Showing papers by "Nanchang University published in 2016"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macro-autophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes.
Abstract: In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes.
For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy.
Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation, it is imperative to target by gene knockout or RNA interference more than one autophagy-related protein. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways implying that not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
5,187 citations
Fudan University1, Nanchang University2, Nanjing Medical University3, Harbin Medical University4, Hebei Medical University5, Peking Union Medical College6, China Medical University (PRC)7, Sun Yat-sen University8, Qingdao University9, Fujian Medical University10, Sichuan University11, Bengbu Medical College12, Fourth Military Medical University13, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital14, Shanghai Jiao Tong University15, Third Military Medical University16, Zhejiang University17, Shantou University18
TL;DR: These data show that apatinib treatment significantly improved OS and PFS with an acceptable safety profile in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to two or more lines of prior chemotherapy.
Abstract: PurposeThere is currently no standard treatment strategy for patients with advanced metastatic gastric cancer experiencing progression after two or more lines of chemotherapy. We assessed the efficacy and safety of apatinib, a novel vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma for whom at least two lines of prior chemotherapy had failed.Patients and MethodsThis was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial. Patients from 32 centers in China with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, for whom two or more prior lines of chemotherapy had failed, were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to oral apatinib 850 mg or placebo once daily. The primary end points were overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).ResultsBetween January 2011 and November 2012, 267 patients were enrolled. Median OS was significantly improved in the apatinib group compared with t...
711 citations
TL;DR: This work summarized the latest discoveries and advancements in the study of antioxidative polysaccharides and gave a detailed description of the possible mechanisms of these antioxidant actions.
Abstract: It is widely acknowledged that the excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) or reactive nitrogen species (RNS) induced oxidative stress will cause significant damage to cell structure and biomolecular function, directly or indirectly leading to a number of diseases The overproduction of ROS/RNS will be balanced by nonenzymatic antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes Polysaccharide or glycoconjugates derived from natural products are of considerable interest from the viewpoint of potent in vivo and in vitro antioxidant activities recently Particularly, with regard to the in vitro antioxidant systems, polysaccharides are considered as effective free radical scavenger, reducing agent, and ferrous chelator in most of the reports However, the underlying mechanisms of these antioxidant actions have not been illustrated systematically and sometimes controversial results appeared among various literatures To address this issue, we summarized the latest discoveries and advancements in the study of antioxidative polysaccharides and gave a detailed description of the possible mechanisms
484 citations
TL;DR: This review can provide important and timely information regarding mussel-inspired chemistry and will be of great interest for scientists in the chemistry, materials, biology, medicine and interdisciplinary fields.
Abstract: After more than four billion years of evolution, nature has created a large number of fascinating living organisms, which show numerous peculiar structures and wonderful properties. Nature can provide sources of plentiful inspiration for scientists to create various materials and devices with special functions and uses. Since Messersmith proposed the fabrication of multifunctional coatings through mussel-inspired chemistry, this field has attracted considerable attention for its promising and exiciting applications. Polydopamine (PDA), an emerging soft matter, has been demonstrated to be a crucial component in mussel-inspired chemistry. In this review, the recent developments of PDA for mussel-inspired surface modification are summarized and discussed. The biomedical applications of PDA-based materials are also highlighted. We believe that this review can provide important and timely information regarding mussel-inspired chemistry and will be of great interest for scientists in the chemistry, materials, biology, medicine and interdisciplinary fields.
472 citations
TL;DR: Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries and should also address the need for safe perioperative care.
Abstract: Background
As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care.
Methods
We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries.
Results
A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2–7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries.
Conclusions
Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care.
364 citations
TL;DR: Gemcitabine plus cisplatin prolongs progression-free survival in patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and is established as the standard first-line treatment option for this population.
354 citations
TL;DR: This review highlights the superiority of NP-based approaches over existing conventional strategies for clinical analysis, food safety, and environmental monitoring and discusses how colored and luminescent NPs are integrated into membrane-based LFICS for the detection of target analytes.
