Overview of the immunological mechanisms in hepatitis B virus reactivation:Implications for disease progression and management strategies

Hepatitis B virus(HBV)reactivation is a clinically significant challenge in disease management.This review explores the immunological mechanisms underlying HBV reactivation,emphasizing disease progression and management.It delves into host immune responses and reactivation’s delicate balance,spanning innate and adaptive immunity.Viral factors’disruption of this balance,as are interac-tions between viral antigens,immune cells,cytokine networks,and immune checkpoint pathways,are examined.Notably,the roles of T cells,natural killer cells,and antigen-presenting cells are discussed,highlighting their influence on disease progression.HBV reactivation’s impact on disease severity,hepatic flares,liver fibrosis progression,and hepatocellular carcinoma is detailed.Management strategies,including anti-viral and immunomodulatory approaches,are critically analyzed.The role of prophylactic anti-viral therapy during immunosuppressive treatments is explored alongside novel immunotherapeutic interventions to restore immune control and prevent reactivation.In conclusion,this compre-hensive review furnishes a holistic view of the immunological mechanisms that propel HBV reactivation.With a dedicated focus on understanding its implic-ations for disease progression and the prospects of efficient management stra-tegies,this article contributes significantly to the knowledge base.The more profound insights into the intricate interactions between viral elements and the immune system will inform evidence-based approaches,ultimately enhancing disease management and elevating patient outcomes.The dynamic landscape of management strategies is critically scrutinized,spanning anti-viral and immunomodulatory approaches.The role of prophylactic anti-viral therapy in preventing reactivation during immunosuppressive treatments and the potential of innovative immunotherapeutic interventions to restore immune control and proactively deter reactivation.

Immunological disturbance effect of exogenous histamine towards key immune cells

Histamine in food has attracted widespread attention due to the potential toxicity and associated health risk.However,its influences on immunological components,especially the function of key immune cells,are still poorly known.In this work,we explored the effects of exogenous histamine on the function of key immune cells such as intestinal epithelial cells,dendritic cells,and T cells.The results showed that histamine could affect the expression of allergy-related genes in CMT93 cells at a high dose of histamine.Moreover,it’s found that histamine could cause an imbalance in the levels of relevant immune factors secreted by dendritic cells and T cells,especially those related to allergy.At the same time,the proportion of MHC class IIpositive dendritic cells and the proportion of T helper 2(Th2)cells in CD4^(+)T cells increased after histamine stimulation.We concluded that the presence of a certain level of histamine in food may affect the expression of allergy-related cytokines,disrupt the balance of the immune homeostasis,and potentially lead to adverse immune reactions.This work demonstrated the importance of including the estimation of histamine’s immune safety in aquatic products rather than merely considering the potential risk of food poisoning.

Antibacterial mechanism with consequent cytotoxicity of different reinforcements in biodegradable magnesium and zinc alloys: A review

Benefits achieved by the biodegradable magnesium(Mg) and zinc(Zn) implants could be suppressed due to the invasion of infectious microbial, common bacteria, and fungi. Postoperative medications and the antibacterial properties of pure Mg and Zn are insufficient against biofilm and antibiotic-resistant bacteria, bringing osteomyelitis, necrosis, and even death. This study evaluates the antibacterial performance of biodegradable Mg and Zn alloys of different reinforcements, including silver(Ag), copper(Cu), lithium(Li), and gallium(Ga). Copper ions(Cu^(2+)) can eradicate biofilms and antibiotic-resistant bacteria by extracting electrons from the cellular structure. Silver ion(Ag^(+)) kills bacteria by creating bonds with the thiol group. Gallium ion(Ga^(3+)) inhibits ferric ion(Fe^(3+)) absorption, leading to nutrient deficiency and bacterial death. Nanoparticles and reactive oxygen species(ROS) can penetrate bacteria cell walls directly, develop bonds with receptors, and damage nucleotides. Antibacterial action depends on the alkali nature of metal ions and their degradation rate, which often causes cytotoxicity in living cells. Therefore, this review emphasizes the insight into degradation rate, antibacterial mechanism, and their consequent cytotoxicity and observes the correlation between antibacterial performance and oxidation number of metal ions.

