PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Zhimin Liu

Publications and source records attributed to Zhimin Liu.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Facile route to synthesize multiwalled carbon nanotube/zinc sulfide heterostructures: optical and electrical properties.

A simple method to decorate the multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with ZnS nanospheres has been developed. The method involves ultrasonic pretreatment and heat treatments of MWCNTs, zinc chloride, and thiourea in ethanol. The heterostructures have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Comparative experiments show that both ultrasonic treatment and heat treatment are necessary for synthesizing the MWCNTs/ZnS heterostructures. Moreover, a photoluminescence spectrum shows that the MWCNTs/ZnS heterostructures feature a broad blue emission at about 430 nm, indicating that there exists significant ground-state interaction between ZnS nanospheres and MWCNTs. Meanwhile, the current-voltage characteristic of the MWCNTs/ZnS exhibits clear rectifying behavior, revealing charge transfer between MWCNTs and ZnS nanospheres.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Compressed-CO2-assisted patterning of polymers.

We report a facile route to pattern polymer surfaces with the aid of compressed CO(2), termed the compressed-CO(2)-assisted imprint method. In this method, compressed CO(2) serves as a plasticizer for polymers (such as poly(methyl methylate) and polystyrene), which leads to a tremendous reduction in the glass transition temperature and viscosity of the polymers. Nylon fabrics and anode aluminum oxide porous membranes are used as molds, respectively, to pattern the softened polymers at relatively low temperatures, resulting in patterns at the scale of micrometers and nanometers on the surface of polymer films. The patterned structures can be tuned by changing CO(2) pressure and temperature in the imprinting process. This method is simple and environmentally benign. It also can be operated at low temperatures, for instance, ambient temperature.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Replication of biological organizations through a supercritical fluid route.

A novel and simple method to replicate biological organizations (cotton and pollen grains) with high precision was proposed, in which the precursor dissolved in supercritical CO2 reacted with the surface active groups and adsorbed surface water on biological templates, followed by in situ SCF extraction of the byproducts and unreacted precursor, resulting in inorganic replicas faithfully copying both the macro- and microstructures of the biotemplates.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed2005

Cell death induced by Pteris semipinnata L. is associated with p53 and oxidant stress in gastric cancer cells.

In this study, we demonstrated that Ent-11alpha-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid (5F) had stronger cytotoxicity against MKN-45, a gastric cancer cell line bearing wild-type p53 than MKN-28, another gastric cancer cell line containing missense mutation in p53. The rapid increase of ROS level was involved in the mechanism of cytotoxicity. Classical features of apoptosis induced by 5F were observed in MKN-45 cells only or more significant in MKN-45 cells than MKN-28 cells. Translocation of Bax from cytosol to mitochondria, reduction of delta psi m and DNA fragmentation were induced by 5F in the p53-dependent manner. We conclude that the expression of Bax and its downstream molecules requires the presentation of a wild-type p53 in the cells treated by 5F.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed2005

Raman mapping and in situ SERS spectroelectrochemical studies of 6-mercaptopurine SAMs on the gold electrode.

The self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) were formed at the roughened polycrystalline gold surfaces in acid and alkaline media. The time-dependent Raman mapping spectral analysis in conjunction with the quantum calculations for the vibrational modes using ab initio BLYP/6-31G method suggested that both of the resulted 6MP SAMs adopted the same adsorption mode through the S atom of pyrimidine moiety and the N7 atom of the imidazole moiety anchoring the gold surface in a vertical way. The in situ surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroelectrochemical experiment was conducted to examine the stability of the SAMs at various bias potentials. It was found that the detaching process of the 6MP SAMs from the surface involved one electron reduction as the voltage was applied at ca. 0.7 V vs a standard calomel electrode.

Biophysics↗
PubMed2005

Fabrication of flowerlike polymer superstructures using polymer/zeolite composites prepared with supercritical CO2.

We report a route to the fabrication of unique flowerlike polymer superstructures with uniform petals at the nanoscale. In this method, polymer/zeolite composite is first prepared by loading corresponding monomer and initiator into the channels of the host zeolite with the aid of supercritical (SC) CO2, followed by thermal polymerization of monomers in the channels of the zeolite. The resultant polymer/zeolite composite is then treated with HF aqueous solution to allow the self-aggregation of the polymer and the inorganic components to form the polymeric layers and inorganic layers. Unique microscale flowerlike polymer superstructures are obtained after further treatment with HF aqueous solution. Different techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetry (TG), have been used to characterize the microflowers.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Synthesis of Ag/BSA composite nanospheres from water-in-oil microemulsion using compressed CO2 as antisolvent.

