Search

BackgroundWe describe a rare case of giant adrenal calcification as the main cause of sudden onset epigastric pain in a 57-year-old female patient.Case descriptionComputed tomography (CT) of the whole abdomen in this patient showed calcified foci measuring approximately 7.8 × 5.4 × 7.1 cm in the hepatorenal recess, and no enhancement effect was seen. Secondary causes of adrenal calcification in this patient were ruled out, and a rare diagnosis of a primary giant adrenal calcification was made. Subsequently, the right adrenal gland and calcified mass were completely resected. The calcification did not recur during 6 months of follow up.ConclusionsAlthough other cases of adrenal calcification of unknown origin have been reported, cases of giant idiopathic adrenal calcification are rare. In this case, huge calcification of the right adrenal gland caused abdominal pain, which disappeared after the mass was excised. The etiology, pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, and prognosis of idiopathic adrenal calcification are still unclear. Additional case reports are needed to gain a better understanding of the diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

Abstract Objective To investigate the characteristics and seasonal patterns of distal radius fractures (DRFs) over the preceding five years, with the aim of establishing a clinical foundation for the prevention and management of such fractures within this region. Methods Utilizing the Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), the clinical records of 1954 patients diagnosed with DRFs and admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University between January 2017 and December 2021 were compiled. The analysis encompassed factors such as age, gender, visitation timing, fracture side, and presence of osteoporosis. Results Out of the total 1954 distal radius fractures, 731 were males (37.4%) and the male to female ratio was 0.59:1. The median age of patients with DRFs was 56 years, with the 25th percentile being 38 years and the 75th percentile being 67 years. The average age was 50 years (standard deviation 23.3) and 1033 cases (52.7%) occurred on the left side, 885 cases (45.1%) on the right side, and 36 cases (1.8%) were bilateral, with the left side being the most frequently affected. The age group of 61–70 years (23.9%, 467/1954) exhibited the highest proportion, and the most prominent age group for males was 11–20 years (23.8%, 174/731), whereas for females it was 61–70 years (30.83%, 377/1223). In the 50 years and older group, there were 276 males and 991 females (ratio 1:3.59), with osteoporosis in 536 cases, accounting for 42.03% of the group. In terms of seasonal distribution, the highest incidence occurred during the summer and autumn months (55.1%, 1076/1954) and there were gender differences in different seasons. Conclusion In east China, DRFs were predominantly female and left-sided, with the highest proportion in the age group of 61–70 years and in summer and autumn. Furthermore, gender differences were observed between the warm and cold seasons.

It is of great significance to develop gadolinium (Gd) contrast agents (CAs) for pH-responsive and tumor targeting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Silkworm sericin (SS) is a natural biomacromolecule from silkworm cocoon with good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and a variety of biological activities. Here, sericin was covalently cross-linked with gadolinium acetate (GAH) via Schiff's base reaction, and then blended with gadolinium chloride (GdCl3) through electrostatic adsorption to yield SS@GAH-GdCl3 nanoparticles. Zeta potential showed SS@GAH-GdCl3 could respond pH change naturally, and freely realize the transition from negative surface potential in pH 7.5 to positive surface potential in pH 5.8. The T1 weighted MR images in solution indicated that SS@GAH-GdCl3 has higher T1 relaxivity in pH 5.8 than that in pH 7.4, and magnevist under 3.0 T magnetic field. Further, the T1 weighted MR images in vivo suggested that SS@GAH-GdCl3 could target tumors and accumulate around tumor tissues to achieve MR imaging on the tumor up to 2 h. Moreover, SS@GAH-GdCl3 is stable without any leakage of gadolinium ions. SS@GAH-GdCl3 is cytocompatible and does not cause hemolysis, inflammation, tissue damage, and the change of serum biochemical indicators and body weight in vivo. SS@GAH-GdCl3 has exhibited great potentials as a high-performance GdCA for pH-responsive and tumor targeting MRI.

