Objectives Mindfulness is a subtype of meditation. Increasing evidence suggests that trainers benefit mental and physical health improvement, but the mechanism and molecular changes of mindfulness have not been elucidated. We aim to find the metabolomic and lipidomic changes in serum after mindfulness trainings and to study how mindfulness affect body metabolism. Methods We performed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and lipidomics to systematically analyze the changed metabolites after mindfulness trainings. Participants ( n = 27) who joined a 5-day intensive mindfulness training retreat and participants ( n = 14) who joined a 5-day mindfulness training retreat in dark ambiance were recruited in the study. Serum samples of each trainer before and after mindfulness training were collected and analyzed. Statistical analysis and bioinformatics were carried out by MetaboAnalyst web service. Results Statistical analysis revealed that 22 metabolites were dysregulated in serum after mindfulness trainings. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that several metabolic pathways were significantly perturbed, such as arginine and proline metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and histidine metabolism. Lipidomic analysis revealed 378 dysregulated lipids totally in two mindfulness trainings. Among these lipids, most of the lipid species showed trends of upregulation, such as Cer, PC, PE, LPC, LPE, and TAG, while a few lipid species showed trends of downregulation, such as SM, OxFA, and OxPC. Conclusions Our study highlights a comprehensive view of metabolic and lipidomic changes related to mindfulness trainings, providing clues on influence of mindfulness meditation on body metabolism.

Films on Si(111) were prepared by photo-activated grafting of CH2CH(CH2)m(OCH2CH2)nOCH3 (m = 8, 9; n = 3–7) by using different vacuum conditions. High vacuum produced a higher thickness (40 Å) and <0.8% fibrinogen adsorption (C10EG7). Films were stable even after 28 days.

Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is a clinically used polysaccharide colloidal plasma volume expander. The goal of this study was to synthesize HES modified with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a novel polymeric drug with the ability to inhibit the invasive character of pancreatic cancer (PC) cells. HES was conjugated with HCQ using a simple carbonyldiimidazole coupling to prepare Chloroquine-modified HES (CQ-HES). CQ-HES with various degrees of HCQ substitution were synthesized and characterized. Atomic force microscopy was used to demonstrate a pH-dependent assembly of CQ-HES into well-defined nanoparticles. In vitro studies in multiple PC cell lines showed CQ-HES to have a similar toxicity profile as HCQ. Confocal microscopy revealed the propensity of CQ-HES to localize to lysosomes and mechanistic studies confirmed the ability of CQ-HES to inhibit autophagy in PC cells. Further studies demonstrated a greatly enhanced ability of CQ-HES to inhibit the migration and invasion of PC cells when compared with HCQ. The enhanced inhibitory actions of CQ-HES compared to HCQ appeared to arise in part from the increased inhibition of ERK and Akt phosphorylation. We found no significant HCQ release from CQ-HES, which confirmed that the observed activity was due to the action of CQ-HES as a polymeric drug. Due to its promising ability to block cancer cell invasion and the ability to form nanoparticles, CQ-HES has the potential as a drug delivery platform suitable for future development with chemotherapeutics to establish novel antimetastatic treatments.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the clinical application of carbon nanoparticles labeled lymph node staining in curative laparoscopic resection for colorectal carcinoma.METHODS:Sixty-five patients undergoing curative laparoscopic resection for colorectal carcinoma in the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital between September 2011 and June 2013 were prospectively enrolled and randomly divided into label group (with carbon nanoparticles, n=34) and control group (without carbon nanoparticles, n=31). Association between labeled lymph nodes and metastasis was analyzed. The total number of retrieved lymph nodes and lymph nodes metastatic ratio were compared between the two groups.RESULTS:Mean number of retrieved lymph node of the label group was higher as compared to the control group (22.3±4.2 vs. 15.4±3.5, P<0.05). The total number of retrieved lymph node was 725 in the label group and 478 in the control group. Among them, lymph node < 5 mm accounted for 4.6% (33/725) in the label group, which was higher than 2.0% (10/478) (P=0.025) in the control group. The number of black stain label lymph node was 412, with black stain ratio 56.8% (412/725) in the label group. Metastatic ratio of black stain nodes was significantly higher than that of non-stain nodes [28.6% (118/412) vs. 19.5% (61/313), P=0.005].CONCLUSIONS:The technique of carbon nanoparticles labeled lymph node staining in curative laparoscopic resection for colorectal carcinoma is easy and effective, which can increase the retrieved number of lymph nodes, especially for nodes < 5 mm. The black stain lymph nodes indicate higher risk of metastasis.

