the peak expiratory flow increased by 25.2 ± 24.6 l/min, compared with 4.2 ± 7.7 l/min (between-group difference: 21.0 m, 95% confidence interval: 7.2-34.8; P = 0.003). The intervention group had a shorter average total (15.6 ± 3.6 vs 17.7 ± 5.3 days, P = 0.023) and postoperative length of stay (6.1 ± 3.0 vs 8.7 ± 4.6 days, P = 0.001) than the control group; the incidence of PPCs (9.8%, 5/51 vs 28.0%, 14/50, P = 0.019) was significantly lower. A multivariable analysis of the risk of PPCs identified short-term rehabilitation intervention to be an independent risk factor (odds ratio = 0.156, 95% confidence interval: 0.037-0.649, P = 0.011)., Conclusions: The study results suggested that a systematic, high-intensity pulmonary exercise programme was a practical strategy when performed preoperatively in patients with lung cancer with risk factors for PPCs., Clinical Trial Registration: ChiCTR-IOR-16008109., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Brain damage following cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is a complicated pathophysiological course, in which inflammation and oxidative stress have been suggested to serve an important role. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been suggested to be involved in secondary inflammatory process in cerebral ischemia. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), an important regulator of the antioxidant host defense, maintains the cellular redox homeostasis. Tissue kallikrein (TK) has been proven to elicit a variety of biological effects in ischemic stroke through its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. However, the mechanisms underlying its beneficial effects remain poorly defined. The present study examined the hypothesis that TK attenuates ischemic cerebral injury via the TLR4/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and Nrf2 signaling pathways. Using a transient rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model, the effects of immediate and delayed TK treatment subsequent to reperfusion were investigated. The neurological deficits, infarct size, and the expression of TLR4/NF-κB and Nrf2 pathway in ischemic brain tissues were measured at 24 following MCAO. The results indicated that TK immediate treatment significantly improved neurological deficits and reduced the infarct size, accompanied by the inhibition of TLR4 and NF-κB levels, and the activation of Nrf2 pathway. Furthermore, TK delayed treatment also exerted neuroprotection against I/R injury. However, the neuroprotective effect of TK immediate treatment was better compared with that of TK delayed treatment. In conclusion, the results indicated that TK protected the brain against ischemic injury in rats after MCAO through its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Suppression of TLR4/NF-κB and activation of the Nrf2 pathway contributed to the neuroprotective effects induced by TK in cerebral ischemia. Therefore, TK may provide an effective intervention with a wider therapeutic window for ischemic stroke.