In this work, a novel route to synthesize biomolecule/metal composite nanospheres is proposed. This method combines the advantages that the silver nanoparticles and bovine serum albumin (BSA) can be precipitated simultaneously from water-in-oil microemulsion by the easy control of CO2 pressure, which was revealed by our high-pressure UV-VIS spectra. The Ag/BSA nanocomposites were successfully prepared using this method. The transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) if the obtained nanocomposites shows that the small-sized Ag nanaoparticles are immobilized by the BSA nanospheres, and the phase structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Ag/BSA nanocomposites show absorption properties at a wavelength around 435 nm.

Biocompatible Materials↗
PubMed2005

Facile synthesis of polyaniline nanofibers using chloroaurate acid as the oxidant.

This work demonstrated a facile route to the synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers by polymerization of aniline using chloroaurate acid (HAuCl(4)) as the oxidant. The reduction of AuCl(4)(-) is accompanied by oxidative polymerization of aniline, leading to uniform PANI nanofibers with a diameter of 35 +/- 5 nm and aggregated gold nanoparticles which can precipitate from the liquid phase during the reaction. The resultant PANI nanofibers and gold particles were characterized by means of different techniques, such as UV-vis, FTIR spectroscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy methods. It is found that the gold aggregates are capped with polyaniline, and the conductivity of the fibers is around 0.16 S/cm.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Blockade of nuclear factor of activated T cells activation signaling suppresses balloon injury-induced neointima formation in a rat carotid artery model.

We have previously reported that nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFATs) play an important role in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation by receptor tyrosine kinase and G protein-coupled receptor agonists, platelet-derived growth factor-BB and thrombin, respectively. To understand the role of NFATs in vascular disease, we have now studied the involvement of these transcription factors in neointima formation in a rat carotid artery balloon injury model. The levels of NFATc1 in injured right common carotid arteries were increased at 72 h, 1 week, and 2 weeks after balloon injury compared with its levels in uninjured left common carotid arteries. Intraperitoneal injection of cyclosporine A (CsA), a pharmacological inhibitor of the calcineurin-NFAT activation pathway, suppressed balloon injury-induced neointima formation by 40%. Similarly, adenoviral-mediated expression of GFPVIVIT, a competent peptide inhibitor of the calcineurin-NFAT activation pathway, in injured arteries also reduced neointima formation by about 40%. Furthermore, CsA and GFPVIVIT attenuated balloon injury-induced neointimal smooth muscle cell proliferation as determined by bromodeoxyuridine staining. Platelet-derived growth factor-BB induced the expression of COX-2 in cultured VSMC in a time- and NFAT-dependent manner. COX-2 expression was also increased in the right common carotid artery in a time-dependent manner after balloon injury as compared with its levels in uninjured left common carotid artery and both CsA and GFPVIVIT negated this response. Together these results for the first time demonstrate that NFATs play a critical role in neointima formation via induction of expression of COX-2.

Adenoviridae↗
PubMed2005

Adhesion and proliferation of OCT-1 osteoblast-like cells on micro- and nano-scale topography structured poly(L-lactide).

The impact of the surface topography of polylactone-type polymer on cell adhesion was to be concerned because the micro-scale texture of a surface can provide a significant effect on the adhesion behavior of cells on the surface. Especially for the application of tissue engineering scaffold, the pore size could have an influence on cell in-growth and subsequent proliferation. Micro-fabrication technology was used to generate specific topography to investigate the relationship between the cells and surface. In this study the pits-patterned surfaces of polystyrene (PS) film with diameters 2.2 and 0.45 microm were prepared by phase-separation, and the corresponding scale islands-patterned PLLA surface was prepared by a molding technique using the pits-patterned PS as a template. The adhesion and proliferation behavior of OCT-1 osteoblast-like cells morphology on the pits- and islands-patterned surface were characterized by SEM observation, cell attachment efficiency measurement and MTT assay. The results showed that the cell adhesion could be enhanced on PLLA and PS surface with nano-scale and micro-scale roughness compared to the smooth surfaces of the PLLA and PS. The OCT-1 osteoblast-like cells could grow along the surface with two different size islands of PLLA and grow inside the micro-scale pits of the PS. However, the proliferation of cells on the micro- and nano-scale patterned surface has not been enhanced compared with the controlled smooth surface.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Ultrasound-induced capping of polystyrene on TiO2 nanoparticles by precipitation with compressed CO2 as antisolvent.

