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Administration of antibiotics via inhalation is considered an effective strategy for pneumonia treatment; however, it encounters challenges related to the development of drug formulations with precise particle sizes and controlled release profiles. Herein, size-tailored and acid-degradable polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) microgels are utilized for nebulized inhalation delivery of piperacillin (PIP) antibiotics to effectively treat pneumonia. These microgels loaded with PIP (G@PIP) were prepared through the UV-crosslinking of thermo-triggered vinyl ether methacrylate-functionalized PVA (PVAVEMA) micro-aggregates in aqueous solution. The size of G@PIP microgels could be tailored by adjusting concentrations during the crosslinking process above phase-transition temperature at 15 °C. Additionally, under simulated inflammatory acidic conditions, the G@PIP microgels degraded and released PIP with relatively high inhibition efficiency against E. coli. Furthermore, in vivo therapeutic outcomes revealed that inhalational delivery of G@PIP microgel with a medium-size of 3.5 μm (G-3.5@PIP) exhibited superior lung deposition compared to other microgel sizes owing to its reduced exhalation and enhanced diffusion capacity within the pulmonary system. The high accumulation of G-3.5@PIP significantly reduced E. coli infection and associated inflammation while maintaining the biocompatibility of the microgels. Overall, these acid-degradable PVA microgels offer a versatile and efficacious inhalation therapy for pneumonia-associated infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia is a severe pregnancy complication characterized by hypertension and may cause maternal morbidity and mortality. A better understanding of the essential genes involved in preeclampsia pathophysiology is urgently needed. This study investigated the function and molecular mechanisms of pumilio RNA binding family member 1 (PUM1) in extravillous trophoblast cells (EVTs). The interaction between protein and mRNA was verified by RNA pull-down assays, RNA immunoprecipitation assays, and luciferase reporter assays. The mRNA and protein levels of the genes involved were determined by RT-qPCR and western blot assays, respectively. Our results demonstrated that PUM1 could bind to the 3'-untranslated region of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) mRNA, resulting in reduced expression of LRP6 mRNA and protein. Repression of PUM1 resulted in enhanced colony formation, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of EVTs. The PUM1-depletion-mediated promotion effects on EVTs could be abrogated by LRP6 knockdown. PUM1 regulates the growth and mobility of EVTs by modulating LRP6 expression. Developing strategies to balance PUM1 and LRP6 levels may be beneficial for the management of preeclampsia patients. Key words: preeclampsia, PUM1, LRP6, cell proliferation, cell migration and invasion. La prééclampsie est une complication grave de la grossesse caractérisée par l'hypertension et qui peut entraîner une morbidité et une mortalité chez la mère. Il est urgent de mieux comprendre les gènes essentiels impliqués dans la physiopathologie de la prééclampsie. Cette étude visait à étudier la fonction et les mécanismes moléculaires de PUM1 (pumilio RNA binding family member 1) dans les cellules trophoblastiques extravillaires (TEV). L'interaction entre la protéine et l'ARNm a été vérifiée par un test de précipitation d'affinité avec l'ARN, un test d'immunoprécipitation d'ARN et un test à l'aide du rapporteur luciférase. Les niveaux d'ARNm et de protéines des gènes impliqués ont été déterminés respectivement par RT-qPCR et par buvardage Western. Les résultats obtenus par les auteurs ont démontré que PUM1 pouvait se lier à la région 3'-non traduite de l'ARNm de LRP6 (low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6), ce qui conduisait à une réduction de l'expression de l'ARNm et de la protéine LRP6. La répression de PUM1 conduisait à une augmentation de la formation de colonies, de la prolifération cellulaire, de la migration et de l'invasion des TEV. Les effets stimulateurs sur les TEV médiés par la suppression de PUM1 pouvaient être abrogés par le knockdown de LRP6. PUM1 régule la croissance et la mobilité des cellules TEV en modulant LRP6. Le développement de stratégies visant à équilibrer les niveaux de PUM1 et de LRP6 pourrait être bénéfique pour la prise en charge des patientes atteintes de prééclampsie. [Traduit par la Rédaction] Mots-clés : prééclampsie, PUM1, LRP6, prolifération cellulaire, migration et invasion cellulaire., Introduction Preeclampsia is a particular type of hypertensive disorder of pregnancy that can cause preterm birth, perinatal death, and maternal morbidity and mortality (Adams et al. 2014; Lei et al. [...]

Radix Paeoniae Alba is an important plant resource and valuable tonic in traditional Chinese medicine. The radix of Radix Paeoniae Alba is rich in starch. There are few reports of Radix Paeoniae Alba starch. In present study, the Radix Paeoniae Alba starch is extracted, citrate esterified starches are prepared, the starch‐based hydrogels are synthesized, and adsorptive properties are investigated. The investigation suggests that Radix Paeoniae Alba starch‐based adsorbent is promising as an efficient and sustainable adsorbent for copper ions and methylene blue removal; therefore, Radix Paeoniae Alba starch has an appealing application prospect in adsorption for scavenging metal ions and dyes from real complex waste liquid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A liquid deposited on a solid surface exhibits various wetting properties, primarily influenced by solid–liquid intermolecular interactions. Achieving a well-estimation of wetting behaviors on textured surfaces remains challenging because the influence of surface textures on intermolecular interactions is unclear. Here, an equivalent surface model is proposed to unify the wettability of both plane and textured substrates through intermolecular interactions. We show that by incorporating intermolecular interactions, lattice structures, and surface topographies, the substrate wettability can be tailored in an equivalent plane with the same average Lennard–Jones potential energy field E. The wettability of one substrate (plane or patterned) is transferred from non-wetting, partial wetting to complete wetting by adjusting the potential well depth of E, εa. With enhancing εa, complete wetting is achieved under the critical potential well depth of E, εac. Before εac, the spreading radius grows as R ∼ t1/1.47 until reaches equilibrium. In this scenario, the equilibrium contact angle θ and spreading factor β are strongly dependent on εa, and cos θ is linear to εa. When exceeding εac, complete wetting is achieved, and droplets spread with a precursor film as R ∼ t1/2.3 latterly. This model builds a bridge to link intermolecular interactions and substrate wettability normalization. This strategy offers a framework for substrate surface design and wettability manipulation, catering to applications such as photoresist-drop dispensing in nanoimprint lithography, surface design for grating antifouling, and anti-icing on aircraft surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]