Two novel ratiometric fluorometric probes 6 a and 6 b have been designed and synthesized for the detection of Hg 2+ and Ag + , respectively. Each of these probes is comprised of a 9,14-diphenyl-9,14-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazine (DPAC) skeleton, a tetraphenylethylene (TPE) unit, and two thymine/adenine groups. In this proof-of-concept work, the DPAC unit featuring vibration-induced emission (VIE) characteristics serves as a dual-emission chromogen, whereas the TPE moiety, which is noted for its aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties, functions mainly as a signal amplifier. The coordination between the thymine/adenine groups and Hg 2+ /Ag + leads to the formation of aggregates, which restricts the intramolecular vibrations of DPAC and the intramolecular rotations of TPE, activating the AIE effect of TPE and resulting in the bent form of DPAC. Accordingly, the overall fluorescence changed from moderate orange-red (I orange-red ) to intense blue light (I blue ) passing through the white-light region, concurrently with an enhancement of fluorescence at 475 nm and a dramatic increase in the ratio of I blue /I orange-red . Furthermore, the superb sensitivity of 6 a/6 b towards Hg 2+ /Ag + has been demonstrated by the detection limit, which is as low as 6.1 nm and 0.1 μm, respectively. Both of these values are below the maximum concentration in drinking water permitted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, demonstrating their great potential to be applied for real-world metal-ion sensing., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: The feasibility and practicality of preoperative rehabilitation (PR) programs remains quite controversial in the treatment of lung cancer (LC). This study explored whether a short-term high-intensity rehabilitation program could improve postoperative outcomes compared to those achieved with conventional inspiratory muscle training (IMT)., Methods: A three-armed randomized controlled trial comparing the two training modalities and routine care was conducted in surgical LC patients. Patient groups received one of three treatment regimens: (I) high-intensity pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) that combined IMT with conventional resistance training (CRT) (combined PR group); (II) conventional PR (single IMT group); or (III) routine preoperative preparation (control group). The primary endpoint was a change in the occurrence of post-operative pulmonary complications (PPCs) that occurred within 30 days after surgery, while secondary endpoints included changes in length of hospital stay, quality of life (QoL) scores, 6-min walk distance (6-MWD) and peak expiratory flow (PEF)., Results: A total of 90 enrolled patients were randomized into three groups with a computer-based 1:1:1 ratio. The intention-to-treat analysis of the study revealed that, compared with the Control Group, the Combined PR Group had a significant increase in ∆ 6-MWD (by 32.67 m, P=0.002), ∆ PEF (by 14.3 L/min, P=0.001), ∆ global scores (by 3.7, P=0.035); and a reduced ∆ average total hospital stay (by 3.2 d, P=0.001) and ∆postoperative stay (by 3.6 d, P=0.001). With regard to PPC rate, the Combined PR Group had a somewhat lower PPC severity (grade II-V) compared to the Control Group., Conclusions: This hospital-based short-term program of PR combining high-intensity IMT with CRT was significantly superior to the conventional IMT program, indicating that this approach would be a feasible strategy for treating LC patients, especially those waiting operations with surgery-related risk factors., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Background: Surfactant Protein D (SP-D) as a lung-derived biomarker for inflammatory lung disease is being studied in depth. Meanwhile, the Pre-operative Rehabilitation Program (PRP) has been proposed as an effective treatment to reduce the incidence of Post-operative Pulmonary Complications (PPCs) and further improve quality of life. However, the relationship between serum SP-D levels and PRP remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the correlation between these two phenomena and validate the feasibility of using preoperative serum SP-D levels to predict or assess the effectiveness of PRP., Methods: A prospective study with a total of 80 lung cancer patients with risk factors for PPCs was conducted; subjects were randomly divided into an Intervention Group (IG, n = 36) and a Control Group (CG, n = 44). The IG was treated with one week of PRP, and the CG was treated for the same duration with routine preoperative preparation before the lobectomy. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected at five time points and serum SP-D levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We analysed the serum level changes of SP-D as well as the PPCs occurred between the two groups., Results: Both groups were comparable at baseline. The average levels of SP-D in both groups showed a decline trend with time, and levels before the day of surgery revealed a significant decline range in the IG compared with the CG (6.56 ± 5.30 vs. 1.05 ± 2.79 ng/ml, P < 0.001). The incidence of PPCs in the IG was significantly lower than in the CG (2/36 vs. 10/44, p = 0.032), as were the PPC person-times occurring from postoperative days 1-4 (POD 1-4) (5/36 vs. 15/44, p = 0.038) and the total person-times (5/36 vs. 19/44, p = 0.004). The overall SP-D levels on the day before surgery in patients with PPCs were significantly higher than those without PPCs (34.07 ± 4.32 vs. 30.30 ± 6.52 ng/ml, p = 0.005); furthermore, the overall SP-D levels on admission day in CG patients with PPCs were also significantly higher than those without PPCs (34.93 ± 4.15 vs. 29.81 ± 7.47 ng/ml, p = 0.045)., Conclusions: The Preoperative Intensity Rehabilitation Program could positively decrease the serum SP-D levels in lung cancer patients with PPC risk factors, and higher preoperative serum SP-D levels may related to a higher incidence of PPCs. Serum SP-D may be a potential predictor for evaluating the efficiency of PRPs and the risk of PPC occurrence., (Copyright © 2017 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new bipolar host material 2-(2'-(5-(dibenzo[b,d]furan-4-yl)-1H-indol-1-yl)-1,1'-biphenyl]-4-yl)-1-phenyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole (INDY) has been designed and synthesized for solution-processed PHOLEDs. A hole-transporting indole conjugated dibenzofuran scaffold and an electron-transporting benzimidazole unit were orthogonally connected with incorporation of a 2,4'-biphenyl bridge, which endows a balanced bipolar charge transfer distribution and appropriate triplet energy level (>2.6 eV). The twisted conformation of INDY also ensures good thermal/morphological stability with high T g (148 °C). The solution-processed green PHOLEDs achieved great device efficiencies with 27.33 cd/A and 12.26 lm/W at 7 V. Meanwhile, the red solution-processed PHOLEDs gained excellent performance with the maximum efficiencies of 17.20 cd/A, 9.82 lm/W, and 12.61%. In addition, all of the red devices presented excellent color stability with the same CIE coordinate as (0.65, 0.35) under varying dopant contents and operating voltages.