347 citations
TL;DR: This review provides a comprehensive summary of the most recent developments in physiochemical, structural features and biological activities of bioactive polysaccharides from a number of important medicinal plants, such as poly Saccharide from Astragalus membranaceus, Dendrobium plants, and Dimocarpus longan Lour.
Abstract: In recent decades, the polysaccharides from the medicinal plants have attracted a lot of attention due to their significant bioactivities, such as anti-tumor activity, antioxidant activity, anticoagulant activity, antidiabetic activity, radioprotection effect, anti-viral activity, hypolipidemic and immunomodulatory activities, which make them suitable for medicinal applications. Previous studies have also shown that medicinal plant polysaccharides are non-toxic and show no side effects. Based on these encouraging observations, most researches have been focusing on the isolation and identification of polysaccharides, as well as their bioactivities. A large number of bioactive polysaccharides with different structural features and biological effects from medicinal plants have been purified and characterized. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the most recent developments in physiochemical, structural features and biological activities of bioactive polysaccharides from a number of important medicinal plants, such as polysaccharides from Astragalus membranaceus, Dendrobium plants, Bupleurum, Cactus fruits, Acanthopanax senticosus, Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Aloe barbadensis Miller, and Dimocarpus longan Lour. Moreover, the paper has also been focused on the applications of bioactive polysaccharides for medicinal applications. Recent studies have provided evidence that polysaccharides from medicinal plants can play a vital role in bioactivities. The contents and data will serve as a useful reference material for further investigation, production, and application of these polysaccharides in functional foods and therapeutic agents.
342 citations
TL;DR: A green method for blood-brain barrier-penetrating albumin nanoparticle synthesis, with the capacity to coencapsulate different drugs and no need for cross-linkers, and a promising avenue for biomimetic delivery targeting the brain tumor based on combination therapy.
Abstract: Nutrient transporters have been explored for biomimetic delivery targeting the brain. The albumin-binding proteins (e.g., SPARC and gp60) are overexpressed in many tumors for transport of albumin as an amino acid and an energy source for fast-growing cancer cells. However, their application in brain delivery has rarely been investigated. In this work, SPARC and gp60 overexpression was found on glioma and tumor vessel endothelium; therefore, such pathways were explored for use in brain-targeting biomimetic delivery. We developed a green method for blood–brain barrier (BBB)-penetrating albumin nanoparticle synthesis, with the capacity to coencapsulate different drugs and no need for cross-linkers. The hydrophobic drugs (i.e., paclitaxel and fenretinide) yield synergistic effects to induce albumin self-assembly, forming dual drug-loaded nanoparticles. The albumin nanoparticles can penetrate the BBB and target glioma cells via the mechanisms of SPARC- and gp60-mediated biomimetic transport. Importantly, by mo...
326 citations
TL;DR: The proposed cryptosystem decreases the volume of data to be transmitted and simplifies the keys distribution simultaneously as a nonlinear encryption system with acceptable compression and security performance.
Abstract: Most image encryption algorithms based on low-dimensional chaos systems bear security risks and suffer encryption data expansion when adopting nonlinear transformation directly. To overcome these weaknesses and reduce the possible transmission burden, an efficient image compression–encryption scheme based on hyper-chaotic system and 2D compressive sensing is proposed. The original image is measured by the measurement matrices in two directions to achieve compression and encryption simultaneously, and then the resulting image is re-encrypted by the cycle shift operation controlled by a hyper-chaotic system. Cycle shift operation can change the values of the pixels efficiently. The proposed cryptosystem decreases the volume of data to be transmitted and simplifies the keys distribution simultaneously as a nonlinear encryption system. Simulation results verify the validity and the reliability of the proposed algorithm with acceptable compression and security performance.
311 citations
TL;DR: The use of hydrocolloids is on the rise in many fields, such as ingredients, food additives, and health promoters as discussed by the authors, and they have many increasing applications in the health realm: they provide low-calorie dietary fiber, among other uses.
TL;DR: Results indicate that naturally secreted nanocarriers-exosomes can be used as a bioactive material to improve the bioactivity of the biomaterials, and that hiPS-MSC-Exos combined with β-TCP scaffolds can be potentially used for repairing bone defects.
Abstract: Recently, accumulating evidence has shown that exosomes, the naturally secreted nanocarriers of cells, can exert therapeutic effects in various disease models in the absence of parent cells. However, application of exosomes in bone defect repair and regeneration has been rarely reported, and little is known regarding their underlying mechanisms. Exosomes derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hiPS-MSC-Exos) were combined with tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) to repair critical-sized calvarial bone defects, and the efficacy was assessed by histological examination. We evaluated the in vitro effects of hiPSC-MSC-Exos on the proliferation, migration, and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) by cell-counting, scratch assays, and qRT-PCR, respectively. Gene expression profiling and bioinformatics analyses were also used to identify the underlying mechanisms in the repair. We found that the exosome/β-TCP combination scaffolds could enhance osteogenesis as compared to pure β-TCP scaffolds. In vitro assays showed that the exosomes could release from β-TCP and could be internalized by hBMSCs. In addition, the internalization of exosomes into hBMSCs could profoundly enhance the proliferation, migration, and osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. Furthermore, gene expression profiling and bioinformatics analyses demonstrated that exosome/β-TCP combination scaffolds significantly altered the expression of a network of genes involved in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Functional studies further confirmed that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was the critical mediator during the exosome-induced osteogenic responses of hBMSCs. We propose that the exosomes can enhance the osteoinductivity of β-TCP through activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway of hBMSCs, which means that the exosome/β-TCP combination scaffolds possess better osteogenesis activity than pure β-TCP scaffolds. These results indicate that naturally secreted nanocarriers-exosomes can be used as a bioactive material to improve the bioactivity of the biomaterials, and that hiPS-MSC-Exos combined with β-TCP scaffolds can be potentially used for repairing bone defects.
TL;DR: This review highlights the current knowledge of the role of altered drug metabolism and transport and deregulation of apoptosis and autophagy in the development of tumour chemoresistance and indicates that deregulation of programmed cell death including apoptotic death is also an important mechanism for tumour resistance to anticancer drugs.
Abstract: Chemotherapy is one of the prevailing methods used to treat malignant tumours, but the outcome and prognosis of tumour patients are not optimistic. Cancer cells gradually generate resistance to almost all chemotherapeutic drugs via a variety of distinct mechanisms and pathways. Chemotherapeutic resistance, either intrinsic or acquired, is caused and sustained by reduced drug accumulation and increased drug export, alterations in drug targets and signalling transduction molecules, increased repair of drug-induced DNA damage, and evasion of apoptosis. In order to better understand the mechanisms of chemoresistance, this review highlights our current knowledge of the role of altered drug metabolism and transport and deregulation of apoptosis and autophagy in the development of tumour chemoresistance. Reduced intracellular activation of prodrugs (e.g. thiotepa and tegafur) or enhanced drug inactivation by Phase I and II enzymes contributes to the development of chemoresistance. Both primary and acquired resistance can be caused by alterations in the transport of anticancer drugs which is mediated by a variety of drug transporters such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance associated proteins, and breast cancer resistance protein. Presently there is a line of evidence indicating that deregulation of programmed cell death including apoptosis and autophagy is also an important mechanism for tumour resistance to anticancer drugs. Reversal of chemoresistance is likely via pharmacological and biological approaches. Further studies are warranted to grasp the full picture of how each type of cancer cells develop resistance to anticancer drugs and to identify novel strategies to overcome it.
TL;DR: It was proposed that kaempferol may interact with some amino acid residues located within the active site of α-glucosidase, occupying the catalytic center of the enzyme to avoid the entrance of p-nitrophenyl-α-D- glucopyranoside and ultimately inhibiting the enzyme activity.
TL;DR: This review focuses on the recent developments in single cell isolation and analysis, which include technologies, analyses and main applications and summarizes the historical background, limitations, applications, and potential of singlecell isolation technologies.
