Stimulated Bronchial Epithelial Cells Release Bioactive Lysophosphatidylcholine 16:0, 18:0, and 18:1

Yan Zhuge,Yang Yuan,Richard van Breemen,Michael DeGrand,Oksana Holian,Mark Yoder,Hazel Lum 대한천식알레르기학회 2014 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.6 No.1

Purpose: In human subjects and animal models with acute and chronic lung injury, the bioactive lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is elevated in lung lining fluids. The increased LPC can promote an inflammatory microenvironment resulting in lung injury. Furthermore, pathological lung conditions are associated with upregulated phospholipase A2 (PLA2), the predominant enzyme producing LPC in tissues by hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine. However, the lung cell populations responsible for increases of LPC have yet to be systematically characterized. The goal was to investigate the LPC generation by bronchial epithelial cells in response to pathological mediators and determine the major LPC species produced. Methods: Primary human bronchial epithelial cells (NHBE) were challenged by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for 1 or 6 hours, and condition medium and cells collected for quantification of predominant LPC species by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). The cells were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for PLA2. The direct effects of LPC in inducing inflammatory activities on NHBE were assessed by transepithelial resistance as well as expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1). Results: VEGF stimulation of NHBE for 1 or 6 hours, significantly increased concentrations of LPC16:0, LPC18:0, and LPC18:1 in condition medium compared to control. The sPLA2-selective inhibitor (oleyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) inhibited the VEGF-induced release of LPC16:0 and LPC18:1 and PLA2 activity. In contrast, NHBE stimulated with TNF did not induce LPC release. VEGF did not increase mRNA of PLA2 subtypes sPLA2-X, sPLA2-XIIa, cPLA2-IVa, and iPLA2-VI. Exogenous LPC treatment increased expression of IL-8 and MMP-1, and reduced the transepithelial resistance in NHBE. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that VEGF-stimulated bronchial epithelial cells are a key source of extracellular LPCs, which can function as an autocrine mediator with potential to induce airway epithelial inflammatory injury.

The durability and rehabilitation technologies of concrete sewerage pipes: A state-of-the-art review

Zhuge Yan,Fan Wei,Duan Weiwei,Liu Yue 아시아콘크리트학회 2021 Journal of Asian Concrete Federation Vol.7 No.2

This paper reviews the literature available on the subject of the durability of concrete sewer pipes and the corresponding rehabilitation technologies. An introduction related to the importance of the sewer system in urban life and its durability issues was first discussed as most people did not recognise the scale and complexity of the underground sewer system. Then the recent development of alternative binder materials or filler materials to improve the acid resistance of concrete was specified. For instance, the effects of alternative binders on the hydration products and the mechanism of biogenic corrosion were discussed in detail. The paper ends with the current rehabilitation technologies and the structural performance of rehabilitated sewer pipes. Also, some suggestions associated with future research were made.

Studies on PEGylated Gold Nanoparticles Loaded with 5-Hydroxydecanoate for Chemo-Photothermal Therapy of Human Lung Adenocarcinomas In Vitro

Fu-Yan Zhuge,CONG-WANG ZHANG,CHANG-CHUN ZENG,Han-Ping Liu 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2015 NANO Vol.10 No.7

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) have promising applications in the fields of drug delivery and photothermal therapy. 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD) is a kind of highly selective mitochondrial ATP sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channel blocker. In this research, firstly, 5-HD was studied whether it could induce human lung adenocarcinomas (A549) cells apoptosis; secondly, PEGylated gold nanoparticles loaded with 5-HD (Au NPs-PEG-5-HD) were prepared to develop a new chemotherapy and photothermal therapy in one system under the irradiation of green light-emitting diode (LED). Subsequently, in vitro cytotoxicity test was analyzed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), the change of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) was determined by immunofluorescence microscopy with R-123 fluorescence, and cell apoptosis and necrosis rate were detected by flow cytometry. The results of CCK8 revealed that the inhibition rates of A549 cells were all greatly increased when cells were treated with free 5-HD, free 5-HD +LED irradiation, Au NPs-PEG-5-HD and Au NPs-PEG-5-HD+LED irradiation, and Au NPs-PEG-5-HD had enhanced cell-killing effect compared with 5-HD, furthermore, the Au NPs-PEG-5-HD and LED irradiation played a very great synergy effect. The immunofluorescence microscopy data also exhibited a reduction of Δψm correspondingly. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the apoptosis rate of cells that were incubated with free 5-HD, 5-HD+LED irradiation, Au NPsPEG-5-HD or Au NPs–PEG–5-HD+LED irradiation significantly increased to about 9.2%, 10.7%, 18.3% or 12.4% and the percentage of necrosis cells increased to around 8.8%, 9.7%, 48.0% or 69.8%, respectively. In a word, all the results indicated that the 5-HD had shown the ability to induce A549 cells apoptosis as a chemotherapy agent, and its ability would be improved when 5-HD is loaded on PEGylated Au NPs, as well as Au NPs-PEG-5-HD exhibited significantly enhanced photothermal effects for treatment of lung adenocarcinomas.