Abstract Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), extracted from propolis, was proven to inhibit colon cancer. Caffeic acid p-nitro-phenethyl ester (CAPE-pNO2), a derivative of CAPE, was determined to be an anti-platelet agent and a protector of myocardial ischaemia with more potent effects. In the present study, CAPE-pNO2 showed stronger cytotoxic activity than CAPE. We revealed interactions between CAPE-pNO2 and experimental cells. CAPE-pNO2 induced apoptosis in HT-29 cells by up-regulating P53, cleaved-caspase-3, Bax, P38 and CytoC; CAPE-pNO2 also up-regulated P21Cip1 and P27Kip1 and down-regulated CDK2 and c-Myc to promote cell cycle arrest in G0/G1. In xenograft studies, CAPE-pNO2 remarkably suppressed tumour growth dose dependently and decreased the expression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) in tumour tissue. Moreover, HE staining showed that no observable toxicity was found in the heart, liver, kidney and spleen. In addition, metabolites of CAPE-pNO2 in HT-29 cells and organs were detected. In conclusion, para-nitro may enhance the anticancer effect of CAPE by inhibiting colon cancer cell viability, inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest via the P53 pathway and inhibiting tumour growth and reducing tumour invasion by decreasing the expression of VEGF; additionally, metabolites of CAPE-pNO2 showed differences in cells and organs.

A wound dressing with excellent hydrophilicity, high porosity, good mechanical property, and antimicrobial activities holds great potential for wound healing. Sericin, a natural protein from silkworm cocoon, is particularly attractive for the development of skin-repairing materials because it is biocompatible and biodegradable. Here, we reported a green strategy for in situ biomimetic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) within sericin/poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel. AgNPs were in situ synthesized by the redox property of tyrosine residues in sericin without additional chemicals, similar to a biomineralization process. AgNPs-sericin/poly(vinyl alcohol) dressing was demonstrated to bear desired high porosity, good wettability, hygroscopicity, and mechanical properties. The evaluation of cytocompatibility and immunotoxicity of the composite with NIH/3T3, HEK-293, and RAW264.7 cells further demonstrated its excellent biocompatibility. The composite also showed an effective antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and could inhibit biofilm formation caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Finally, the animal experiment suggested that the composite dressing could facilitate re-epithelialization and collagen deposition to promote wound healing. Our work shows that the composite dressing has great potential as a competitive alternative for traditional wound dressings. Keywords: Biomimetic synthesis, Wound healing, Silk sericin, Silver nanoparticles, Antibacterial activity

The interests of developing antimicrobial biomaterials based on silk sericin from Bombyx mori cocoon, have been shooting up in the last decades. Sericin is a valuable natural protein owing to its hydrophilicity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Here, we fabricated a sponge with antibacterial capacities for potential wound dressing application. By co-blending of sericin, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs), the ZnONPs-sericin/PVA composite sponge (ZnONPs-SP) was successfully prepared after freeze-drying. Scanning electron microscopy showed the porous structure of ZnONPs-SP. Energy dispersive spectroscopy indicated the existence of Zn in the sponge. X-ray diffractometry revealed the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnONPs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the biologic coupling of ZnONPs and sericin resulted in a decrease of α-helix and random coil contents, and an increase of β-sheet structure in the sponge. The swelling experiment suggested ZnONPs-SP has high porosity, good hydrophilicity, and water absorption capability. The plate bacterial colony counting coupled with growth curve assays demonstrated that the composite sponge has an efficiently bacteriostatic effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. Furthermore, the cell compatibility analysis suggested the composite sponge has excellent cytocompatibility on NIH3T3 cells. In all, ZnONPs-SP composite sponge has significant potentials in biomaterials such as wound dressing and tissue engineering.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are extensively applied for their broad-spectrum and excellent antibacterial ability in recent years. Polydopamine (PDA) has great advantages for synthesizing large amounts of AgNPs, as it has multiple sites for silver ion binding and phenolic hydroxyl structure to reduce silver ions to AgNPs. Here, we mixed sericin and agar solution and dried at 65 °C to prepare a sericin (SS)/Agar composite film, and then coated polydopamine (PDA) on the surface of SS/Agar film by soaking SS/Agar film into polydopamine solution, subsequently synthesizing high-density AgNPs with the assistance of PDA to yield antibacterial AgNPs-PDA- SS/Agar film. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra indicated the successful synthesis of high-density AgNPs on the surface of PDA-SS/Agar film. PDA coating and AgNPs modification did not affect the structure of sericin and agar. Furthermore, water contact angle, water absorption and mechanical property analysis showed that AgNPs-PDA-SS/Agar film had excellent hydrophilicity and proper mechanical properties. Inhibition zone and growth curve assays suggested the prepared film had excellent and long-lasting antibacterial ability. In addition, it had excellent cytocompatibility on the fibroblast NIH/3T3 cells. The film shows great potential as a novel kind of wound dressing.

Silk sericin is a protein from a silkworm’s cocoon. It has good biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, bioactivity, and biodegradability. However, sericin could not be used in biomedical materials directly because of its frangible characteristic. To develop multifunctional sericin-based materials for biomedical purposes, we prepared a sericin/agar (SS/agar) composite film through the blending of sericin and agar and repetitive freeze-thawing. Then, we synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in situ on the surface of the composite film to endow it with antibacterial activity. Water contact angle, swelling and losing ratio, and mechanical properties analysis indicated that the composite film had excellent mechanical property, hydrophilicity, hygroscopicity, and stability. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed the successful modification of AgNPs on the composite film. X-ray powder diffraction showed the face-centered cubic structures of the AgNPs. This AgNPs modified composite film exhibited an excellent antibacterial capability against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Our study develops a novel AgNPs/sericin/agar composite film with enhanced mechanical performance and an antimicrobial property for potential biomedical applications.

Antibacterial materials are of great importance in preventing bacterial adhesion and reproduction in daily life. Silver nanoparticle (AgNP) is a broad-spectrum antibacterial nanomaterial that has attracted significant attentions for its ability to endow natural materials with antibacterial ability. Silk sericin (SS) has a great advantage for biomaterial application, as it is a natural protein with excellent hydrophilicity and biodegradability. In this study, we prepared AgNPs and polyelectrolyte membrane (PEM) modified SS/Agar films through the layer-by-layer adsorption technique and ultraviolet-assisted AgNPs synthesis method. The film was well characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Other properties such as water contact angle, wettability and tensile strength, the release of silver were also studied. The antimicrobial activity of AgNPs-PEM-SS/Agar film was investigated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as the model microorganisms by the inhibition zone and bacterial growth curve assays. The results suggested that the AgNPs-PEM-SS/Agar film had excellent mechanical performance, high hydrophilicity, prominent water absorption ability, as well as outstanding and durable antibacterial activity. Therefore, the prepared novel AgNPs-PEM-SS/Agar composite film is proposed as a potentially favorable antibacterial biomaterial for biomedical applications.

Sericin is a biomaterial resource for its significant biodegradability, biocompatibility, hydrophilicity, and reactivity. Designing a material with superabsorbent, antiseptic, and non-cytotoxic wound dressing properties is advantageous to reduce wound infection and promote wound healing. Herein, we propose an environment-friendly strategy to obtain an interpenetrating polymer network gel through blending sericin and agarose and freeze-drying. The physicochemical characterizations of the sericin/agarose gel including morphology, porosity, swelling behavior, crystallinity, secondary structure, and thermal property were well characterized. Subsequently, the lysozyme loaded sericin/agarose composite gel was successfully prepared by the solution impregnation method. To evaluate the potential of the lysozyme loaded sericin/agarose gel in wound dressing application, we analyzed the lysozyme loading and release, antimicrobial activity, and cytocompatibility of the resulting gel. The results showed the lysozyme loaded composite gel had high porosity, excellent water absorption property, and good antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Also, the lysozyme loaded gel showed excellent cytocompatibility on NIH3T3 and HEK293 cells. So, the lysozyme loaded sericin/agarose gel is a potential alternative biomaterial for wound dressing.

To develop silk sericin (SS) as a potential antibacterial biomaterial, a novel composite of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) coated sericin/poly(vinyl alcohol) (SS/PVA) film modified with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has been developed using a layer-by-layer assembly technique and ultraviolet-assisted AgNPs synthesis method. Ag ions were enriched by PEMs via the electrostatic attraction between Ag ions and PEMs, and then reduced to AgNPs in situ with the assistance of ultraviolet irradiation. PEMs facilitated the high-density growth of AgNPs and protected the synthesized AgNPs due to the formation of a 3D matrix, and thus endowed SS/PVA film with highly effective and durable antibacterial activity. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy, water contact angle, mechanical property and thermogravimetric analysis were applied to characterize SS/PVA, PEMs-SS/PVA and AgNPs-PEMs-SS/PVA films, respectively. AgNPs-PEMs-SS/PVA film has exhibited good mechanical performance, hydrophilicity, water absorption capability as well as excellent and durable antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and good stability and degradability. This study has developed a simple method to design and prepare AgNPs-PEMs-SS/PVA film for potential antibacterial application.

