Single-sex schistosomiasis: a mini review

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by dioecious blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma and second to malaria as a parasitic disease with significant socio-economic impacts. Mating is essential for maturation of male and female schistosomes and for females to lay of eggs, which are responsible for the pathogenesis and propagation of the life cycle beyond the mammalian host. Single-sex schistosomes, which do not produce viable eggs without mating, have been overlooked given the symptomatic paucity of the single-sex schistosomiasis and limited diagnostic toolkit. Besides, single-sex schistosomes are less sensitive to praziquantel. Therefore, these issues should be considered to achieve the elimination of this infection disease. The aim of this review is to summarize current progress in research of single-sex schistosomes and host-parasite interactions

Nuclear Factor κB and Anesthetic Preconditioning during Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion

BackgroundVolatile anesthetic preconditioning (APC) protects against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury, but the precise mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain undefined. To investigate the molecular mechanism of APC in myocardial protection, the activation of nuclear factor (NF) kappaB and its regulated inflammatory mediators expression were examined in the current study.MethodsHearts from male rats were isolated, Langendorff perfused, and randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) the control group: hearts were continuously perfused for 130 min; (2) the IR group: 30 min of equilibration, 15 min of baseline, 25 min of ischemia, 60 min of reperfusion; and (3) the APC + IR group: 30 min of equilibration, 10 min of sevoflurane exposure and a 5-min washout, 25 min of global ischemia, 60 min of reperfusion. Tissue samples were acquired at the end of reperfusion. NF-kappaB activity was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The NF-kappaB inhibitor, IkappaB-alpha, was determined by Western blot analysis. Myocardial inflammatory mediators, including tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and inducible nitric oxide synthase, were also assessed by Western blot analysis.ResultsNuclear factor kappaB-DNA binding activity was significantly increased at the end of reperfusion in rat myocardium, and cytosolic IkappaB-alpha was decreased. Supershift assay revealed the involvement of NF-kappaB p65 and p50 subunits. APC with sevoflurane attenuated NF-kappaB activation and reduced the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and inducible nitric oxide synthase. APC also reduced infarct size and creatine kinase release and improved myocardial left ventricular developed pressure during IR.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate that attenuation of NF-kappaB activation and subsequent down-regulation of NF-kappaB-dependent inflammatory gene expression plays an important role in the protective mechanism of APC against acute myocardial IR injury

Advances of Zero-dimensional Carbon Nanomaterial-based Targeting Drug Delivery System for Tumor Therapy(Review)

Purposes Zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterial-based targeting drug delivery system has shown broad application prospects in the field of tumor therapy since the complex is constructed by using carbon nanomaterials with good stability and biocompatibility as drug carries and carries drugs, genes, and targeting components. Methods In this review, the structure of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterial as drug carriers, the construction of targeting drug delivery systems, and their applications in chemotherapy, gene therapy, and integration of diagnosis and treatment are reviewed. First, the structure of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterial is classified. Second, the construction strategies of carbon nanomaterial-based targeting drug delivery system are summarized from two aspects: targeting modification and drug loading. Finally, the application advances of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterial-based targeting drug delivery system is reviewed, and the current problems they face in tumor treatment are presented. Conclusions This work provides some theoretical support and practical experience for the extensive application of zero-dimensional carbon nanomaterial-based targeting drug delivery systems in the biomedical field

From Inflammation to Fibrosis: Novel Insights into the Roles of High Mobility Group Protein Box 1 in Schistosome-Induced Liver Damage

Schistosomiasis is a chronic helminthic disease of both humans and animals and the second most prevalent parasitic disease after malaria. Through a complex migration process, schistosome eggs trapped in the liver can lead to the formation of granulomas and subsequent schistosome-induced liver damage, which results in high mortality and morbidity. Although praziquantel can eliminate mature worms and prevent egg deposition, effective drugs to reverse schistosome-induced liver damage are scarce. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a multifunctional cytokine contributing to liver injury, inflammation, and immune responses in schistosomiasis by binding to cell-surface Toll-like receptors and receptors for advanced glycation end products. HMGB1 is increased in the serum of patients with schistosomiasis and enables hepatic stellate cells to adopt a proliferative myofibroblast-like phenotype, which is crucial to schistosome-induced granuloma formation. Inhibition of HMGB1 was found to generate protective responses against fibrotic diseases in animal models. Clinically, HMGB1 presents a potential target for treatment of the chronic sequelae of schistosomiasis. Here, the pivotal role of HMGB1 in granuloma formation and schistosome-induced liver damage, as well the potential of HMGB1 as a therapeutic target, are discussed

<i>S</i>. <i>japonicum</i> worm-derived EVs transfer sja-let-7 into HSCs and reduced their activation.

(A) TEM analysis for SjEVs. Black arrows indicate the cup-shape EVs. Scale bar, 200 nm. (B) NTA analysis for SjEVs. (C) Microscopy image of PKH67-labelled SjEVs (green) incubated with LX-2 cells for 2 h. White arrows indicate SjEVs labelled with PKH67. Scale bar, 25 μm. (D) Detection of α-SMA, Col1α1 and Col3α1 mRNA expression of the LX-2 cells (n = 3). (E) Detection of sja-let-7 in the LX-2 cells (n = 3). (F) Detection of α-SMA, Col1α1 and Col3α1 mRNA expression of the LX-2 cells (n = 3). All graph data are expressed as the mean ± SD of at least three biological replicates per group. *PPSj: S. japonicum; TEM: transmission electron microscope; NTA: nanoparticle tracking analyses; NC: negative control.</p

Sja-let-7 reduced the expression of fibrotic markers after treated with sja-let-7 agomir.

(A-C) Detection of α-SMA, Col1α1 and Col1α3 mRNA expression in the liver (n = 6). (D) Liver IHC analysis of α-SMA, Col1α1 and Col1α3. Scale bar, 200 μm. Insets show a higher magnification of the outlined area. Scale bar, 50 μm. (E) Immunofluorescence analysis of α-SMA, Col1α1 and Col1α3 after treated with sja-let-7 agomir. White arrows indicate the egg granuloma. Scale bar, 100 μm. Insets show a higher magnification of the outlined area. Scale bar, 50 μm. All graph data are expressed as the mean ± SD of at least three biological replicates per group. *PPSj: S. japonicum; NC: negative control; IHC: immunohistochemical analysis.</p

Potential target genes of sja-let-7 identified by RNAhybrid and miRanda.

Potential target genes of sja-let-7 identified by RNAhybrid and miRanda.</p

Observation of the overall course of liver fibrosis in BALB/c mice during 0–12 wpi.

(A) Liver and spleen appearance, hematological index of mice. (B-C) Hematological lym% and Neu% index of mice (n = 3). (D-E) Liver and spleen indexes of mice (n = 3). (F) Detection of hydroxyproline content in the liver tissues (n = 3). All graph data are expressed as the mean ± SD of at least three biological replicates per group. *PP (TIF)</p

Bio-based tannic acid as a raw material for membrane surface modification

Membrane technology has a great potential for applications in ecology, biology and chemistry, but it suffers from limitations such as low separation efficiency, poor stability, unsatisfactory permeability, and poor anti-fouling ability. Tannic acid (TA) emerges as an ideal raw material for membrane surface modification owing to its phenolic hydroxyl group and aromatic ring structure. This review not only summarizes the relationship between TA structure and the modified membrane properties, but also introduces the applications of TA-modified membranes since 2020, categorized by the type of driving force. The synthetic strategies of TA-modified membranes and the role of TA in membrane surface adjustment are also addressed. Finally, we share our thoughts about the opportunities and challenges in this field.Submitted/Accepted versionWe gratefully acknowledge the Fundamental Research Funds for the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32001266) and the National Undergraduate Training Program for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (202210288037) for financial support