Background and Aims: The β-Site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) gene polymorphism (rs638405) has been extensively investigated for association to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, results of different studies have been contradictory. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between BACE1 gene polymorphism (rs638405) and AD., Methods: All eligible studies were searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, SinoMed, and the China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of the association between BACE1 gene polymorphism and AD., Results: Twenty studies in 19 papers containing 4377 AD patients and 4563 controls were included for rs638405 polymorphism. The results suggested that rs638405 in BACE1 was not associated with the risk of AD. Stratification analyses indicated rs638405 decreased the risk of apolipoprotein-E ε4 (APOE4) positive AD patients. Furthermore, we found rs638405 also decreased the risk of Asian AD patients. By exclusion of three studies that did not conform to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), our data suggested rs638405 in BACE1 was a protective factor of AD., Conclusions: To sum up, our data indicated that BACE1 gene polymorphism in exon 5 might decrease the risk of Asian AD and APOE4 positive patients.

Background: As a newly developed treatment, preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) has been studied in depth. However, few studies have assessed the relationship between advanced age and a shorter term intensive pattern of preoperative PR in patients with lung cancer (LC) and especially those patients waiting for therapeutic LC surgeries. This study investigated short-term preoperative PR combined with inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and aerobic endurance training in elderly patients scheduled to undergo LC lobectomy., Methods: A prospective randomized controlled trial with a total of 60 subjects aged ≥70 y was conducted. The intervention group (PR group) was treated for 1 wk with systematic and highly intensive preoperative PR training before lobectomy, and the control group (NPR group) was treated with conventional preoperative respiratory management. We analyzed the 6-min walking distance (6-MWD), the peak expiratory flow (PEF), and quality-of-life scores before and after the rehabilitation regimen as well as the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs)., Results: In total, 30 patients (PR group) completely executed the 7-d intensive preoperative PR, and 30 patients (NPR group) served as the control group. The two groups were comparable at baseline. During the preoperative PR, a significantly longer 6-MWD (increase: 28.6 ± 18.2 versus 9.4 ± 27.0 m; between-groups difference: 19.2 m, P = 0.029) and an increased PEF (increase: 26.2 ± 22.5 versus 8.2 ± 10.3 L/min; between-groups difference: 18.0 L/min, P < 0.001) were noted in the PR group compared with the NPR group. After LC surgery, the mean postoperative length of stay (6.9 ± 4.4 versus 10.7 ± 6.4 d, P = 0.010) and total hospital stay (16.0 ± 4.5 versus 19.7 ± 6.5 d, P = 0.012) were significantly reduced in the PR group. Thirty-day PPCs were noted in four (13.3%) patients in the PR group and 11 (36.7%) patients in the NPR group, with a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.037)., Conclusions: For elderly LC patients scheduled to undergo surgery in China, a 7-d intensive pattern of preoperative PR combined with IMT and aerobic endurance training may be a feasible rehabilitation strategy with positive physical and psychological effects., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

For deeper understanding of the coupling of electronic processes with conformational motions, we exploit a tailored strategy to harness the excited-state planarization of N,N'-disubstituted dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazines by halting the structural evolution via a macrocyclization process. In this new approach, 9,14-diphenyl-9,14-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazine (DPAC) is used as a prototype, in which the para sites of 9,14-diphenyl are systematically enclosed by a dialkoxybenzene-alkyl-ester or -ether linkage with different chain lengths, imposing various degrees of constraint to impede the structural deformation. Accordingly, a series of DPAC-n (n = 1-8) derivatives were synthesized, in which n correlates with the alkyl length, such that the strength of the spatial constraint decreases as n increases. The structures of DPAC-1, DPAC-3, DPAC-4, and DPAC-8 were identified by the X-ray crystal analysis. As a result, despite nearly identical absorption spectra (onset ∼400 nm) for DPAC-1-8, drastic chain-length dependent emission is observed, spanning from blue (n = 1, 2, ∼400 nm) and blue-green (n = 3-5, 500-550 nm) to green-orange (n = 6) and red (n = 7, 8, ∼610 nm) in various regular solvents. Comprehensive spectroscopic and dynamic studies, together with a computational approach, rationalized the associated excited-state structure responding to emission origin. Severing the linkage for DPAC-5 via lipase treatment releases the structural freedom and hence results in drastic changes of emission from blue-green (490 nm) to red (625 nm), showing the brightening prospect of these chemically locked DPAC-n in both fundamental studies and applications.