Immunological factors in cirrhosis diseases from a bibliometric point of view

BACKGROUND Cirrhosis results from persistent liver injury that leads to liver fibrosis.Immunological factors play important regulatory roles in the development and progression of cirrhosis.Bibliometrics is one of the most commonly used methods for systematic evaluation of a field of study.To date,there are no bibliometric studies on the role of immunological factors in cirrhosis.AIM To provide a comprehensive overview of the knowledge structure and research hotspots of immunological factors in cirrhosis.METHODS We retrieved publications related to immunological factors in cirrhosis between 2003 to 2022 from the Web of Science Core Collection database on December 7,2022.The search strategy was TS=((Liver Cirrhosis OR hepatic cirrhosis OR liver fibrosis)AND(Immunologic*Factor*OR Immune Factor*OR Immunomodulator*OR Biological Response Modifier*OR Biomodulator*)).Only original articles and reviews were included.A total of 2873 publications were analyzed using indicators of publication and citation metrics,countries,institutes,authors,journals,references,and keywords by CiteSpace and VOSviewer.RESULTS A total of 5104 authors from 1173 institutions across 51 countries published 2873 papers on cirrhosis and immunological factors in 281 journals.In the past 20 years,the increasing number of related annual publications and citations indicates that research on immunological factors in cirrhosis has become the focus of attention and has entered a period of accelerated development.The United States(781/27.18%),China(538/18.73%),and Germany(300/10.44%)were the leading countries in this field.Most of the top 10 authors were from the United States(4)and Germany(3),with Gershwin ME contributing the most related articles(42).World Journal of Gastroenterology was the most productive journal,whereas Hepatology was the most co-cited journal.Current research hotspots regarding immunological factors in cirrhosis include fibrosis,cirrhosis,inflammation,liver fibrosis,expression,hepatocellular carcinoma,activation,primary biliary cirrhosis,disease,and hepatic stellate cells.Burst keywords(e.g.,epidemiology,gut microbiota,and pathways)represent research frontiers that have attracted the interest of researchers in recent years.CONCLUSION This bibliometric study comprehensively summarizes the research developments and directions of immunological factors in cirrhosis,providing new ideas for promoting scientific research and clinical applications.

Echinoside A from Pearsonothuria graeffei Exert the Cytotoxicity to MDA-MB-231 Cells via Mitochondrial Membrane and Modulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway

A kind of triterpene glycosides echinoside A(EA)was extracted from sea cucumber Pearsonothuria graeffei,and its yield was about 0.78%.The purity of EA was 99.0%,and its molecular weight was 1206 Da.EA was a linear tetrasaccharide attached to a pentacyclic triterpene aglycon.It inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro.The antitumor effect was related to elevate ROS level,decrease mitochondrial membrane potential,enhance caspase-3 expression,induce cells apoptosis and arrest cell cycle at G2/M phase.EA also dose-dependently suppressed the expressions of phophorylation proteins p-PI3K,p-Akt,and p-mTOR as analyzed by western blotting.These results suggested that EA caused MDA-MB-231 cells apoptosis via intrinsic mitochondrial and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.EA can be a potential anti-breast cancer agent to enhance the clinical efficacy.

Prognosis and immunological role of HLA-DMA in lung adenocarcinoma

Background:HLA-DMA presents pathogen-derived antigens to CD4+and CD8+T cells,respectively,and plays a significant part in initiating the immune response.So far,the impact of HLA expression on the prognosis of BC cells is controversial,because few studies have shown that the expressions of some HLA genes are related to the improvement of the survival rate.Up till now,however,the relationship between HLA-DMA and LUAD has not yet been assessed.Methods:We analyzed the TCGA database and assessed the prognostic value of HLA-DMA in LUAD.We conducted the Kruskal–Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank test and utilized logistic regression to assess the role of clinical-pathologic characteristics and HLA-DMA expression.Kaplan–Meier method and the multivariate and univariate Cox regression were also used for evaluating the prognosis-related factors of LUAD.GSEA was used to identify HLA-DMA-related key pathways.The ssGSEA of the TCGA data was used to investigate the correlations between HLA-DMA and cancer immune cell infiltration.Results:Low HLA-DMA expression was related to poorer disease-specific survival(DSS)and overall survival(OS)of LUAD patients.GSEA revealed that HLA-DMA was tightly interrelated with an immune response by the reactome activation of anterior hox genes in hindbrain development during the early embryogenesis signaling pathway.The expression of HLA-DMA was positively associated with cytotoxic cell infiltration and negatively related to the Th2 cell infiltration according to the ssGSEA.Western blotting and the CCK-8 assay showed that KD-HLA-DMA could significantly increase the proliferation of A549 cells and significantly reduce cell pyroptosis.Conclusion:All the observations implied that HLA-DMA was associated with patient prognosis and immune infiltration in LUAD.

