Changes in transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (Smad) expression in chronic asthmatic rats induced by ovalbumin and aluminum hydroxide

The aim of this study was to investigate the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β 1/mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (Smad) signaling pathway associated with airway reconstruction in chronic asthmatic rats by studying mRNA and protein expression. Twenty-four (24) Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups: a normal control group treated with 0.9% saline and an OVE+ALU group treated with a mixture of 10% ovalbumin and 10% aluminum hydroxide. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathomorphological changes, and the locations of TGF-β and Smad 2, 4 and 7 were determined by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of TGF-β and Smad 2, 4 and 7 was determined by real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The protein expression of TGF-β was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), whereas that of Smad 2, 4 and 7 was determined by western blotting. HE staining revealed that the OVE+ALU group displayed obvious signs of bleeding and expansion of lung alveolar and inflammatory cells. Immunofluorescence showed that TGF-β and Smad 2, 4 and 7 proteins were located in the bronchial wall or alveolar wall. RT-PCR showed that mRNA expression of Smad 2 was significantly higher in the OVE+ALU group than in the control group (P < 0.05) and that mRNA expression of Smad 7 was significantly lower in the OVE+ALU group than in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in Smad 4 mRNA expression between the two groups (P > 0.05). Western blotting showed that TGF-β 1 and Smad 2 protein expression was significantly higher in the OVE+ALU group than in the control group (P < 0.05), whereas, in contrast, Smad 4 and 7 protein expression was significantly lower in the OVE+ALU group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The process of chronic asthma rats, TGF-β  and Smad 2, 4 and 7 expressions were changeable, thus the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway may play a role in chronic asthma.Keywords: Chronic asthma, Smad 2, 4 and 7, real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 11(29), pp. 7528-7534, 10 April, 201

Structure and Properties of La2O3-TiO2 Nanocomposite Films for Biomedical Applications

The hemocompatibility of La2O3-doped TiO2 films with different concentration prepared by radio frequency (RF) sputtering was studied. The microstructures and blood compatibility of TiO2 films were investigated by scan electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and UV-visible optical absorption spectroscopy, respectively. With the increasing of the La2O3 concentrations, the TiO2 films become smooth, and the grain size becomes smaller. Meanwhile, the band gap of the samples increases from 2.85 to 3.3 eV with increasing of the La2O3 content in TiO2 films from 0 to 3.64%. La2O3-doped TiO2 films exhibit n-type semiconductor properties due to the existence of Ti2+ and Ti3+. The mechanism of hemocompatibility of TiO2 film doped with La2O3 was analyzed and discussed

Photodynamic therapy combined with the Sanqi Panax Notoginseng for patients with age-related macular degeneration and choroidal neovascularization

AIM: To investigate the clinical effect of photodynamic therapy(PDT)combined with Traditional Chinese medicine Sanqi Panax Notoginseng therapy for age-related macular degeneration(AMD)and choroidal neovascularization(CNV). <p>METHODS: Seventeen patients(17 eyes)with AMD and CNV were diagnosed by visual acuity, ocular pressure, fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA), idocyanine green angiography(ICGA)and optic coherence tomography(OCT), and male 7 cases, female 10 cases, age 53-72 years old. PDT was performed using the recommended standard procedure. The patients were treated with PDT for 5 days, and Sanqi Panax Notoginseng 500mg injection by intravenous drip for 10 days, once a day, 15 days as one course. One month, 3, 6 months of follow-up after treatment. <p>RESULTS: Of 17 patients after 6 months treatment, visual acuity improved in 8 cases(47%, 8/17), remained stable in 6 cases(35%), and decreased in 3 cases(18%); and 12 cases(71%)with CNV closure and leakage stopped completely, 5 cases(29%)with most of the CNV's closure, 1 patient experienced blurred vision. <p>CONCLUSION: The results show that PDT combined with traditional Chinese medicine Sanqi Panax Notoginseng in treatment of ADM-CNV is simple and has reliable effect, it can be used in clinical application

Ethyl 1-(6-chloro-3-pyridylmeth­yl)-5-ethoxy­methyl­eneamino-1H-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxyl­ate

In the title compound, C14H16ClN5O3, there is evidence for significant electron delocalization in the triazolyl system. Intra­molecular C—H⋯O and inter­molecular C—H⋯O and C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds stabilize the structure

Improved Efficiency of Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes Using a Three-Step Spin-Coated CH3NH3PbBr3 Emitter and a PEDOT:PSS/MoO3-Ammonia Composite Hole Transport Layer

High efficiency perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) using PEDOT:PSS/MoO3-ammonia composite hole transport layers (HTLs) with different MoO3-ammonia ratios were prepared and characterized. For PeLEDs with one-step spin-coated CH3NH3PbBr3 emitter, an optimal MoO3-ammonia volume ratio (0.02) in PEDOT:PSS/MoO3-ammonia composite HTL presented a maximum luminance of 1082 cd/m2 and maximum current efficiency of 0.7 cd/A, which are 82% and 94% higher than those of the control device using pure PEDOT:PSS HTL respectively. It can be explained by that the optimized amount of MoO3-ammonia in the composite HTLs cannot only facilitate hole injection into CH3NH3PbBr3 through reducing the contact barrier, but also suppress the exciton quenching at the HTL/CH3NH3PbBr3 interface. Three-step spin coating method was further used to obtain uniform and dense CH3NH3PbBr3 films, which lead to a maximum luminance of 5044 cd/m2 and maximum current efficiency of 3.12 cd/A, showing enhancement of 750% and 767% compared with the control device respectively. The significantly improved efficiency of PeLEDs using three-step spin-coated CH3NH3PbBr3 film and an optimum PEDOT:PSS/MoO3-ammonia composite HTL can be explained by the enhanced carrier recombination through better hole injection and film morphology optimization, as well as the reduced exciton quenching at HTL/CH3NH3PbBr3 interface. These results present a promising strategy for the device engineering of high efficiency PeLEDs

Effects of Charge Transport Materials on Blue Fluorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes with a Host-Dopant System

High efficiency blue fluorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), based on 1,3-bis(carbazol-9-yl)benzene (mCP) doped with 4,4’-bis(9-ethyl-3-carbazovinylene)-1,1’-biphenyl (BCzVBi), were fabricated using four different hole transport layers (HTLs) and two different electron transport layers (ETLs). Fixing the electron transport material TPBi, four hole transport materials, including 1,1-Bis[(di-4-tolylamino)phenyl]cyclohexane (TAPC), N,N’-Di(1-naphthyl)-N,N’-diphenyl-(1,1’-biphenyl)-4’-diamine(NPB), 4,4’-Bis(N-carbazolyl)-1,1,-biphenyl (CBP) and molybdenum trioxide (MoO3), were selected to be HTLs, and the blue OLED with TAPC HTL exhibited a maximum luminance of 2955 cd/m2 and current efficiency (CE) of 5.75 cd/A at 50 mA/cm2, which are 68% and 62% higher, respectively, than those of the minimum values found in the device with MoO3 HTL. Fixing the hole transport material TAPC, the replacement of TPBi ETL with Bphen ETL can further improve the performance of the device, in which the maximum luminance can reach 3640 cd/m2 at 50 mA/cm2, which is 23% higher than that of the TPBi device. Furthermore, the lifetime of the device is also optimized by the change of ETL. These results indicate that the carrier mobility of transport materials and energy level alignment of different functional layers play important roles in the performance of the blue OLEDs. The findings suggest that selecting well-matched electron and hole transport materials is essential and beneficial for the device engineering of high-efficiency blue OLEDs