PURPOSE:To construct a new biomaterial-small intestinal submucosa coated with gelatin hydrogel incorporating basic fibroblast growth factor, and to evaluate the new biomaterials for the reconstruction of abdominal wall defects.METHODS:Thirty six Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the animal experiments and randomly divided into three groups. The new biomaterial was constructed by combining small intestinal submucosa with gelatin hydrogel for basic fibroblast growth factor release. Abdominal wall defects were created in rats, and repaired using the new biomaterials (group B), compared with small intestinal submucosa (group S) and ULTRAPROTM mesh (group P). Six rats in each group were sacrificed at three and eight weeks postoperatively to examine the gross effects, inflammatory responses, collagen deposition and neovascularization.RESULTS:After implantation, mild adhesion was caused in groups B and S. Group B promoted more neovascularization than group S at three weeks after implantation, and induced significantly more amount of collagen deposition and better collagen organization than groups S and P at eight weeks after implantation.CONCLUSION:Small intestinal submucosa coated with gelatin hydrogel incorporating basic fibroblast growth factor could promote better regeneration and remodeling of host tissues for the reconstruction of abdominal wall defects.

Two polyketides were isolated from the mangrove endophytic fungus, Penicillium sp. sk14JW2P, and one derivative with a modified structure. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, the structure of the compound 1 was further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and its absolute configuration was determined. Compound 1 and 2 showed acetylcholinesterase (AchE) inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 12±0.3 and 79±2 nM, respectively.

4-Deoxybostrycin is a natural anthraquinone compound isolated from the Mangrove endophytic fungus Nigrospora sp. collected from the South China Sea. Nigrosporin is the deoxy-derivative of 4-deoxybostrycin. They were tested against mycobacteria, especially Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility test, they both had inhibition zone sizes of over 25 mm. The results of the absolute concentration susceptibility test suggested that they had inhibitory effects against mycobacteria. Moreover, 4-deoxybostrycin exhibited good inhibition which was even better than that of first line anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs against some clinical multidrug-resistant (MDR) M. tuberculosis strains. The gene expression profile of M. tuberculosis H37Rv after treatment with 4-deoxybostrycin was compared with untreated bacteria. One hundred and nineteen out of 3,875 genes were significantly different in M. tuberculosis exposed to 4-deoxybostrycin from control. There were 46 functionally known genes which are involved in metabolism, information storage and processing and cellular processes. The differential expressions of six genes were further confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The present study provides a useful experiment basis for exploitation of correlative new drugs against TB and for finding out new targets of anti-mycobacterial therapy.

A series of hyperbranched cationic amylopectin derivatives conjugated with 1,2-ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine and 3-(dimethylamino)-1-propylamine residues, named as EDA-Amp, DETA-Amp and DMAPA-Amp, were synthesized by the N,N’-carbonyldiimidazole activation method at room temperature. Their structures were characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR analyses, and their buffering capability was assessed by acid-base titration. The amylopectin derivatives exhibited better blood compatibility and lower cytotoxicity when compared to branched polyethyleneimine (bPEI) in the hemolysis and MTT assays. Atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy confirmed that the amylopectin derivatives exhibited lower damage for erythrocytes than bPEI. The amylopectin derivatives could bind and condense plasmid DNA (pDNA) to form the complexes with the size ranging from 100 to 300 nm. The resultant complexes showed higher transfection efficiency in 293T cells than in A549 cells. The DMAPA-Amp derivative-mediated gene transfection for Forkhead box O1 exhibited higher protein expression than that of the EDA-Amp and DETA-Amp derivatives in 293T cells, which was analyzed by western blot, flow cytometry and Hoechst staining assay. On the basis of these data, amylopectin derivatives exhibit potential as nonviral gene vectors.