Abstract: Individual cell heterogeneity within a population can be critical to its peculiar function and fate. Subpopulations studies with mixed mutants and wild types may not be as informative regarding which cell responds to which drugs or clinical treatments. Cell to cell differences in RNA transcripts and protein expression can be key to answering questions in cancer, neurobiology, stem cell biology, immunology, and developmental biology. Conventional cell-based assays mainly analyze the average responses from a population of cells, without regarding individual cell phenotypes. To better understand the variations from cell to cell, scientists need to use single cell analyses to provide more detailed information for therapeutic decision making in precision medicine. In this review, we focus on the recent developments in single cell isolation and analysis, which include technologies, analyses and main applications. Here, we summarize the historical background, limitations, applications, and potential of single cell isolation technologies.
TL;DR: In this paper, the physicochemical characterizations and antioxidant properties of these sulfated polysaccharide derivatives were comparatively investigated by chemical methods, such as circular dichroism spectra, high performance anion exchange chromatography, high-performance gel permeation chromatography and fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and hydroxyl radical assay, DPPH radical assay and β-carotene-linoleic acid assay, respectively.
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper developed a conceptual model based on the concept of green organizational responses and tested it using structural equation modeling on a sample of 427 manufacturing organizations in six provinces in central China.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the formation of channel cracks and explored the corresponding piezoresistive behavior in gold thin films and developed a strain sensor with GFs as high as 200, 1000, and even greater than 5000.
Abstract: This work demonstrates that engineering of the connection channels in gold thin films is an effective way to alter its resistivity for improved sensitivity in strain sensors. We investigated the formation of channel cracks and explored the corresponding piezoresistive behavior. The developed strain sensor possessed GFs as high as 200 (e < 0.5%), 1000 (0.5% < e < 0.7%), and even greater than 5000 (0.7% < e < 1%), which are among the highest values reported thus far at such small deformation, and are promising in the applications of electronic skin, wearable sensors and health monitoring platforms.
TL;DR: Natural polymers, synthetic polymers and their blends are all introduced and despite there still being complaints about polymer membranes, these problems will undoubtedly be conquered and biodegradable polymers will have more applications in GTR and GBR.
Abstract: Polymer membranes have been widely used in guided tissue regeneration (GTR) and guided bone regeneration (GBR). In this review, various commercially available membranes are described. Much attention is paid to the recent development of biodegradable polymers applied in GTR and GBR, and the important issues of biodegradable polymeric membranes, including their classification, latest experimental research and clinical applications, as well as their main challenges are addressed. Herein, natural polymers, synthetic polymers and their blends are all introduced. Pure polymer membranes are biodegradable and biocompatible, but they lack special properties such as antibacterial properties, osteoconductivity, and thus polymer membranes loaded with functional materials such as antibacterial agents and growth factors show many more advantages and have also been introduced in this review. Despite there still being complaints about polymer membranes, such as their low mechanical properties, uncontrollable degradation speed and some other drawbacks, these problems will undoubtedly be conquered and biodegradable polymers will have more applications in GTR and GBR.
TL;DR: An in-depth understanding of the mechanisms that underlie molecular targeted therapies will provide new insights into gastric cancer treatment.
Abstract: Despite the global decline in the incidence and mortality of gastric cancer, it remains one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive system. Although surgical resection is the preferred treatment for gastric cancer, chemotherapy is the preferred treatment for recurrent and advanced gastric cancer patients who are not candidates for reoperation. The short overall survival and lack of a standard chemotherapy regimen make it important to identify novel treatment modalities for gastric cancer. Within the field of tumor biology, molecular targeted therapy has attracted substantial attention to improve the specificity of anti-cancer efficacy and significantly reduce non-selective resistance and toxicity. Multiple clinical studies have confirmed that molecular targeted therapy acts on various mechanisms of gastric cancer, such as the regulation of epidermal growth factor, angiogenesis, immuno-checkpoint blockade, the cell cycle, cell apoptosis, key enzymes, c-Met, mTOR signaling and insulin-like growth factor receptors, to exert a stronger anti-tumor effect. An in-depth understanding of the mechanisms that underlie molecular targeted therapies will provide new insights into gastric cancer treatment.
TL;DR: Isobolographic analysis of the interaction between myricetin and apigenin or morin showed that both of them exhibited synergistic effects at low concentrations and tended to exhibit additive or antagonistic interaction at high concentrations.
Abstract: Inhibition of α-glucosidase activity may suppress postprandial hyperglycemia. The inhibition kinetic analysis showed that apigenin reversibly inhibited α-glucosidase activity with an IC50 value of (10.5 ± 0.05) × 10–6 mol L–1, and the inhibition was in a noncompetitive manner through a monophasic kinetic process. The fluorescence quenching and conformational changes determined by fluorescence and circular dichroism were due to the formation of an α-glucosidase–apigenin complex, and the binding was mainly driven by hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. The molecular simulation showed that apigenin bound to a site close to the active site of α-glucosidase, which may induce the channel closure to prevent the access of substrate, eventually leading to the inhibition of α-glucosidase. Isobolographic analysis of the interaction between myricetin and apigenin or morin showed that both of them exhibited synergistic effects at low concentrations and tended to exhibit additive or antagonistic interaction a...
TL;DR: It is suggested that hydrogel beads are suitable for encapsulation and pH-triggered release of proteins, which may be advantageous for certain food applications.
TL;DR: Curcumin treatment attenuates LPS-induced PI3K/AKT and CYP2E/Nrf2/ROS signaling and liver injury and strategies to inhibit inflammation and apoptosis signaling may provide alternatives to the current clinical approaches to improve oxidative responses of endotoxemia.
TL;DR: This review summarizes the current knowledge of the chemical composition of sweet potato, and their bio-functions studied in vitro and in vivo, and can be further developed as a sustainable crop for diverse nutritionally enhanced and value-added food products to promote human health.
TL;DR: The GNRs-siRNA mediated PTT has large potential in clinical cancer therapy due to the elimination of therapeutic resistance and enhanced photothermal therapeutic efficacy by means of gene silencing and suggests an efficient platform for gene delivery and controllable gene therapy.
TL;DR: In this paper, two-dimensional Co3O4 thin sheets assembled by 3D interconnected nanoflake array framework structures were first synthesized from porous cobalt-oxalate coordination complex thin sheets by means of direct pyrolysis in the air and the synthesis is simple and facile to implement scale-up for various application.
TL;DR: In this paper, a new processing technique consisting of the gelcasting, sintering and vacuum infiltration methods was proposed to fabricate high performance ceramic/polymer composites for electronic packaging.
TL;DR: In this article, the impact of surface roughness on the nonlinear fluid flow through 3D self-affine rock fractures is investigated, and the authors show that the primary roughness mostly controls the pressure distribution and fracture flow paths at a large scale, whereas the secondary roughness determines the non-linear properties of the fluid flow at a local scale.
TL;DR: In this paper, the thermal management performance of CPCM with different mass fractions of Paraffin (RT44HC)/expanded graphite (EG) composite phase change material (CPCM) with enhanced thermal conductivity improves Li-ion batteries.
TL;DR: A novel flow-cytometric gating method was established to define pyrotosis (Annexin V(-)/Propidium iodide(+) and termed caspase-1 responsive pyroptosis and apoptosis as pyrop-apoptosis.
Abstract: Rationale:Endothelial injury is an initial mechanism mediating cardiovascular disease. Objective:Here, we investigated the effect of hyperhomocysteinemia on programed cell death in endothelial cells (EC). Methods and Results:We established a novel flow-cytometric gating method to define pyrotosis (Annexin V−/Propidium iodide+). In cultured human EC, we found that: (1) homocysteine and lipopolysaccharide individually and synergistically induced inflammatory pyroptotic and noninflammatory apoptotic cell death; (2) homocysteine/lipopolysaccharide induced caspase-1 activation before caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3 activations; (3) caspase-1/caspase-3 inhibitors rescued homocysteine/lipopolysaccharide-induced pyroptosis/apoptosis, but caspase-8/caspase-9 inhibitors had differential rescue effect; (4) homocysteine/lipopolysaccharide-induced nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, and leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) protein caused NLRP3-containing inflammasome assembly, c...