Targeting effect of folate on cancer cell through curcumin carrier nano-system

Folate receptor (FR) is well known for its overexpression on surface of various cancer cell lines, which is identical to normal tissue. Folic-based targeting drug delivery systems, therefore, are one of the most effective targeting carriers that effectively bind to FR up-regulated cancer cells. Curcumin was used both for labeling and chemotherapy. The materials were characterized and structurally confirmed by FT-IR spectra, fluorescent images and FE-SEM images. Bioassays were conducted on HeLa and HT29 cancer cell lines after 4 and 12 hours. Results show that folic acid significantly enhanced both targeting efficiency and internalization of curcumin to FR-expressing cancer cells

Targeting effect of folate on cancer cell through curcumin carrier nano-system

Folate receptor (FR) is well known for its overexpression on surface of various cancer cell lines, which is identical to normal tissue. Folic-based targeting drug delivery systems, therefore, are one of the most effective targeting carriers that effectively bind to FR up-regulated cancer cells. Curcumin was used both for labeling and chemotherapy. The materials were characterized and structurally confirmed by FT-IR spectra, fluorescent images and FE-SEM images. Bioassays were conducted on HeLa and HT29 cancer cell lines after 4 and 12 hours. Results show that folic acid significantly enhanced both targeting efficiency and internalization of curcumin to FR-expressing cancer cells

ẢNH HƯỞNG CỦA VITAMIN E BỔ SUNG VÀO THỨC ĂN ĐẾN HIỆU QUẢ SINH SẢN, CHẤT LƯỢNG TRỨNG VÀ ẤU TRÙNG CÁ KHOANG CỔ NEMO (Amphiprion ocellaris (CUVIER, 1830))

This study was carried out to determine the effects of vitamin E (a-tocopherol) in five levels (0, 125, 250, 375 and 500 mg vitamin E/kg feed) in broodfish diets on reproductive, egg and larval quality parameters of clownfish (Amphirion ocellaris). Each treatment was repeated in triplicate and the supplemental feeding trial was arranged for 13 months. The result showed that there were no significant differences in re-maturation and spawning periods, spawning frequency, fecundity, egg diameter and larval size of Nemo fish observed between the treatments. However, diets supplemented with vitamin E positively influenced the rate of egg loss, hatching rate of egg and survival rate of the 3 days post hatch. The overall result of this experiment indicated that the optimum vitamin E requirement of clownfish for reproductive performance was 375 mg vitamin E/kg feed.Thí nghiệm được thực hiện nhằm xác định ảnh hưởng của vitamin E (0, 125, 250, 375 và 500 mg/kg thức ăn) được bổ sung trong thức ăn cá bố mẹ đến các chỉ số sinh sản, chất lượng trứng và ấu trùng cá khoang cổ Nemo (Amphiprion ocellaris). Mỗi nghiệm thức được lặp lại 3 lần và thí nghiệm được tiến hành trong 13 tháng. Kết quả đã cho thấy thời gian tái thành thục và sinh sản, tần suất sinh sản, sức sinh sản thực tế, đường kính trứng và kích thước ấu trùng không bị ảnh hưởng bởi chế độ ăn bổ sung vitamin E ở các mức khác nhau. Tuy nhiên, chế độ ăn có bổ sung vitamin E đã ảnh hưởng tích cực đến tỷ lệ hao hụt của trứng, tỷ lệ trứng nở và tỷ lệ sống của ấu trùng 3 ngày tuổi. Kết quả nghiên cứu chỉ ra rằng nhu cầu vitamin E tối ưu của cá khoang cổ Nemo đạt được hiệu quả sinh sản là 375 mg vitamin E/kg thức ăn

Smoke-free environment policy in Vietnam: What did people see and how did they react when they visited various public places?

Introduction: Since Vietnam has signed WHO framework on tobacco control (FCTC) in 2003 and has issued tobacco control law in 2013, there has been little research concerning about what impacts smoke-free regulations have had on public compliance. The objective of this study was to assess public exposure to secondhand smoke and reaction toward smoke-free policy regulations in Vietnam and the associated factor. Methods: Using the design of GATS (Global Adult Tobacco Survey), a nationally representative sample of 8,996 adults were approached for data collection. Logistic regression was used to examine the associated factor.Results: The study revealed that the prevalence of respondents exposed to secondhand smoke was much higher in bars/café/tea shops (90.07%) and restaurants (81.81%) than in any other public places, universities (36.70%), government buildings (31.12%), public transport (20.04%), healthcare facilities (17.85%) and schools (15.84%). 13.23% of respondents saw smokers violate smoke-free regulations. Among those who saw them violate smoke-free regulations, just one-third cautioned them to stop smoking. Strikingly, a higher rate of cautioning smokers to stop smoking was observed among the older, married, and better educated respondents. Respondents who were married, better educated and in lower economic status were more likely to remind smokers to stop smoking.Conclusions: The study has called for strengthening two of the six MPOWER (Monitor, Protect, Offer, Warn, Enforce and Raise) components of the tobacco free initiative introduced by WHO, Monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies and Protecting people from tobacco smoke

The role of nutritional risk evaluation in predicting adverse outcomes among patients with severe COVID-19 in Vietnam