Objective: To investigate the effect of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells( BMSCs) on the proliferation and migration of rat RSC96 Schwann cells in vitro., Methods: BMSCs of Sprague Dawley( SD) rats were isolated by bone marrow cell adherent method. The morphology of the third generation of BMSCs was observed by inverted microscopy. The cell surface antigen makers CD19,CD34,CD73,CD105 were detected by flow cytometry. The third-passage BMSCs differentiated into osteoblasts and adipocytes after exposed to bone-inducing and lipid-inducing media for 3 and 2 weeks,respectively,and then were identified by oil red O and alkaline phosphatase staining. The third generation of BMSCs was co-cultured with RSC96 cells for 24 hours in 24 mm co-culture plate. The cell proliferation and colony formation of RSC96 cells were determined by MTT assay and plate cloning assay. The migration of RSC96 cells was detected by scratch and TranswellTMchamber assay. Bax and Bcl-2 expression levels of RSC96 cells were detect by Western blot analysis., Results: The third generation of BMSCs showed fusiform,spiral arrangement with similar cell size under an inverted microscope. The CD73 and CD105 expression levels of BMSCs were high,however,the CD34 and CD19 were low. BMSCs had large lipid droplets after adipogenic induction for 3 weeks; and the alkaline phosphatase staining of BMSCs was positive after osteogenic induction for 2 weeks. Compared to the control group,co-culture of RSC96 cells and BMSCs induced a significant decrease in the proliferation,colony formation and migration of RSC96 cells. Meanwhile,Bax protein expression increased,and Bcl-2protein expression decreases in RSC96 cells co-cultured with BMSCs., Conclusion: BMSCs could promote the apoptosis and inhibit the proliferation and migration of RSC96 cells.

This paper discusses the use of N,N'-disubstituted-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazines with typical Vibration-Induced-Emission (VIE) properties for imaging amyloid β (Aβ) fibrils, which are a signature of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. A water-soluble VIEgen with a red fluorescence emission shows a pronounced, blue-shifted emission with Aβ peptide monomers and fibrils. The enhancement in blue fluorescence can be ascribed to the restriction of the molecular vibration by selectively binding to Aβ. We determine an increasing blue-to-red emission ratio of the VIEgen with both the concentration and fibrogenesis time of Aβ, thereby enabling a ratiometric detection of Aβ in its different morphological forms. Importantly, the VIEgen was proven to be suitable for the fluorescence imaging of small Aβ plaques in the hippocampus of a transgenic mouse brain (five months old), with the blue and red emissions well overlapped on the Aβ. This research offers a new rationale to design molecular VIE probes for biological applications.

