In this paper, we explore the possibility of using ultrasmall near-infrared (NIR) gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) as novel contrast imaging agents for tumor fluorescence imaging in vivo. The fluorescence imaging signal of the tail vein administrated AuNCs in living organisms can spectrally be well distinguished from the background with maximum emission wavelength at about 710 nm, and the high photostability of AuNCs promises continuous imaging in vivo. The uptake of AuNCs by the reticuloendothelial system is relatively low in comparison with other nanoparticle-based contrast imaging agents due to their ultrasmall hydrodynamic size (∼2.7 nm). Through the body weight change analysis, the results show that the body weight of the mice administrated with AuNCs has not been changed obviously in comparison with that of the control mice injected with PBS. Furthermore, using MDA-MB-45 and Hela tumor xenograft models, in vivo and ex vivo imaging studies show that the ultrasmall NIR AuNCs are able to be highly accumulated in the tumor areas, thanks to the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effects. And the tumor-to-background ratio is about 15 for 6 h postinjection. The results indicate that the ultrasmall NIR AuNCs appear as very promising contrast imaging agents for in vivo fluorescence tumor imaging.

Aptamers have emerged as promising molecular probes for in vivo cancer imaging, but the reported "always-on" aptamer probes remain problematic because of high background and limited contrast. To address this problem, we designed an activatable aptamer probe (AAP) targeting membrane proteins of living cancer cells and achieved contrast-enhanced cancer visualization inside mice. The AAP displayed a quenched fluorescence in its free state and underwent a conformational alteration upon binding to target cancer cells with an activated fluorescence. As proof of concept, in vitro analysis and in vivo imaging of CCRF-CEM cancer cells were performed by using the specific aptamer, sgc8, as a demonstration. It was confirmed that the AAP could be specifically activated by target cancer cells with a dramatic fluorescence enhancement and exhibit improved sensitivity for CCRF-CEM cell analysis with the cell number of 118 detected in 200 μl binding buffer. In vivo studies demonstrated that activated fluorescence signals were obviously achieved in the CCRF-CEM tumor sites in mice. Compared to always-on aptamer probes, the AAP could substantially minimize the background signal originating from nontarget tissues, thus resulting in significantly enhanced image contrast and shortened diagnosis time to 15 min. Furthermore, because of the specific affinity of sgc8 to target cancer cells, the AAP also showed desirable specificity in differentiating CCRF-CEM tumors from Ramos tumors and nontumor areas. The design concept can be widely adapted to other cancer cell-specific aptamer probes for in vivo molecular imaging of cancer.switchable aptamer probe | in vivo imaging | activatable fluorescent molecular imaging | cancer detection | cell surface protein

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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV

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Background and Aims Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by accumulation of excessive triglycerides (TGs) in hepatocytes. Obesity is a major risk factor for developing fatty liver, although the intracellular molecular basis remains largely unclear. N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation is the most common internal modification in eukaryotic mRNA. Approach and Results In the present study, by m6A sequencing and RNA sequencing, we found that both m6A enrichment and mRNA expression of lipogenic genes were significantly increased in leptin‐receptor–deficient db/db mice. Importantly, our results showed that YT521‐B homology domain‐containing 2 (Ythdc2), an m6A reader, was markedly down‐regulated in livers of obese mice and NAFLD patients. Suppression of Ythdc2 in livers of lean mice led to TG accumulation, whereas ectopic overexpression of Ythdc2 in livers of obese mice improved liver steatosis and insulin resistance. Mechanistically, we found that Ythdc2 could bind to mRNA of lipogenic genes, including sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 1c, fatty acid synthase, stearoyl‐CoA desaturase 1, and acetyl‐CoA carboxylase 1, to decrease their mRNA stability and inhibit gene expression. Conclusions Our findings describe an important role of the m6A reader, Ythdc2, for regulation of hepatic lipogenesis and TG homeostasis, which might provide a potential target for treating obesity‐related NAFLD.

Although the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not completely understood, the increased influx of free fatty acids (FFAs) into the liver and the FFA-induced hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are two crucial pathogenic processes in the initiation and development of NAFLD. In this study we investigated the effects of astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a bioactive compound purified from Astragali Radix, on FFA-induced lipid accumulation in hepatocytes and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Human HepG2 cells and primary murine hepatocytes were exposed to FFAs (1 mmol/L, oleate/palmitate, 2:1 ratio) with or without AS-IV for 24 h. Exposure to FFAs induced marked lipid accumulation in hepatocytes, whereas co-treatment with AS-IV (100 μg/mL) significantly attenuated this phenomenon. Notably, AS-IV (50-200 μg/mL) concentration-dependently enhanced the phosphorylation of AMPK, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and SREBP-1c, inhibited the accumulation and nuclear translocation of mature SREBP-1 and subsequently decreased the mRNA levels of lipogenic genes including acc1, fas and scd1. AS-IV treatment also concentration-dependently attenuated FFA-induced hepatic ER stress evidenced by the reduction of the key markers, GRP78, CHOP and p-PERK. Pretreated the cells with the AMPK inhibitor compound C (20 μmol/L) greatly diminished these beneficial effects of AS-IV. Our results demonstrate that AS-IV attenuates FFA-induced ER stress and lipid accumulation in an AMPK-dependent manner in hepatocytes, which supports its use as promising therapeutics for hepatic steatosis.

The current review provides an update on worldwide variation in breast-milk DHA and AA levels and underlines the need for future population- or region-specific investigations.