1.
Double-Sided Personality: Effects of Arsenic Trioxide on Inflammation.
Zhang, J, Zhang, Y, Wang, W, Li, C, Zhang, Z
Inflammation. 2018;(4):1128-1134
Abstract
In 1992, arsenic trioxide (As2O3, ATO) was demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic agent against acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), rekindling attention to ATO applications in U.S. Food and Drug Administration clinical trials for the treatment of cancers, such as leukemia, lymphomas, and solid tumors. ATO is a potent chemotherapeutic drug that can also be used to treat other diseases, such as autoimmune diseases, because it affects multiple pathways including apoptosis induction, differentiation stimulation, and proliferation inhibition. As inflammation is a critical component of disease progression, ATO is a feasible treatment option based on its ability to protect against inflammation. However, ATO is also a well-known carcinogen because of its pro-inflammatory effect. This review will focus on the double-sided effects of ATO on inflammation as well as the relevant mechanisms underlying these effects, aiming to provide a rational understanding of how ATO effects the immune system. We especially aim to provide a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge of how ATO influences inflammation.
2.
Characteristics of fibrinolytic disorders in acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Wang, P, Zhang, Y, Yang, H, Hou, W, Jin, B, Hou, J, Li, H, Zhao, H, Zhou, J
Hematology (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 2018;(10):756-764
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Catastrophic hemorrhage remains the main cause of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) treatment failure. This study was aimed to study the pathogenesis of coagulopathy in patients with APL. METHODS Multiple procoagulant and profibrinolytic parameters in plasma and peripheral leukocytes from 24 patients with newly diagnosed APL accompanied by coagulopathy before and after arsenic trioxide (ATO) treatment were evaluated. RESULTS Prior to the treatment, the patients had elevated D-dimer and decreased fibrinogen levels. Plasma urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and plasmin-ɑ2 antiplasmin complexes (PAP) levels, plasmin (Pn) activity, and cell surface levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) were significantly higher; plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels and plasminogen (Pg) activity were significantly decreased; plasma plasminogen activator (PA) activity, uPA and tPA levels; and cell surface levels of uPAR and annexin II were not significantly different from levels in the control group. During ATO treatment, both patients' plasma PA activity and uPAR on leukocytes gradually increased, annexin II on leukocytes increased initially and decreased afterwards, and tPA and uPA on leukocytes remained consistently higher in the patients than in the controls. Other parameters gradually tended toward normal values. CONCLUSIONS In APL, activated coagulation system activated fibrinolytic system, and increased uPAR levels could contribute to the hyperfibrinolysis. Annexin II might not be involved in the coagulopathy.
3.
Co₃O₄ nanoparticles with multi-enzyme activities and their application in immunohistochemical assay.
Dong, J, Song, L, Yin, JJ, He, W, Wu, Y, Gu, N, Zhang, Y
ACS applied materials & interfaces. 2014;(3):1959-70
Abstract
Co3O4 nanoparticles (Co3O4 NPs), synthesized by the coprecipitation method, showed intrinsic catalase-like, peroxidase-like, and SOD-like activity. The catalytic activity of Co3O4 NPs was much higher than analogous Fe3O4 NPs. Co3O4's mechanisms of catalytic activity were analyzed in detail using the electron spin resonance (ESR) method, which confirmed that Co3O4 NPs don't follow the classical Fenton reactions with hydrogen peroxide the way Fe3O4 NPs do. The high redox potential of Co(3+)/Co(2+) was supposed to be the leading cause of the differences in both activity and mechanism with Fe3O4. Based on the high, peroxidase-like activity, a new immunohistochemical assay was designed in which the avastin antibody was conjugated onto the surface of Co3O4 NPs. The conjugates obtained were used to detect vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that was overexpressed in tumor tissue. When the experimental and control groups were stained, there were clear distinctions between them. This study showed that there are many opportunities to improve the enzyme-like activities of nanomaterials and also to improve their potential applications for biocatalysis and bioassays, especially in relatively harsh conditions.