Phenazines exhibit intriguing vibration-induced emission (VIE) owing to the fast intrinsic vibration of benzo[a,c]phenazine moiety. For the first time, a phenazine-based ratiometric fluorescent probe DBPST is developed for recognizing Hg 2+ via restriction of VIE. Upon binding with Hg 2+ , DBPST demonstrates two well-resolved emission peaks (over 130 nm) with a wide tuning color and affords a large signal-to-background ratio., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is proposed as an effective strategy to decrease surgical morbidity. However, appropriate rehabilitation plan, initiation time, and optimal duration of PR remain unclear. Lung cancer patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are considered high-risk population for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) because of poor lung fitness and cardiopulmonary endurance. This study aims to assess the impact of a one-week, systematic and highly-intensive rehabilitation on surgical lung cancer patients with mild to moderate COPD., Methods: A randomized controlled trial with 48 subjects was conducted (24 patients each for the intervention and groups). The intervention group received seven days of systematic, integrated and highly-intensive PR before surgical treatment, including: pharmacotherapy with atomizing terbutaline, pulmicort and infusion of ambroxol; and physical rehabilitation with respiratory training and endurance training. The control group underwent standard preoperative care., Results: For the intervention group, the postoperative length of stay was shorter [(6.17±2.91) d vs (8.08±2.21) d; P=0.013]; likewise for the duration of antibiotics use [(3.61±2.53) d vs (5.36±3.12) d; P=0.032]. No significant difference was found between the groups in total in-hospital cost [(46,455.6±5,080.9) ¥ vs (45,536.0±4,195.8) ¥, P=0.498], medicine cost [(7,760.3±2,366.0) vs (6,993.0±2,022.5), P=0.223], and material cost [(21,155.5±10,512.1) ¥ vs (21,488.8±3,470.6) ¥, P=0.883]. In the intervention group, peak expiratory flow [(268.40±123.94) L/min vs (343.71±123.92) L/min; P<0.001], 6-min walk distance (6-MWD) [(595.42±106.74) m vs (620.90±99.27) m; P=0.004], and energy consumption [(59.93±10.61) kcal vs (61.03±10.47) kcal; P=0.004] were statistically different after the seven-day exercise, compared with those on the first day. Finally, for the intervention group the incidence of PPCs (8.3%, 2/24 vs 20.8%, 5/24, 20.8%; P=0.416) were lower., Conclusions: The systematic and highly-intensive pulmonary rehabilitation combining abdominal respiration training, respiratory exercise with incentive spirometry, and aerobic exercise could improve the cardiorespiratory endurance of lung cancer patients with mild to moderate COPD. The proposed program may be a practicable preoperative strategy.
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Background: Ghrelin receptor agonists have been established to be important in ameliorating the nutritional conditions in patients with malnutrition. However, some studies have reported inconsistent results. We aimed to coalesce the available evidence on the efficacy of ghrelin receptor agonists for the treatment of malnutrition., Methods: We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE for relevant articles published through March 2016. Studies comparing the efficacy of ghrelin receptor agonists versus placebo in malnourished patients were eligible for inclusion., Results: A total of 12 studies involving 1377 patients were included. Compared with placebo, ghrelin receptor agonists could increase the energy intake (standard mean difference [SMD] 2.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48 to 3.85, P < 0.001), lean body mass (weighted mean difference [WMD] 0.25 kg, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.42, P = 0.006), fat mass (WMD 0.92 kg, 95% CI 0.05 to 1.8, P = 0.038), and grip strength (WMD 0.31 kg, 95% CI 0.207 to 0.414, P < 0.001) of patients with malnutrition., Conclusion: Our analysis indicated that ghrelin receptor agonists could improve the poor nutritional state of malnourished patients by increasing their energy intake, ameliorating their irregular body composition and improving their grip strength. However, these results might be less conclusive due to the limited sample sizes and one potential publication that has not been released.

Re-programming of lipogenic signaling has been previously demonstrated to result in significant alterations in tumor cell pathology. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1) is a known transcription factor of lipogenic genes. Despite the fact that its functions in proliferation and apoptosis have been elucidated in recent studies, its role in tumor cell migration and invasion, particularly in breast cancer, remains unclear. In present study, the messenger RNA and protein expression levels of SREBP-1 in cancer tissues were observed to be overexpressed compared with those in matched para-cancerous tissues (P<0.01). SREBP-1 level was highly positively correlated with tumor differentiation (P<0.001), tumor-node-metastasis stage (P=0.044) and lymph node metastasis (P<0.001). High expression of SREBP-1 predicted poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer. Additionally, multivariate analysis revealed that SREBP-1 was an independent factor of 5-year overall and disease-specific survival in breast cancer patients (P<0.01). In vitro studies revealed that the suppression of SREBP-1 expression in both MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 cells significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion (P<0.01). The present data indicate that SREBP-1 plays a critical role in breast cancer migration and invasion, and may serve as a prognostic marker of this malignancy.

The cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) 765G>C polymorphism has been extensively investigated for association with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, results of different studies have been inconsistent. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between the 765G>C polymorphism of the COX-2 gene and susceptibility to AD. We searched all related subjects in PubMed, Embase, SinoMed, and China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database and identified seven studies that reported a relationship between the COX-2 765G>C polymorphism and AD. A total of 1260 cases and 1112 controls were included in the seven studies. Our data suggest that the COX-2 765G>C polymorphism may decrease the risk of AD in five genetic models. As a result, this meta-analysis suggests the 765G>C polymorphism of the COX-2 gene may be a protective factor for AD. As our sample size was limited, large-scale, well-designed studies are necessary to validate the association between the COX-2 765G>C polymorphism and AD., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Still considered one of the most prevalent nutritional problems in the world, anemia has been shown in many studies to have deleterious effects on neurobehavioral development. While most research efforts have focused on investigating the effects of anemia on social and emotional development of infants by using a cross-sectional design, research is still needed to investigate whether early childhood anemia, beyond infantile years, is linked with behavioral problems., Objective: This study assessed whether (1) hemoglobin (Hb) levels in early childhood are associated with externalizing behavior; and (2) this relationship is confounded by social adversity., Methods: Hemoglobin levels were taken from children (N = 98) of the China Jintan Cohort Study at age 4 years, and externalizing behaviors (attention and aggression) were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (ASEBA-CBCL) at age 6 years (mean age 5.77 ± 0.39 years old)., Results: Compared with other children in the sample, children with relatively lower Hb levels at age 4 had more behavioral problems in both attention and aggression at age 6, independent of social adversity. For boys, this association was significant for attention problems, which did not interact with social adversity. For girls, the association was significant for aggression, which interacted with social adversity. While girls on average exhibited higher social adversity than boys, the main effect of Hb was only significant in girls with low social adversity., Conclusions: These results indicate that there is an inverse association between hemoglobin levels and later behavioral problems. Findings of this study suggest that regular monitoring of children's hemoglobin levels and appropriate intervention may help with early identification of behavioral problems.

