Protective Effects of Flavonoids from Pteridium aquilinum on CCl_(4)-induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice

[Objectives]To explore the protective effects of flavonoids from Pteridium aquilinum(PAFL)on carbon tetracholoride(CCl_(4))-induced acute liver injury in mice and its potential mechanism.[Methods]All mice were randomly divided into four groups(n=10 in each),normal group,CCl_(4)group,CCl_(4)+PAFL groups[treated with PAFL(50 or 200 mg/kg)].Animal treatment was continued for 7 consecutive days.The blood was collected after injection of CCl_(4)for 24 h,and the liver tissue was removed from the mice and stored at-80℃.[Results]The PAFL(50 and 200 mg/kg)significantly inhibited the increase of aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and alanine aminotransferase(ALT)levels in serum caused by CCl_(4)treatment.PAFL administration not only increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase(SOD),Glutathione(GSH)and catalase(CAT)in mice,but also reduced the level of malondialdehyde(MDA).Meanwhile,PAFL administration decreased the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)and Cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)proteins and inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and interleukin 6(IL-6).In addition,PAFL(200 mg/kg)treatment down-regulated extracellular regulated protein kinases(ERK)and c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK)protein levels in liver tissue.[Conclusions]These findings clearly indicate that the protective effects of PAFL on CCl_(4)-induced acute liver injury is related to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity,which may be mediated by NF-κB and MAPKs signaling pathways.

Co-operative roles of IL-4Rαand IL-13Rα1 in the progression of ovarian carcinomas and the survival of ovarian carcinoma patients

Dear Editor,Recently,there has been a rise in interest in the roles of cytokines and cytokine receptors in malignant human tumors.Cytokine receptors,especially typeⅡinterleukin-4 receptor(IL-4R),have recently been examined as novel therapeutic targets of human cancers[1-3].The typeⅡIL-4R complex is composed of IL-4Rαand interleukin-13 receptorα1(IL-13Rα1),and the expression of IL-4Rαand IL-13Rα1 was higher in cancer tissues compared with normal counterpart tissues[3,4].

Lotus seedpod-inspired internal vascularized 3D printed scaffold for bone tissue repair

In the field of bone defect repair,3D printed scaffolds have the characteristics of personalized customization and accurate internal structure.However,how to construct a well-structured vascular network quickly and effectively inside the scaffold is essential for bone repair after transplantation.Herein,inspired by the unique biological structure of“lotus seedpod”,hydrogel microspheres encapsulating deferoxamine(DFO)liposomes were prepared through microfluidic technology as“lotus seeds”,and skillfully combined with a three-dimensional(3D)printed bioceramic scaffold with biomimetic“lotus”biological structure which can internally grow blood vessels.In this composite scaffold system,DFO was effectively released by 36%in the first 6 h,which was conducive to promote the growth of blood vessels inside the scaffold quickly.In the following 7 days,the release rate of DFO reached 69%,which was fundamental in the formation of blood vessels inside the scaffold as well as osteogenic differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs).It was confirmed that the composite scaffold could significantly promote the human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)to form the vascular morphology within 6 h in vitro.In vivo,the composite scaffold increased the expression of vascularization and osteogenic related proteins Hif1-α,CD31,OPN,and OCN in the rat femoral defect model,significantly cutting down the time of bone repair.To sum up,this“lotus seedpod”inspired porous bioceramic 3D printed scaffold with internal vascularization functionality has broad application prospects in the future.