Effect of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch polysaccharide on growth performance and immunologic function in mice in Ural City,Xinjiang

Objective:To discuss the effect of Glycyrrhiza uralensis(G.uralensis) Fisch polysaccharide on growth performance and immunologic function in mice in Ural City,Xinjiang and to provide important data supporting the application of Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide.Methods:A total of100 Kunming mice aged 3 weeks old were randomly divided into 5 groups with 20 mice in each group(10 were females and 10 were males).About 0.5 mL normal saline was given to the mice of control group every day and 0.5 mL G.uralensis Fisch polysaccharide was given to the mice of other groups at the concentration of 1,20,50 and 100 mg/mL respectively.The growth performance(average body weight,average daily feed intake and feed efficiency),immune organ indexes(spleen index and thymus index) and immunologic function(serum IL-2,CD4^+/CD8^+ and the activity of NK cells) of mice in each group were detected continuously.Results:The average body weight,feed efficiency,serum IL-2,CD4^+/CD8^+ and the activity of NK cells of mice were increased with the increase of administrated time after administrating G.uralensis Fisch polysaccharide and were reached up the largest level on Day 28.At the same time,each index was proportional to the given dose and was significantly higher than those of control group and reached up the largest level at the administrated dose of 100 mg/mL.After administrating G.uralensis Fisch polysaccharide,the spleen index and thymus index of mice were increased with the increase of administrated dose and the spleen index and thymus index of mice administrated with the dose of 100 mg/mL were maximum which was more than 1.51 times and 1.43 times of that in control group respectively and the comparative differences showed statistical significance(P<0.05).The average daily feed intake of mice in each group was increased with the passage of lime and at the same time,the comparison of average daily feed intake of mice in each group was not significantly different(P>0.05).Conclusions:G.uralensis Fisch polysaccharide can significantly improve the growth performance and immunologic function of mice and laid a research basis for the clinical application of G.uralensis Fisch polysaccharide.

Chronic toxicity and cytotoxicity of synthetic pyrethroid insecticide cis-bifenthrin

With the increasing use of synthetic pyrethroids （SPs）, the significance of ecological safety and health risk is an emerging concern, In this study, we evaluated the chronic aquatic toxicity of eis-bifenthrin （cis-BF） in Daphnia magna and its cytotoxicity in Chinese hamster ovary （CHO） cells as well as human cervical carcinoma （Hela） ceils. Chronic aquatic toxicity tests showed that cis-BF could significantly affect the reproduction of D. magna. The lowest observed effective concentration and the non-observed effective concentration of cis-BF to D. magna were 0.02 and 0.01 μg/L, respectively, and the chronic value was 0.014 μg/L. The intrinsic rate of natural increase was significantly decreased （p 〈 0.05） to 0.02 μg/L. The cytotoxicity assay demonstrated that cis-BF decreased cell viability in CHO and Hela cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The IC50 values for Hela and CHO cells were 4.0 × 10^-5 and 3.2 × 10^-5 mol/L, respectively. Together, these results indicated that cis-BF induced chronic toxicity in both aquatic invertebrate animals and mammalian cells. These findings assist in understanding the impact of SPs on health and environmental safety. Considering the wide spectrum of SPs, a more comprehensive understanding of the negative effects is indispensible for planning future application and regulation of these pesticides.

Cytotoxicity Study of a Novel Implant Material Modified by Microarc Oxidation

This study examined the cytotoxicity of a new implant material modified by microarc oxidation technique. Cells on different surfaces of the implant were evaluated 2, 4 and 6 days after treatment. The results showed that cell attachment, cell morphology, and cell proliferation were influenced by the different surface treatments, and a significant increase in the osteoblast cell activity was observed on the porous MAO-Ti coating. Our results suggest that the porous MAO-Ti surface has a better biocompatibility and electrochemical performance than pure titanium surface.

Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis Induction in Human HepG2 Hepatoma Cells by Decabromodiphenyl Ethane

Abstract Objective To investigate the toxic effects of decabromodiphenyl ethane （DBDPE）, used as an alternative to decabromodiphenyl ether in vitro. Methods HepG2 cells were cultured in the presence of DBDPE at various concentrations （3.125-100.0 mg/L） for 24, 48, and 72 h respectively and the toxic effect of DBDPE was studied. Results As evaluated by the 3-（4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide and lactate dehydrogenase assays and nuclear morphological changes, DBDPE inhibited HepG2 viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner within a range of 12.5 mg/L to 100 mg/L and for 48 h and 72 h. Induction of apoptosis was detected at 12.5-100 mg/L at 48 h and 72 h by propidium iodide staining, accompanied with overproduction of reactive oxygen species （ROS）. Furthermore, N-acetyI-L-cysteine, a widely used ROS scavenger, significantly reduced DBDPE-induced ROS levels and increased HepG2 cells viability. Conclusion DBDPE has cytotoxic and anti-proliferation effect and can induce apoptosis in which ROS plays an important role

Immunological changes in different patient populations with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

AIM: To investigate killer inhibitory and activating receptor expression by natural killer(NK), natural killer T-like(NKT-like) and CD8+ T lymphocytes in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection with elevated and with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase(PNALT).METHODS: The percentage of peripheral blood Treg cells, KIR2DL3, ILT-2, KIR3DL1, CD160, NKG2 D, NKG2 C expressing NK, T and NKT-like cells, cytokine production and NK cytotoxicity were determined by flow cytometry. Twenty-one patients with chronic HCV infection with elevated alanine aminotransferase, 11 HCV carriers with persistently normal alanine aminotransferase and 15 healthy volunteers were enrolled. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in the percentage of total T, NK or NKT-like cells between study groups. Comparing the activating and inhibitoryreceptor expression by NK cells obtained from HCV carriers with PNALT and chronic HCV hepatitis patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase, NKG2 D activating receptor expression was the only receptor showing a significant difference. NKG2 D expression of NK cells was significantly lower in patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase. The expression of CD160, NKG2 D and NKG2 C activating receptor by CD8+ T cells were significantly lower in patients with chronic HCV hepatitis than in healthy controls and in HCV carriers with PNALT. Plasma TGF-β1 levels inversely correlated with NKG2 D expression by NK cells. In vitro TGF-β1 treatment inhibited NK cells cytotoxic activity and downregulated NKG2 D expression. CD8+ T cells from HCV carriers with PNALT showed significantly elevated expression of CD160, NKG2 D and NKG2 C activating receptors compared to chronic HCV patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase. Enhanced expression of inhibitory KIR2DL3 receptor, and decreased ILT-2 expression on NK cells were also found in chronic hepatitis C patients compared to healthy controls.CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated a complex dysregulation of activating and inhibitory receptor expression, such as decreased NKG2 D and CD160 activating receptor expression and increased KIR2DL3 inhibitory receptor expression by NK and cytotoxic T cells and may provide further mechanism contributing to defective cellular immune functions in chronic hepatitis C. Increased NKG2 D receptor expression in HCV patients with persistently normal ALT suggests an important pathway for sustaining NK and CD8 T cell function and a protective role against disease progression.

Immunological Evaluation of a Novel Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antigen Rv0674

Objective This study aimed to characterize the diagnostic and vaccine potential of a novel Mycobacterium tuberculosisantigen Rv0674. Methods To evaluate thediagnostic potential and antigenicity of Rv0674, IgG was evaluated using ELISA and interferon (IFN)-γ was done by using ELISpot assay among TB patients and healthy donors. For immunogenicity evaluation, BALB/c mice were immunized with Rv0674. Cytokine production was determined by cytokine release assay using an ELISA kit, and the antibodies were tested using ELISA. Results The results of serum Elisa tests showed that Rv0674 specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) response was higher in TB patients than negative controls. And Rv0674 had good performance in serological test with sensitivity and specificity of 77.1% and 81.1%, respectively. While it shows poor sensitivity and specificity of 26.23% and 79.69% for IFN-γ tests. In BALB/c mice, Rv0674 adjuvant by DDA/PolyI:C could also induce a high level of IFN-γ, interleukin-2 and interleukin-6 as well as a high IgG titer in both high-and low-dose groups indicating that Rv0674 is essential in humoral and cellular immunity. Moreover, the cytokine profile and IgG isotypecharacterized Rv0674 as a Th1/Th2-mixed-type protective immunity with the predominance of Th1 cytokines. Conclusion Rv0674 may be a good potential candidate for the development of TB serological diagnosis and a new TB vaccine.