The 3D measurement system based on fringe patterns is widely applied in diverse fields. The measurement accuracy is mainly determined by camera and projector calibration accuracy. In the existing methods, the system is calibrated by a dot calibration board with traditional image process algorithms. In this paper, an improved calibration method is proposed to increase camera and projector calibration accuracy simultaneously. To this end, first, a subpixel edge detection method is proposed to improve the detection accuracy of reference features for coarse calibration; second, an iterative compensation algorithm is developed to improve the detection accuracy of the reference feature centers for fine calibration. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed calibration method can improve the calibration accuracy and measurement accuracy.

Background: There are incresing lung cancer patients detected and diagnosed at the intermediate stage when the pre-malignant or early lesions are amenable to resection and cure, owing to the progress of medical technology, the renewal of detection methods, the popularity of medical screening and the improvement of social health consciousness. The aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors of the occurrence of postoperative cardio-pulmonary complications in stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, based on routine laboratory tests, basic characteristics, and intraoperative variables in hospital., Methods: The 421 patients after lobectomy in patients with stage I NSCLC at the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2012 to December 2013 were included into the study and stratified into complication group and non-complication group, according to whether to occur postoperative cardio-pulmonary complications after lobectomy in 30 days., Results: Of them, 64 (15.2%) patients were finally identified and selected into the complication group, compared with 357 (84.8%) in non-complication group: pneumonia (8.8%, 37/421) was the primary complication, and other main complications included atelectasis (5.9%, 25/421), pleural effusion (≥middle) (5.0%, 21/421), persistent air leak (3.6%, 15/421); The operation time (P=0.007), amount of blood loss (P=0.034), preoperative chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (P=0.027), white blood cell (WBC) count (P<0.001), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (P<0.001) were significantly different between the two groups. According to the binary logistics regression analysis, preoperative COPD (OR=0.031, 95%CI: 0.012-0.078, P<0.001) and WBC count (OR=1.451, 95%CI: 1.212-1.736, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for postoperative cardio-pulmonary complications., Conclusions: Among an array of clinical variables in hospital, operation time, preoperative white blood cell count, preoperative COPD, may be the independent risk factors of the occurrence of postoperative cardio-pulmonary complications.

A Cu-catalyzed C-H amination/Ullmann N-arylation domino reaction of phenanthrene-9,10-diamines with aryl iodides has been developed, which provides a straightforward and facile access to 9,14-diaryl-9,14-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazine. This reaction features readily available starting materials and simple experimental operation.

Backgrounds and Aims: The pathogenetic mechanism of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still unknown; however, gene polymorphism may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of AD. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the association between FAS gene A-670G polymorphism and AD., Methods: We searched all related subjects in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, and the China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database and identified seven studies reporting a relationship between the A-670G polymorphism in the FAS gene and AD., Results: A total of 1512 cases and 1707 controls were included in the seven studies. The meta-analyses results suggested no significant association between the A-670G polymorphism and AD in any genetic models. When a subgroup analysis was conducted by ethnicity, the A-670G polymorphism was also not relevant to AD. However, when stratified by age, the GG genotype increased the risk of early-onset AD. We also found that the A-670G polymorphism was related to patients with AD who carried the apolipoprotein-E ε4 allele in three genetic models., Conclusions: To sum up, our data suggested that the FAS gene A-670G polymorphism may not be associated with AD. When a subgroup analysis was conducted by ethnicity, the A-670G polymorphism was also not related with AD in Asian and Caucasian population. However, the FAS-670 GG genotype may increase the risk of AD in the younger population (age, ≤65 years). Furthermore, we found that the A-670G polymorphism was related to patients with AD who carried the APOE4 allele in dominant, allele and homozygous models.

