BACKGROUND: To investigate the possible mechanism of renal protection of astaxanthin in iohexol-induced human proximal renal tubular epithelial cells injury. METHODS: Human proximal renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) were randomly divided into six groups: blank control group (Control group); Dimethyl sulfoxide solvent control group (DMSO group); astaxanthin control group (AST group); Contrast media group (CM group); astaxanthin pretreatment group (AST+CM group); N-acetylcysteine pretreatment group (NAC+CM group).After the cells received different intervention for the indicated time,DAPI DNA fluorescence staining detected cells apoptosis; Annexin-V-FITC / PI dual-labeled flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate; the levels of Reactive oxygen species(ROS) was detected by Flow cytometry; the protein levels of NLRP3 and CASPASE1 were detected by Western Blotting; the levels of IL-1ßand IL-18 was detected by ELISA. RESULTS: The measurement results show a significant increase (P< 0.05) in the levels of ROS, NLRP3, CASPASE1, IL-1ß, IL-18 and apoptosis rate in the CM group compared with the CON group. Compared with the CM group, a significant improvement in these unfavorable parameters was observed in AST+CM group and NAC+CM group. There was no significant difference in the above parameters between AST+CM group and NAC+CM group(P?0.05) CONCLUSIONS: Astaxanthin can attenuate iohexol-induced human proximal renal tubular epithelial cells injury, and its possible mechanism is related to the inhibition of ROS production and down-regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream apoptosis and inflammatory response. Key words: Astaxanthin, CI-AKI, ROS, NLRP3 inflammasome, apoptosis, inflammatory

Encapsulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in carrier materials for controlled delivery in the desired site is of paramount importance for optimizing the effectiveness of a therapeutic drug while minimizing its side effects. Cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) is herein assembled as a host framework to accommodate APIs (tryptophan, phenylalanine biapenem, and diclofenac sodium) in aqueous solution under room temperature to enhance their stability in the gastric acid and realize sustained release in the intestinal tract. Host-guest interactions were investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy while crystal structures of the supramolecular assembly were determined by single-crystal x-ray analysis, which reveals that both the CB[8] framework crystals and the API@CB[8] cocrystals belong to a monoclinic crystal system. With their aromatic rings folded inside the macrocyclic cavity of CB[8] and their alkyl chains stretching outside to interreact with the carbonyl portals of CB[8] through ion-dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding, both hydrophic and hydrophobic APIs were readily encapsulated inside the supramolecular framework. In comparison to API in its free form, an accelerated dissolution kinetic of the API@CB[8] cocrystals was observed at intestinal pH (6.8), which otherwise demonstrated a lower dissolution profile at gastric pH (1.5). With their biocompatibility confirmed by cytotoxicity test, the proposed pharmaceutical cocrystals provide a new paradigm for intestine-targeted drug delivery. Keywords: cucurbit[8]uril; phenylalanine; single-crystal x-ray analysis; pharmaceutical cocrystal; intestine-targeted.

This research aimed to obtain active peptides that exert remarkable inhibitory effects on Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). The ACE inhibitory peptides from T. molitor were were prepared by hydrolyzing Tenebrio molitor powders with papain, separated by using ultrafiltration membranes. Five molecular weight fractions were obtained. Sephadex G-15 was used to separate the fraction with molecular weight < 3 kDa through the different concentrations of the enzyme solutions. Results showed that 100 mg/mL was the optimal concentration, and the elution peaks were divided into three groupsM1,M2,M3. The M2 component showed the highest activity,which was analyzed and found to be abundant and diverse. The molecular weight of M2, which was composed of three amino acid residues. The inhibitory activities of the enzymatic hydrolysis solution, the ultrafiltration component, and the chromatography component against indicator bacteria were measured. The enzymatic hydrolysis solution and the component >30 kDa in molecular weight exhibited inhibitory effects on the three indicator bacteria. Keywords: Tenebrio molitor, ACE inhibitory peptide, isolation, purification, antibacterial activity

Early accurate detection of pancreatic cancer is still a challenge for current medicine. Compared to conventional anatomical imaging techniques, PET can provide information on tumor function, and PET/CT is increasingly used in detecting and staging of cancer as single "one stop shop" method. In this review, we summarize current PET molecular imaging tracers or probes for pancreatic cancer detection, and a perspective of the future trend of pancreatic cancer target-specific probes in the clinic is also provided.

Sixty-six random samples of fast food sandwiches, each about 200 g were randomly collected from Fayoum, Egypt. Eleven sandwiches of liver, burger, sausage, chicken shawarma, meat shawarma and chicken crepe were purchased from different shops and markets. Collected samples were subjected to chemical examination, determination of some heavy metals using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) and aflatoxins using HPLC. The highest mean value (6.70) of pH was recorded in liver sandwiches samples, while the highest mean values (55.886%, 42.516% and 4.371%) of moisture%, protein%, ash% were obtained from chicken crepe, meat shawarma and sausage sandwiches, respectively. The highest mean values (7.96, 7.81) of thiobarbituric acid (mg MDA/Kg) were recorded in liver and burger sandwiches, respectively. The highest concentration of lead was found in sausage sandwiches with a mean value of 1.06+ 0.35 mg/ g, while the highest concentration of aflatoxins concentration was got from burger sandwiches with a mean value of 7.75+ 2.58µg/ kg. Key words: Burger, Shawarma, Thiobarbituric acid, Heavy metals, Spectrophotometry, Aflatoxins.