Cytotoxicity evaluation and hepatoprotective potential of bioassay guided fractions from Feronia limmonia Linn leaf

Objective:To evaluate the cytotoxicity and hepatoprotective potentials of extracts,fractions or isolated compound from the leaves of Feronia limonia(F.limonia).Methods:Qualitative phytochemical analysis of extracts,fractions or compound was performed by means of thin layer chromatography and spectroscopic assays.The%purity of compound was measured by analytical HPLC.Extracts,fractions or compound have been individually evaluated for their cytotoxicity effects(10,20,100,250,500,750 and 1 000 μg/mL).Based on the inhibitory concentration(IC_(50)) obtained from the cell viability assay,graded concentrations of extracts,fractions or isolated compound were assessed(10,20,50,100,200 μg/mL) for its hepatoprotective potential against CCl_4-induced hepatotoxicity by monitoring activity levels of serum glutamatic pyruvatic transaminase(SGPT) and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase(SGOT).Results:Results indicated that the methanol extract of F.limonia was non-toxic and hepatoprotective in nature as compared with the petroleum ether extract.The acetone fraction of methanolic extract also showed similar properties but the subsequent two fractions were cytotoxic.However,the pure compound isolated from the penultimate fraction of methanolic extract was non-toxic and hepatoprotective in nature.Biochemical investigations(SCOT,SCPT) further corroborated these cytological observations.Conclusions:It can be concluded from this study that F.limonia methanol extract,some fractions and pure isolated compound herein exhibit hepatoprotective activity.However,cytotoxicity recorded in the penultimate fraction and investigation of structural details of pure compound warrants further study.

Synthesis and in vitro cytotoxicity of novel 1,4-disubstituted phthalazines

Eight novel 1,4-disubstituted phthalazines （7-14） were designed and synthesized. The structures of all the synthesized compounds were confirmed by IR,1H NMR, 13C NMR, MS and elemental analysis. Their in vitro cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines （Bel-7402 and HT- 1080） were evaluated by standard MTT assay. Among them, compounds 9 and 11 exhibited more potent cytotoxicity than cisplatin. 2007 Ping Gong. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Cytotoxicity screening of Melastoma malabathricum extracts on human breast cancer cell lines in vitro

Objective:To screen the cytotoxic activity of Melasloma malabathricum(M,malubathricum)against human breast carreer cell line(MCF-7)in vitro.Methods:A three steps extraction protocol using n-hexane,chloroform and methanol as the solvents systems was carried out on leaves,stems and flowers of M.nalabathricum.Dimethyl sulfoxide was used in extracts dilution and serial dilutions were conducted to obtain five different extract concentrations(100μg/mL,50μg/mL,25μg/mL,123μg/rnL and 6.25μg/mL).The evaluation of cell growth was determined using methylene blue assay.Results:Methanol extract from the leaves showed significant anticancer activity against MCF-7cell lines with the TC_(50)value of 7.14μg/ml while methanol and chloroform extract from the flowers exhibited a moderate activity towards MCF-7 cell line,with the IC_(50)value of 33.63μg/mL and 45.76μg/mL respectively after 72 h of treatment.Conclusions:The extracts from leaves and flowers of M.nulabatkricum showed promising anticancer activity toward human breast cancer cell lines with the lowest IC_(50)at 7.14μg/mL while the extracts from stems showed less growth inhibition activity.

Cytotoxicity of lambda-cyhalothrin on the macrophage cell line RAW 264.7

The wide use and wide-spectrum toxicity of synthetic pyrethroids （SPs） insecticides make them an emerging ecotoxicological concern. Some previous studies showed that SPs possessed cytotoxicity in some immune cells such as human lymphocytes and rat bone marrow. However, the cytotoxicity of SPs to macrophages, which are crucial to innate immunity, has not been explored. In the present report, we investigated a new pyrethroid insecticide, lambda-cyhalothrin （LCT）, which may increase the generation of reactive oxygen species （ROS） and DNA damage levels and cause cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells in dose- and time-dependent manners. The results for the first time implicated increased endogenous ROS and DNA damage as co-mediators of LCT-induced cytotoxicity in macrophages. Our results also suggested that macrophages were involved in synthetic pyrethroid-induced adverse immune effects. Considering the ubiquitous environmental presence of SPs, this study provided new information relative to the potential long-term physiological and immunological effects associated with chronic exposure to SPs. Hence, the potential immunotoxicity of SPs should be considered in assessing the safety of these compounds in sensitive environmental compartments.

Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assessment of Euphorbia hirta in MCF-7cell line model using comet assay

Objective:To evaluate the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity activity of Euphorbia hirta(E.hirta)in MCF-7 cell line model using comet assay.Methods:The cytotoxicity of E.hirta extract was investigated by employing brine shrimp lethality assay and the genotoxicity of E.hirta was assessed by using Comet assay.Results:Both toxicity tests exhibited significant toxicity result.In the comet assay,the E.hirta extract exhibited genotoxicity effects against MCF-7 DNA in a time-dependent manner by increasing mean percentage of DNA damage.The extract of E.hirta showed significant toxicity against brine shrimp with an LC_(50)value of 620.382μg/mL(24 h).Comparison with positive control potassium dichroniate signifies that cytotoxicity exhibited by the methanol extract might have moderate activity.Conclusion:The present work confirmed the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of E.hirta.However,the observed toxicity of E.hta extracts needs to be confirmed in additional studies.

In Vitro Evaluation of Cytotoxicity and Oxidative Stress Induced by Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes in Murine RAW 264.7 Macrophages and Human A549 Lung Cells

Objective To investigate in vitro cytotoxicity and oxidative stress response induced by multiwalled carbon nanotubes （MWCNTs）. Methods Cultured macrophages （murine RAW264.7 cells） and alveolar epithelium cells type II （human A549 lung cells） were exposed to the blank control, DNA salt control, and the MWCNTs suspensions at 2.5, 10, 25, and 100 ug/mL for 24 h. Each treatment was evaluated by cell viability, cytotoxicity and oxidative stress. Results Overall, both cell lines had similar patterns in response to the cytotoxicity and oxidative stress of MWCNTs. DNA salt treatment showed no change compared to the blank control. In both cell lines, significant changes at the doses of 25 and 100 ug/mL treatments were found in cell viabilities, cytotoxicity, and oxidative stress indexes. The reactive oxygen species （ROS） generation was also found to be significantly higher at the dose of 10 ug/mL treatment, whereas no change was seen in most of the indexes. The ROS generation in both cell lines went up in minutes, reached the climax within an hour and faded down after several hours. Conclusion Exposure to MWCNTs resulted in a dose-dependent cytotoxicity in cultured RAW264.7 cells and A549 cells, that was closely correlated to the increased oxidative stress.

In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Polyphosphoester as a Novel Injectable Alveolar Replacement Material

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro cytotoxicity of polyphosphoester polymer used as a novel injectable alveolar bone substitutes for controlled delivery of tetracycline. Cell culture medium was exposed to the polymer （0.01-10 mg/mL） for 24 h. The L-929 mouse fibro- blasts were then exposed to the treated cell culture medium for 24 h. Finally, cell viability and growth were assessed by using MTT assay and Alamar Blue assay. No significant cytotoxicity of the polyphosphoester against L-929 mouse fibroblasts was observed at a concentration up to 10 mg/mL （P〉0.05）. The two evaluation methods showed no significant differences （P〉0.05）. This study suggests that polyphosphoester does not demonstrate any significant toxic effects to cells in vitro and has the potential to be used both as a medical device and as scaffolds in tissue engineering applications.

Dose-dependent Cytotoxicity and Oxidative Stress Induced by "Naked" Fe_3O_4 Nanoparticles in Human Hepatocyte

The dose-dependent cytotoxicity effect on human hepatocyte（HL-7702 cells） induced by ＂naked＂ Fe3O4 nanoparticles was assessed through cell viabilities and lactate dehydrogenase（LDH） activities. Three important oxi dative indexes of the cells by glutathione peroxidase（GSH-Px）, superoxide dismutase（SOD） and malondialde hyde（MDA） were determined. The good correlation of the cell viabilities with their GSH-Px, SOD and MDA levels indicated that the cytotoxicity is related to activation of oxidative stress induced by Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The oxida tive stress also leads to corresponding DNA damage in a similar dose-dependent manner, followed by the changes of cell cycle and cell apoptosis. Such work provides important experimental data for the safety evaluation of superpa ramagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles.