Fumonisins (Fums) are types of mycotoxin that widely contaminante feed material crops, and can trigger potential biological toxicities to humans and various animals. However, the toxicity of Fums on porcine blood vessels has not been fully explored. Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is the main component of Fums. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the effects of FB1 on the oxidative stress and tight junctions of the pig iliac endothelial cells (PIECs) in vitro. The results showed that FB1 reduced the viability of PIECs, increased the contents of lipid peroxidation product malondialdehyde (MDA), decreased the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT) and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), and decreased the level of glutathione (GSH). In addition, the barrier functions were destroyed, along with the down-regulations on Claudin 1, Occludin and ZO-1 and the increase of paracellular permeability. Thus, this research indicates that FB1 facilitates oxidative stress and breaks barrier functions to damage pig iliac endothelium cells.

Background: Laparoscopic resection is increasingly used in colorectal cancer (CRC). It has been suggested to carry short-term benefits in safety, recovery, and preservation on immune function for patients with CRC. However, the impact of laparoscopic resection on natural killer (NK) cells is largely unclear. Methods: A total of 200 patients with CRC across Dukes A/B/C stages were randomly assigned to laparoscopic or open resection. The blood samples were collected before and after the surgery. The total number of NK cells was quantified by flow cytometer. Lytic units 35 toward K562 was used to quantify NK cells activity. The outcomes between the groups across pathological stages were also analyzed. Results: The number and activity of NK cells decreased after the surgery in both groups. The laparoscopic group showed a faster recovery rate of NK cells function than the control group as assessed by cell count and lytic activity. Natural killer cells were impaired in a higher degree in patients at Dukes B/C stages. The recovery of NK cells to baseline level at day 7 postsurgery was observed in the laparoscopic group across all 3 stages. Conclusion: Generally, laparoscopically assisted surgery resulted in a better preservation on NK cells function. A better outcome was observed in patients with CRC at Dukes B/C stages.

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Dendrite-like cobalt selenide nanostructures were synthesized from cobalt and selenium powder precursors by a solvothermal method in anhydrous ethylenediamine. The as-prepared nanocrystalline cobalt selenide was found to possess peroxidase-like activity that could catalyze the reaction of peroxidase substrates in the presence of H 2 O 2 . A spectrophotometric method for uric acid (UA) determination was developed based on the nanocrystalline cobalt selenide-catalyzed coupling reaction between N -ethyl- N -(3-sulfopropyl)-3-methylaniline sodium salt and 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AAP) in the presence of H 2 O 2 . Under optimum conditions, the absorbance was proportional to the concentration of UA over the range of 2.0–40 μM with a detection limit of 0.5 μM. The applicability of the proposed method has been validated by determination of UA in human serum samples with satisfactory results.