The water-soluble chitosan derivative grafted with short amylose chains (Chit-Amy-III) was synthesized through the phosphorylase-catalyzed enzymatic polymerization, following that the chitosan was grafted with maltoheptaose residues by reductive amination. The chemical structures were characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, Raman, XRD and static light scattering analyses. The results indicated that the amylose chains were conjugated with the chitosan backbone through the reductive Shiff base bonds (–CH–NH–), and the polymerization degree of the grafted amylose chains was about 25. The dispersion stability of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in water was improved through the complexation of Chit-Amy-III derivatives with SWNTs. Raman, XRD and TEM analyses confirmed that the resultant Chit-Amy-SWNTs complex was formed by the wrapping of the Chit-Amy-III derivative around the SWNTs. The results of electrochemical analysis indicated that the Chit-Amy-SWNTs complex modified electrode displayed excellent electron conductivity and electrocatalytic activity on H2O2.

A supramolecular assembly of amylose and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was synthesized in situ through vine-twining polymerization. Raman analysis indicated that the amylose–SWNTs supramolecular assembly was formed after the polymerization and SEM images displayed the twisted ribbons in the SWNTs wrapped by amylose. The dispersion stability of the SWNTs in aqueous solutions was improved by the wrapping of short-chain amylose molecules around the SWNTs.

Aim: To construct a new kind of tissue-engineered skin loaded with keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) nanocapsules, which can be released by control. Methods: All of the experiments were carded out in the Stem Cell Research Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University and the Macromolecular Institute of Sun Yat-sen University From March to December in 2006. Experimental materials included KGF (CytolLAB Company), bovine serum albumin (BSA, Amresco Company), polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA, Macromolecular Institute of Zhongshan University, molar ratio was 75:25 and relative molecular mass was 50 000), acellular dermal,matrix (ADM, Beijing Jayya Life Tissue Engineering Co., Ltd). The experimental procedures were as follows: Ultrasound emulsification-impregnant volatilization and low temperature drying methods were used to connect KGF to BSA and make them encapsuled in PLGA shell. The microsphere rate, the drug loading amount and the encapsulation efficiency were calculated according to the formula; The KGF nanocapsules were dissolved into dichloromethane, the absorbency of BSA of in vitro release test was mensurated to draw the releasing curve of BSA; The KGF nanocapsules were dropped onto the ADM surface to make them linked tightly (KGF-ADM). The shape of the capsules, their distribution on the KGF-ADM and their connection with ADM were observed with the scanning electron microscope (SEM); The epidermal cell suspension were captured from foreskin that was excised from healthy out-patients, by using the type I collagenase and trypsin digesting method. Then the epidermal cells were confirmed through the immunofluorescence technique to contain stem cells, which were cultivated on the KGF-ADM and the PLGA bracket for three-day culture at constant temperature. SEM was adopted to observe the shape, the growth and the connection with materials of the cells.. Results: 1 The nanocapsules were successfully made with the microsphere rate of 85%, the drug loading amount of 17.3%, and the encapsulation efficiency of 73.5%. 2 The encapsuled BSA could be slowly released by control, which released at a rather rapid speed in the first days (40% at former 5 days), and then showered to a smooth level (75% at 30 days). 3 SEM results displayed that the nanocapsules were in good spheral shape, distributed evenly on KGF-ADM surface, and linked tightly to the KGF-ADM; The epidermal stem cells grew well on the KGF-ADM and formed clones. Conclusion: A new kind of tissue-engineered skin loaded with KGF nanocapsules can be constructed following the method mentioned in this study.