In this work, a route for the synthesis of inorganic/polymer core/shell composite nanoparticles was proposed, which can be called the antisolvent-ultrasound method. Compressed CO2 was used as antisolvent to precipitate the polymer from its solution dispersed with inorganic nanoparticles, during which ultrasonic irradiation was used to induce the coating of precipitated polymers on the surfaces of the inorganic nanoparticles. TiO2/polystyrene (PS) core/shell nanocomposites have been successfully prepared using this method. The transmission electronic micrographs (TEM) of the obtained nanocomposites show that the TiO2 nanoparticles are coated by the PS shells, of which the thickness can be tuned by the pressure of CO2. The phase structure, absorption properties, and thermal stability of the composite were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectra, and thermogravimetry, respectively. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) indicate the formation of a strong interaction between PS and TiO2 nanoparticles in the resultant products. This method has some potential advantages for applications and may be easily applied to the preparation of a range of inorganic/polymer core/shell composite nanoparticles.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed2004

STAT-3-dependent cytosolic phospholipase A2 expression is required for thrombin-induced vascular smooth muscle cell motility.

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration from media to intima and its multiplication in intima is a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty. Previously, we have demonstrated that STAT-3-dependent cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) expression is needed for VSMC motility induced by platelet-derived growth factor-BB, a receptor tyrosine kinase agonist (Neeli et al. (2005) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 46122-46128). In order to learn more about the STAT-3-cPLA(2) axis in motogenic signaling, here we have studied its role in VSMC motility in response to a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonist, thrombin. Thrombin induced VSMC motility in a dose-dependent manner with a maximum effect at 0.5 units/ml. Thrombin activated STAT-3 as measured by its tyrosine phosphorylation and translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Forced expression of a dominant negative mutant of STAT-3 reduced thrombin-induced STAT-3 tyrosine phosphorylation and its translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Thrombin stimulated STAT-3-DNA binding and reporter gene activities in VSMC, and these responses were blocked by FS3DM, a dominant negative mutant of STAT-3. FS3DM also attenuated thrombin-induced VSMC motility. Thrombin induced the expression of cPLA(2) in a time- and STAT-3-dependent manner. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of cPLA(2) blocked thrombin-induced VSMC motility. Furthermore, exogenous addition of arachidonic acid rescued thrombin-induced VSMC motility from inhibition by blockade of STAT-3 activation. Forced expression of cPLA(2) also surpassed the inhibitory effect of dominant negative STAT-3 on thrombin-induced VSMC motility. Together, these results show that thrombin-induced VSMC motility requires STAT-3-dependent induction of expression of cPLA(2).

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Enhancement of the solubilization capacity of water in Triton X-100/cyclohexane/water system by compressed gases.

The effect of compressed CO2 and ethylene on the properties of Triton X-100/cyclohexane/water systems was studied at different temperatures and pressures. Surprisingly, it was discovered that the compressed gases had the functions of co-surfactants. At suitable pressures, the water-to-surfactant molar ratio (W0) was enhanced significantly by the dissolution of the gas in the solution. The microenvironment in the reverse micelles was investigated by UV-visible spectroscopy by using methyl orange (MO) as a probe. The influence of n-hexane, Na2CO3, NaHCO3, H2C2O4, and CaCl2 at various concentrations on the solubilization of water in the absence of compressed gases was also investigated in order to obtain some information about the mechanism of the interesting phenomenon. This new route to stabilize reverse micelles may have potential applications to other similar systems. Moreover, the results of this work provide some useful information to get insight into the mechanism of co-surfactants, because a conventional co-surfactant usually contains both polar group and hydrocarbon chain, and it is very difficult to clarify the functions these two groups, while the gases used in this work are small nonpolar molecules, which solely have the function of the hydrocarbon chain in a co-surfactant.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

An essential role of the Jak-2/STAT-3/cytosolic phospholipase A(2) axis in platelet-derived growth factor BB-induced vascular smooth muscle cell motility.

Platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) is a potent motogen for vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). To understand its motogenic signaling events, we have studied the role of the Janus-activated kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (Jak/STAT) pathway and cytosolic phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)). PDGF-BB stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of Jak-2 and STAT-3 in a time-dependent manner in VSMCs. In addition, AG490 and Jak-2KEpRK5, a selective pharmacological inhibitor and a dominant negative mutant, respectively, of Jak-2, attenuated PDGF-BB-induced STAT-3 tyrosine phosphorylation and its DNA binding and reporter gene activities. PDGF-BB induced VSMC motility in a dose-dependent manner with a maximum effect at 10 ng/ml. Dominant negative mutant-dependent suppression of Jak-2 and STAT-3 blocked PDGF-BB-induced VSMC motility. PDGF-BB induced the expression of cPLA(2) in a Jak-2/STAT-3-dependent manner, and pharmacological inhibitors of cPLA(2) prevented PDGFBB-induced VSMC motility. Furthermore, either exogenous addition of arachidonic acid or forced expression of cPLA(2) rescued PDGF-BB-induced VSMC motility from inhibition by blockade of Jak-2 and STAT-3 activation. Together, these results for the first time show that PDGF-BB-induced VSMC motility requires activation of the Jak-2/STAT-3/cPLA(2) signaling axis.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

A novel role for nuclear factor of activated T cells in receptor tyrosine kinase and G protein-coupled receptor agonist-induced vascular smooth muscle cell motility.

In addition to their role in cytokine gene regulation in T cells, nuclear factors of activated T cells (NFATs) have been shown to be involved in cardiac development and hypertrophy. We have reported previously that NFATs play an important role in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation by receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists, platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and thrombin, respectively. To understand the role of NFATs in vascular disease and development, we have now studied the role of these transcriptional factors in VSMC motility. PDGF-BB and thrombin induced VSMC motility in a dose-dependent manner. Blockade of NFAT activation resulted in substantial reduction in PDGF-BB- and thrombin-induced VSMC motility. PDGF-BB and thrombin also induced interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression in NFAT-dependent manner. Furthermore, IL-6 dose-dependently caused VSMC motility. A neutralizing anti-rat IL-6 antibody inhibited VSMC motility induced by IL-6, PDGF-BB, and thrombin. In addition, exogenous addition of IL-6 rescued both PDGF-BB- and thrombin-induced VSMC motility from inhibition by the blockade of NFAT activation. Together, these results for the first time demonstrate that NFATs mediate both RTK and GPCR agonist-induced VSMC motility via induction of expression of IL-6.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

A novel method to synthesize polystyrene nanospheres immobilized with silver nanoparticles by using compressed CO2.

In this work, a novel route to synthesize polymer/metal composite nanospheres has been proposed. This method combines the advantages that the polymer chains collapse and entangle in the presence of compressed CO(2), which acts as antisolvent, and the metal nanoparticles and polymers can be precipitated simultaneously from micellar solutions by the easy control of CO(2) pressure. Ag/polystyrene (PS) nanocomposites have been successfully prepared using this method. The transmission electronic micrographs (TEM) of the obtained nanocomposites show that the smaller Ag nanoparticles are immobilized by PS nanospheres of about 50 nm; the phase structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The Ag/PS nanocomposites show absorption properties at a wavelength of approximately 417 nm. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and FT-IR spectra indicate that there is no chemical linkage or strong interaction between PS and Ag nanoparticles in the resultant products. This method has many potential advantages for applications and may easily be applied to the preparation of a range of inorganic/ polymer composite nanoparticles.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2004

Preparation of ZnS/CdS composite nanoparticles by coprecipitation from reverse micelles using CO2 as antisolvent.

The possibility of simultaneously recovering ZnS and CdS particles from reverse micelles by dissolving antisolvent CO2 into the micellar solution was investigated by high-pressure UV-Vis spectra. It was found that all the ZnS and CdS particles in the reverse micelles could be precipitated by compressed CO2 at suitable pressures. The phase structures and morphologies of the obtained composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electronic micrographs. The results illustrate that the smaller molar ratio of water to surfactant of the reverse micelles and higher pressure of CO2 are favorable for producing smaller particles. This method has many potential advantages for the production of composite nanoparticles.

Journal Article↗