A tailored strategy is utilized to modify 5,10-dimethylphenazine (DMP) to donor-acceptor type N,N'-disubstituted-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazines. The representative compounds DMAC (N,N'-dimethyl), DPAC (N,N'-diphenyl), and FlPAC (N-phenyl-N'-fluorenyl) reveal significant nonplanar distortions (i.e., a saddle shape) and remarkably large Stokes-shifted emission independent of the solvent polarity. For DPAC and FlPAC with higher steric hindrance on the N,N'-substituents, normal Stokes-shifted emission also appears, for which the peak wavelength reveals solvent-polarity dependence. These unique photophysical behaviors are rationalized by electronic configuration coupled conformation changes en route to the geometry planarization in the excited state. This proposed mechanism is different from the symmetry rule imposed to explain the anomalously long-wavelength emission for DMP and is firmly supported by polarity-, viscosity-, and temperature-dependent steady-state and nanosecond time-resolved spectroscopy. Together with femtosecond early dynamics and computational simulation of the reaction energy surfaces, the results lead us to establish a sequential, three-step kinetics. Upon electronic excitation of N,N'-disubstituted-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazines, intramolecular charge-transfer takes place, followed by the combination of polarization stabilization and skeletal motion toward the planarization, i.e., elongation of the π-delocalization over the benzo[a,c]phenazines moiety. Along the planarization, DPAC and FlPAC encounter steric hindrance raised by the N,N'-disubstitutes, resulting in a local minimum state, i.e., the intermediate. The combination of initial charge-transfer state, intermediate, and the final planarization state renders the full spectrum of interest and significance in their anomalous photophysics. Depending on rigidity, the N,N'-disubstituted-dihydrodibenzo[a,c]phenazines exhibit multiple emissions, which can be widely tuned from red to deep blue and even to white light generation upon optimization of the surrounding media.

Due to the vibration of the phenazine unit, compound S1 exhibits dual fluorescence in solution but one peak in the solid state. Based on this novel phenomenon and combined with the intramolecular energy transfer (IET) effect, a colour-tunable luminescence, even near white emission from a single molecule could be achieved in two different ways: controlling the polarity of the solvent and the aggregation index.

Although the advances on carbon halide reductive elimination have been made, the alkyl bromide and chloride analogues remain a challenge. Here, a palladium(0)-catalyzed iminohalogenation of γ,δ-unsaturated oxime esters is described, and the use of electron-poor phosphine ligands proved to be crucial to promoting alkyl bromide and chloride reductive elimination. Furthermore, S(N)2-type alkyl bromide and chloride reductive elimination has also been established., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background/aims: Regulatory T cells (Treg) are critical regulators of asthma. Crocetin is isolated from Chinese herb saffron and is a natural carotenoid dicarboxylic acid with anti-inflammatory potential. However, the effects of Crocetin on asthma as well as the underlying mechanisms have not been studied., Methods: We used Crocetin to treat mice with established ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma. We purified CD4+CD25+ Treg cells by flow cytometry and analyzed the levels of two immunoregulatory proteins Foxp3 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-induced protein 8-like 2 (TIPE2) in Treg cells. We depleted either Foxp3 or TIPE2 in mouse lung through lentivirus-mediated delivery of shRNA, and analyzed their effects on severity of asthma and Treg cells after Crocetin treatment., Results: Crocetin treatment significantly reduced the severity of an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma in mice. Moreover, Crocetin significantly increased the levels of TIPE2 and Foxp3 in Treg cells and the number of Treg cells. Depletion of Foxp3 abolished the increased in Treg cells, and the effects of Crocetin on the severity of asthma, without affecting TIPE2 levels in Treg cells. On the other hand, depletion of TIPE2 abolished both the increased in Treg cells and the effects of Crocetin on the severity of asthma, through suppressing Foxp3., Conclusion: Crocetin may activate Foxp3 through TIPE2 in asthma-associated Treg cells to mitigate the severity of asthma., (© 2015 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: It is unknown that the postoperation fast-track recovery and in hospital cost of the lobectomy in lung cancer, we explored the influencing factor of postoperative fast-track recovery and in hospital cost after undergoing lobectomy for lung cancer., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients (n=176) who underwent lobectomy for lung cancer between January 2010 and November 2011 by a thoracic surgeon., Results: The hospital costs of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy (47,308.21 ¥) is significantly higher than open lobectomy (45,664.31 ¥)(P=0.007). The hospital costs of body mass index (BMI) ≥ 24 kg/m2 (51,186.99 ¥) is significantly higher than BMI < 24 kg/m2 (41,701.64 ¥)(P=0.032). The hospital stay of VATS lobectomy (5.70 d) is significantly less than open lobectomy (7.10 d)(P<0.001)., Conclusions: These findings indicate that preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation and VATS lobectomy is contributed to fast-track recovery for patients who undergo lobectomy, but increase the hospital costs.

We aim to build an integrated fixturing model to describe the structural properties and thermal properties of the support frame of glass laser optics. Therefore, (a) a near global optimal set of clamps can be computed to minimize the surface shape error of the glass laser optic based on the proposed model, and (b) a desired surface shape error can be obtained by adjusting the clamping forces under various environmental temperatures based on the model. To construct the model, we develop a new multiple kernel learning method and call it multiple kernel support vector functional regression. The proposed method uses two layer regressions to group and order the data sources by the weights of the kernels and the factors of the layers. Because of that, the influences of the clamps and the temperature can be evaluated by grouping them into different layers.

Two thioxanthone-based fluorescent probes exhibited prominent solvatofluorochromism, and they were further found to be useful as fluorescence indicators for the qualitative and quantitative detection of low-level water content in various solvent media.

Activity losing during the covalent immobilization of enzyme is a serious problem. Here we studied organic phase immobilization by using glucose oxidase (GOD) as a model. After lyophilized at optimum pH, GOD is covalently immobilized onto glutaraldhyde-activated chitosan microsphere carrier under the condition of water, 1, 4-dioxane, ether and ethanol separately. The special activities, enzyme characterization and kinetic parameters are determined. Results show that all of the organic phase immobilized GODs have higher special activities and larger K(cat) than that of aqueous phase. Under the conditions of 0.1% of glutaraldehyde, 1.6% moisture content with 80 mg of GOD added to per gram of carrier, 2.9-fold of the special activity and 3-fold of the effective activity recovery ratio were obtained, and 3-fold of the residue activity was demonstrated after 7 runs when compares 1, 4-dioxane phase immobilized GOD with water phase immobilized one. In addition, kinetic study shows that 1,4-dioxane immobilized GOD (Km(app) = 5.63 mmol/L, V(max) = 1.70 micromol/(min x mg GOD), K(cat) = 0.304 s(-1) was superior to water immobilized GOD (Km(app) = 7.33 mmol/L, V(max) = 1.02 micromol/(min x mg GOD), K(cat) = 0.221 s(-1)). All above indicated GOD immobilized in proper organic media presented a better activity with improved catalytic performance. Organic phase immobilization might be one of the ways to overcome the conformational denature of enzyme protein during covalent modification.

Background: Vasoactive drug alprostadil improves microcirculation and can be effective in treating disorders of peripheral nerves. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been shown to have protective action in cerebral ischemia, disorders of spinal cord, and also peripheral nerves. However, the mechanism of action of VEGF in peripheral nerve injuries is uncertain., Objectives: To study the effect of application of alprostadil on the pathological and functional repair of crush nerve injuries and also the expression of VEGF., Materials and Methods: Rat sciatic nerves were crushed by pincers to establish the model of crush injury. All of the 400 sprague dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into: Control; saline; saline+VEGF-antibody; alprostadil; and alprostadil+VEGF antibody groups. The SPSS 11.5 software was used for statistical analysis. The expression of VEGF in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), following crush injury to sciatic nerves, was studied by reverse transcribed-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, electromicroscope, and electrophysiology. The effects of alprostadil on expression of VEGF, repair of neural pathology, and recovery of neural function were also evaluated., Results: We found that VEGF messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was significantly increased in alprostadil and alprostadil+VEGF-antibody groups, compared to the saline and saline+VEGF antibody groups. The number of VEGF-positive neurons was significantly increased in the alprostadil group, compared to the saline, saline+VEGF antibody, and alprostadil+VEGF antibody groups. Besides, addition of this drug also caused less pathological changes in DRGs, better improvement of nerve conduction velocities of sciatic nerves, and more increase of toe spaces of right hind limbs of rats., Conclusions: The vasoactive agent alprostadil may reduce the pathological lesion of peripheral nerves and improve the rehabilitation of the neural function, which may relate to upregulation of the expression of VEGF, following crush injury to the peripheral nerves.

A new dual-ion-switched molecular brake was synthesized and operated by chemical reagents (H+/OH- and Zn2+/EDTA), and its rotation could be read out by chromogenic, fluorogenic and electrochemical signals.