Bioactive Lysophosphatidylcholine 16:0 and 18:0 Are Elevated in Lungs of Asthmatic Subjects

Mark Yoder,Yan Zhuge,Yang Yuan,Oksana Holian,Sherry Kuo,Richard van Breemen,Larry L. Thomas,Hazel Lum 대한천식알레르기학회 2014 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.6 No.1

Purpose: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, and is associated with upregulation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), the enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphatidylcholine, producing lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and free fatty acids. LPC is a lipid mediator with known pro-inflammatory and pro-atherogenic properties, and is believed to be a critical factor in cardiovascular diseases. We postulate that asthmatic subjects have an elevated content of LPC in the lung lining fluids. Methods: Eight non-asthmatic controls and seven asthmatic subjects were recruited for broncho-alveolar lavage fluids (BALF) collection for analysis of LPC by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results: LPC16:0 and LPC18:0 were significantly elevated in the BALF of asthmatics with impaired lung function characteristic of moderate asthma, but not mild asthma. The increased LPC content in BALF was accompanied by increased PLA2 activity. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis of the BALF cell fraction indicated increased secretory PLA2-X (sPLA2-X). Conclusions: The increased LPC content in the lung lining fluids is a potential critical lipid mediator in the initiation and/or progression of airway epithelial injury in asthma.

Contact buckling behaviour of corrugated plates subjected to linearly varying in-plane loads

Jianghui Dong,Xing Ma,Yan Zhuge,Julie E. Mills 국제구조공학회 2018 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.29 No.3

An analytical method is developed for analysing the contact buckling response of infinitely long, thin corrugated plates and flat plates restrained by a Winkler tensionless foundation and subjected to linearly varying in-plane loadings, where the corrugated plates are modelled as orthotropic plates and the flat plates are modelled as isotropic plates. The critical step in the presented method is the explicit expression for the lateral buckling mode function, which is derived through using the energy method. Simply supported and clamped edges conditions on the unloaded edges are considered in this study. The acquired lateral deflection function is applied to the governing buckling equations to eliminate the lateral variable. Considering the boundary conditions and continuity conditions at the border line between the contact and non-contact zones, the buckling coefficients and the corresponding buckling modes are found. The analytical solution to the buckling coefficients is also expressed through a fitted approximate formula in terms of foundation stiffness, which is verified through previous studies and finite element (FE) method.

Cyclic behavior of FRP - crumb rubber concrete - steel double skin tubular columns and beams

Danda Li,Reza Hassanli,Yue Su,Yan Zhuge,Xing Ma 국제구조공학회 2021 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.41 No.5

This paper presents experimental and analytical studies to understand the behavior of crumb rubber concrete (CRC)-filled fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) and steel tube double skin column (DSC) and beam (DSB) members under cyclic loading. The main test variable was the percentage of rubber which ranged from 0 to 40%. For column members, different heights corresponding to different aspect ratios were examined to understand the to understand the effect of DSCs’ slenderness on the cyclic response of the columns. the. The behavior of the specimens in terms of failure mode, strain development, energy dissipation, load-displacement response were presented and compared. The ability of the current provisions of the Australian codes to predict the capacity of such double skin members was also evaluated based on the test results. This study concluded that the reduction in the concrete strength was more severe at the material level compared to structural level. Also, as the load changed from axial compression in columns to pure moment in beams the negative effect of rubber percentage on the strength became less significant.

Shear behaviour of thin-walled composite cold-formed steel/PE-ECC beams

Ahmed M. Sheta,Xing Ma,Yan Zhuge,Mohamed A. ElGawady,Julie E. Mills,El-Sayed Abd-Elaal 국제구조공학회 2023 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.46 No.1

The novel composite cold-formed steel (CFS)/engineered cementitious composites (ECC) beams have been recently presented. The new composite section exhibited superior structural performance as a flexural member, benefiting from the lightweight thin-walled CFS sections with improved buckling and torsional properties due to the restraints provided by thinlayered ECC. This paper investigated the shear performance of the new composite CFS/ECC section. Twenty-eight simply supported beams, with a shear span-to-depth ratio of 1.0, were assembled back-to-back and tested under a 3-point loading scheme. Bare CFS, composite CFS/ECC utilising ECC with Polyethylene fibres (PE-ECC), composite CFS/MOR, and CFS/HSC utilising high-strength mortar (MOR) and high-strength concrete (HSC) as replacements for PE-ECC were compared. Different failure modes were observed in tests: shear buckling modes in bare CFS sections, contact shear buckling modes in composite CFS/MOR and CFS/HSC sections, and shear yielding or block shear rupture in composite CFS/ECC sections. As a result, composite CFS/ECC sections showed up to 96.0% improvement in shear capacities over bare CFS, 28.0% improvement over composite CFS/MOR and 13.0% over composite CFS/HSC sections, although MOR and HSC were with higher compressive strength than PE-ECC. Finally, shear strength prediction formulae are proposed for the new composite sections after considering the contributions from the CFS and ECC components.