Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A(2) (Lp-PLA(2)) is an emerging risk factor and therapeutic target for cardiovascular disease. The activity and mass of this enzyme are heritable traits, but major genetic determinants have not been explored in a systematic, genome-wide fashion. We carried out a genome-wide association study of Lp-PLA(2) activity and mass in 6,668 Caucasian subjects from the...

Recent developments in the synthetic degradable polymers have been the subject of significant interest for macromolecular science to both of an environmental and biomedical perspective with dedication towards applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. The best candidate for degradable polymer is poly (lactic acid) (PLA), which is described as aliphatic polyester [1]. It is produced f...

This study aimed to optimize the preparation conditions of pachyman (PHY)-loaded poly(d,l-lactic acid) (PLA) (PHYP) nanospheres by response surface methodology, explore their characteristics, and assess their effects on splenic lymphocytes. Double emulsion solvent evaporation was used to synthesize PHYP nanospheres, and the optimal preparation conditions were identified as a concentration of po...

The phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) enzymes are activated by binding to phospholipid membranes. Although the N-terminal alpha-helix of group I/II PLA(2)s plays an important role in the productive mode membrane binding of the enzymes, its role in the structural aspects of membrane-induced activation of PLA(2)s is not well understood. In order to elucidate membrane-induced conformational changes in t...

BACKGROUND Biodegradable polymers have increasingly been recognized for various biological applications in recent years. Here we examined the immunostimulatory activities of the novel poly(aspartic acid) conjugated with L-lysine (PLA). METHODS PLA was synthesized by conjugating L-lysine to aspartic acid polymer. PLA-nanoliposomes (PLA-NLs) were prepared from PLA using a microfluidizer. The im...

In order to overcome the brittleness of polylactide (PLA), reactive core-shell particles (RCS) with polybutadiene as core and methyl methacrylate-co-styrene-co-glycidyl methacrylate as shell were prepared to toughen PLA. Tert-dodecyl mercaptan (TDDM) was used as chain transfer agent to modify the grafting properties (such as grafting degree, shell thickness, internal and external grafting) of t...

Lab-Pla is a famous kind of Thai traditional food in northern and northeasthern Thailand. Consumption of uncooked Lab-Pla can lead to trematode infection because cyprinoid fish serve as the 2nd intermediate hosts of trematodes. The preparation of Lab-Pla can be made in different ways, depending on seasonings used in different places. The effect of the seasonings used in Lab-Pla on the survival ...

Biodegradable poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) fibrous scaffolds were prepared by electrospinning from a PLA melt containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a plasticizer to obtain thinner fibers. The effects of PEG on the melt electrospinning of PLA were examined in terms of the melt viscosity and fiber diameter. Among the parameters, the content of PEG had a more significant effect on the average fib...

The aggregation of alpha-synuclein (αSyn) is the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and related neurological disorders. However, the physiological function of the protein and how this function relates to its pathological effects remain poorly understood. One of the proposed roles of αSyn is to promote the soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment ...

The objective of this study was to develop a combination chemotherapy of implantation of a 3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU)-loaded wafer and intracarotid perfusion of BCNU-loaded nanoparticles for glioma treatment in vivo. BCNU-loaded poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PLA) nanoparticles coated with transferrin (Tf) were prepared by a solvent evapora...