IntroductionAs sufficient nutrition helps alleviate catabolic stress and modulate the systemic inflammatory response of the body, it plays an indispensable role in the good prognosis of critically ill patients. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the malnutrition of patients with severe COVID-19 and its association with adverse treatment outcomes.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study in two provincial hospitals in Hanoi from February to April 2022. Participants were patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Malnutrition risk were evaluated by Nutritional Risk Screening-2002 (NRS), Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and the adverse prognosis was assessed by Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II). The multivariate receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to estimate the predictive ability of those criteria regarding worse treatment results.ResultsThe percentages of malnutrition measured by NRS, GLIM, PNI, and BMI were 62.6, 51.5, 42.9, and 16.6%, respectively. Patients with more severe malnutrition assessed by GLIM, PNI, and having above target fasting blood glucose (FBG) (≥10.0 mmol/L) were more likely to have higher APACHE scores. PNI had a better diagnostic performance than NRS and BMI (AUC = 0.84, 0.81, and 0.82, respectively). In addition, FBG revealed a good prognostic implication (AUC = 0.84).ConclusionA relatively high percentage of patients experienced moderate and severe malnutrition regardless of screening tools. Individuals at higher risk of malnutrition and high FBG were predicted to have more adverse treatment outcomes. It is recommended that nutritional screening should be conducted regularly, and personalizing nutritional care strategies is necessary to meet patients’ nutrient demands and prevent other nutrition-related complications

Safety and efficacy of fluoxetine on functional outcome after acute stroke (AFFINITY): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Background Trials of fluoxetine for recovery after stroke report conflicting results. The Assessment oF FluoxetINe In sTroke recoverY (AFFINITY) trial aimed to show if daily oral fluoxetine for 6 months after stroke improves functional outcome in an ethnically diverse population. Methods AFFINITY was a randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done in 43 hospital stroke units in Australia (n=29), New Zealand (four), and Vietnam (ten). Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of acute stroke in the previous 2–15 days, brain imaging consistent with ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke, and a persisting neurological deficit that produced a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 or more. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 via a web-based system using a minimisation algorithm to once daily, oral fluoxetine 20 mg capsules or matching placebo for 6 months. Patients, carers, investigators, and outcome assessors were masked to the treatment allocation. The primary outcome was functional status, measured by the mRS, at 6 months. The primary analysis was an ordinal logistic regression of the mRS at 6 months, adjusted for minimisation variables. Primary and safety analyses were done according to the patient's treatment allocation. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12611000774921. Findings Between Jan 11, 2013, and June 30, 2019, 1280 patients were recruited in Australia (n=532), New Zealand (n=42), and Vietnam (n=706), of whom 642 were randomly assigned to fluoxetine and 638 were randomly assigned to placebo. Mean duration of trial treatment was 167 days (SD 48·1). At 6 months, mRS data were available in 624 (97%) patients in the fluoxetine group and 632 (99%) in the placebo group. The distribution of mRS categories was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (adjusted common odds ratio 0·94, 95% CI 0·76–1·15; p=0·53). Compared with patients in the placebo group, patients in the fluoxetine group had more falls (20 [3%] vs seven [1%]; p=0·018), bone fractures (19 [3%] vs six [1%]; p=0·014), and epileptic seizures (ten [2%] vs two [<1%]; p=0·038) at 6 months. Interpretation Oral fluoxetine 20 mg daily for 6 months after acute stroke did not improve functional outcome and increased the risk of falls, bone fractures, and epileptic seizures. These results do not support the use of fluoxetine to improve functional outcome after stroke

Advances on non-invasive physically triggered nucleic acid delivery from nanocarriers

International audienc

Preparation of Graphene Nanoplatelets by Thermal Shock Combined with Ball Milling Methods for Fabricating Flame-Retardant Polymers

Graphene nanoplatelets were successfully prepared from graphite powder by simple and scalable thermal shock combined with ball milling methods. The formation of the graphene nanoplatelets were observed by field-emission scanning electron microscopes and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller methods with the much smaller number of layers and the considerable increase of specific surface area in comparison to the initial expanded graphite material. The other characterizations such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction methods of graphene nanoplatelets showed unchanged structure. These graphene nanoplatelets were combined with aluminum trihydroxide and zinc borate to prepare flame-retardant polycarbonate plastic and chlorine-sulfonated polyethylene rubber. The prepared composites showed the improvement of flame resistance properties with V0 level according to the UL-94 test method, and the limiting oxygen index value was higher than 27

Development of Theranostic Cationic Liposomes Designed for Image-Guided Delivery of Nucleic Acid

Cationic liposomes have been considered as potential vectors for gene delivery thanks to their ability to transfect cells with high efficiency. Recently, the combination of diagnostic agent and therapeutic agents in the same particle to form a theranostic system has been reported. Magnetic liposomes are one of these examples. Due to the magnetic nanoparticles encapsulated in the liposomes, they can act as a drug delivery system and, at the same time, a magnetic resonance imaging contrast enhancement agent or hyperthermia. In this work, nucleic acid delivery systems based on magnetic cationic liposomes (MCLs) were developed. Two different techniques, reverse phase evaporation and cosolvent sonication, were employed for liposome preparation. Both strategies produced MCLs of less than 200 nm with highly positive charge. Enhancement of their transverse and longitudinal relaxivities r2 and r1 was obtained with both kinds of magnetic liposomes compared to free magnetic nanoparticles. Moreover, these MCLs showed high capacity to form complexes and transfect CT-26 cells using the antibiotic-free pFAR4-luc plasmid. The transfection enhancement with magnetofection was also carried out in CT26 cells. These results suggested that our MCLs could be a promising candidate for image-guided gene therapy