Bionanocomposite packaging materials have a bright future for a broad range of applications in the food and biomedical industries. Antimicrobial packaging is one of the bionanocomposite packaging materials. Silver nanoparticle (AgNP) is one of the most attractive antimicrobial agents for its broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against microorganisms. However, the traditional method of preparing AgNPs-functionalized packaging material is cumbersome and not environmentally friendly. To develop an efficient and convenient biosynthesis method to prepare AgNPs-modified bionanocomposite material for packaging applications, we synthesized AgNPs in situ in a silk fibroin solution via the reduction of Ag+ by the tyrosine residue of fibroin, and then prepared AgNPs–silk/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composite film by blending with PVA. AgNPs were synthesized evenly on the surface or embedded in the interior of silk/PVA film. The prepared AgNPs–silk/PVA film exhibited excellent mechanical performance and stability, as well as good antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. AgNPs–silk/PVA film offers more choices to be potentially applied in the active packaging field.

Silk sericin has great potential as a biomaterial for biomedical applications due to its good hydrophilicity, reactivity, and biodegradability. To develop multifunctional sericin materials for potential antibacterial application, a one-step synthesis method for preparing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) modified on polydopamine-coated sericin/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composite films was developed. Polydopamine (PDA) acted as both metal ion chelating and reducing agent to synthesize AgNPs in situ on the sericin/PVA composite film. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis revealed that polydopamine could effectively facilitate the high-density growth of AgNPs as a 3-D matrix. X-ray diffractometry studies suggested the synthesized AgNPs formed good face-centered cubic crystalline structures. Contact angle measurement and mechanical test indicated AgNPs modified PDA-sericin/PVA composite film had good hydrophilicity and mechanical property. The bacterial growth curve and inhibition zone assays showed the AgNPs modified PDA-sericin/PVA composite film had long-term antibacterial activities. This work develops a new method for the preparation of AgNPs modified PDA-sericin/PVA film with good hydrophilicity, mechanical performance and antibacterial activities for the potential antimicrobial application in biomedicine.

In the title compound, C14H13NO, the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 66.08 (9)°. Chains are formed along the b axis through intermolecular N—H...O hydrogen bonds. The crystal structure is further stabilized by C—H...π interactions.

In the title compound, C14H13NO, the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 49.64 (18)°. The crystal structure is stabilized by N—H...O, C—H...O and C—H...π hydrogen bonds.

In the title compound, C22H22ClN3O3, the dihedral angles between the planes of the benzene rings and the pyrazole ring are 16.05 (10) and 84.84 (10)°. The conformation of the six-membered heterocyclic ring is close to a screw-boat. The crystal packing is stabilized by weak intermolecular C—H...O interactions and is also consolidated by C—H...π interactions.

In the crystal structure of title compound, C16H14ClNO2, the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 4.2 (2)°.

In the crystal structure of title compound, C14H17Cl2NOS, the cyclohexyl ring has a chair conformation and connects with an equatorial N atom. Molecules are connected via N—H...O hydrogen bonds into chains.

In the crystal structure of title compound, C14H17Cl2NO2, the cyclohexyl ring is in a chair conformation and the molecules are connected via N—H...O hydrogen bonding into chains.

In the title compound, C15H13Cl2NO2, the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 27.17 (11)°. In the crystal the molecules are linked by N—H...O hydrogen bonds.

The structure determination of the title compound, C15H13Cl2NO2, was undertaken as part of a project on the interaction of small molecules with proteins. In the crystal structure, the dihedral angle between the two aryl rings is 40.71 (11)°. The molecules are connected via N—H...O hydrogen bonding into chains, which extend in the direction of the b axis.

The structure determination of the title compound, C16H16ClNO2, was performed as part of a project on the interactions between small organic molecules and proteins. In the crystal structure, the dihedral angle between the two aromatic rings is 16.14 (12)°. The molecules are connected via N—H...O hydrogen bonding into chains, which extend in the direction of the b axis.