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This work aims to elucidate the molecular mechanism of Qi Wei anti-burn Tincture (QW) on wound healing in burnt mice using metabolomics and molecular biology techniques. A scald model was first established in Kunming mice. After treatment, biochemical indicators for liver function and burnt skin tissues were then evaluated via biochemical detection and HE staining respectively. Liver tissues were further analyzed for differential metabolites, inflammatory factors, and mRNA levels of cytokines using metabolomics and molecular biology techniques. Involved metabolic pathways were also identified using software. Qi Wei anti-burn Tincture treatment did promote the healing of the burn wounds on Kunming mice with a downregulation of ALP, ALT, AST to normal levels. In mouse liver tissue, the contents of glutamine, aspartic acid, succinic acid and citrulline were significantly reduced, while the contents of 5-hydroxyproline, taurine, hypotaurine and glutamic acid significantly increased. These major differential compounds are involved in the arginine metabolic pathway, nitrogen excretion, and the metabolism of taurine and hypotaurine, suggesting that Qi Wei anti-burn Tincture reprogramed the above metabolic processes in the liver. Furthermore, the application of Qi Wei anti-burn Tincture increased the expression of TGF-β1 and FGF-2, and reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and reactive oxygen species in the liver of mice induced by burn injury. This study found that Qi Wei anti-burn Tincture treatment promoted metabolic pathway remodeling in liver, which might be a potential mechanism for Qi Wei anti-burn Tincture to treat burn wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve large-scale development of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) for water wave energy harvesting and powering the colossal sensors widely distributed in the ocean, facile and scalable TENGs with high output are urgently required. Here, an elastic self-recovering hybrid nanogenerator (ES-HNG) is proposed for water wave energy harvesting and marine environmental monitoring. The elastic skeletal support of the ES-HNG is manufactured using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology, which is more conducive to the large-scale integration of the ES-HNG. Moreover, the combination of a TENG and an electromagnetic generator (EMG) optimizes the utilization of device space, leading to enhanced energy harvesting efficiency. Experimental results demonstrate that the TENG achieves a peak power output of 42.68 mW, and the EMG reaches a peak power output of 4.40 mW. Furthermore, various marine environment monitoring sensors, such as a self-powered wireless meteorological monitoring system, a wireless alarm system, and a water quality monitoring pen, have been successfully powered by the sophisticated ES-HNG. This work introduces an ES-HNG for water wave energy harvesting, which demonstrates potential in marine environment monitoring and offers a new solution for the sustainable development of the marine internet of things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia argyi H.Lév. & Vaniot essential oil (AAEO) has shown pharmacological effects such as anti‐inflammation, antioxidant, and anti‐tumor properties. However, the protective effect of AAEO on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced liver injury and its potential protective mechanism are still unclear. In this study, we used ultra‐performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry metabolomics techniques to investigate the changes in liver tissue metabolites in mice exposed to LPS with or without AAEO treatment for 14 days. The biochemical results showed that compared with the control group, AAEO significantly reduced the levels of liver functional enzymes, suggesting a significant improvement in liver injury. In addition, the 18 differential metabolites identified by metabolomics were mainly involved in the reprogramming of arachidonic acid metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and purine metabolism. AAEO could significantly inhibit the expression of COX‐2, IDO1, and NF‐κB; enhance the body's anti‐inflammatory ability; and alleviate liver injury. In summary, our study identified the protective mechanism of AAEO on LPS‐induced liver injury at the level of small molecular metabolites, providing a potential liver protective agent for the treatment of LPS‐induced liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the characteristics of small wave amplitude, stable direction, and low frequency near marine ranching, an energy‐harvesting device is designed and produced through an O‐shaped multilayer earthworm‐like triboelectric nanogenerator (OME–TENG) to provide a self‐sufficient energy supply for sensors without relying on batteries. Under the same conditions, O‐shaped multilayer TENG structure can carry out a fuller contact‐separation movement due to its unique O‐shaped structure, thus the peak power of the O‐shaped multilayer TENG structure can reach 10.4 mW, which is more than twice that of the Z‐shaped multilayer TENG structure. When the water wave frequency is 0.5 Hz and the wave amplitude is about 7.5 cm, the open‐circuit voltage, short‐circuit current, and transferred charge of the left units of the OME–TENG device can reach 300 V, 25 μA, and 900 nC, respectively, and can directly light up 107 light emitting diode. After rectification and parallel connection, the energy collected by the OME–TENG can easily power a digital hygrograph to monitor marine temperature and humidity. Therefore, the OME–TENG shows great application prospects in the energy supply of marine ranching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental pollutant bisphenol A (BPA), used in the manufacture of plastic packaging materials for various diets, is widely distributed in the environment and causes severe hepatotoxicity by inducing oxidative stress. Artemisia argyi essential oil (AAEO), a volatile oil component isolated from Artemisia argyi H.Lév. & Vaniot, has pharmacological effects, especially for hepatoprotective actions. However, the potential effect of AAEO in BPA induced hepatotoxicity has not been characterized. First, we analyzed the chemical composition in AAEO by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Herein, we investigated the effect of AAEO on hepatic metabolic changes in mice exposed to BPA. Results showed that compared with the BPA group, AAEO could reduce the level of liver function enzymes in BPA mice serum, and ameliorate hepatic lesions and fibrosis. Additionally, 20 differential metabolites screened by metabolomics were mainly involved in the reprogramming of glutathione metabolism, purine metabolism, and polyunsaturated fatty acid synthesis. Moreover, AAEO could reduce hepatic ferroptosis induced by BPA, as demonstrated by reducing xanthine oxidase activity, up‐regulating the activities of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), superoxide dismutase, and catalase and the expression of SLC7A11 to promote the glutathione synthetic, while inhibiting transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) expression to reduce the accumulation of Fe2+ in cells. Therefore, our study identified AAEO as a hepatic protectant against BPA‐induced hepatotoxicity by reversing the occurrence of ferroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the digestive tract. Ponicidin, a tetracyclic diterpenoid active ingredient extracted from the traditional phytomedicine Rubescens, has high safety and great inhibitory effect on the proliferation of a variety of cancer cells, especially malignant tumor cells of the digestive tract. However, the inhibitory effect and mechanism of ponicidin on pancreatic cancer cells is still unclear. Our study aimed to use metabonomics technology to analyze and explore the suppressive effect of ponidicin against pancreatic cancer cells.Methods: MTT and flow cytometry were conducted to study the potential effect of ponicidin on SW1990 cells. Secondly, UPLC-MS/MS was used to analyze the small molecule metabolites and relevant differential metabolic pathways induced by ponicidin treatment. Furthermore, through the determination of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) activity and molecular docking simulation experiments, the effects of intracellular GPX4 activity and GSH/GSSG ratio after ponicidin were evaluated. Finally, the determination of the content of iron ions and malondialdehyde in cells, and the experiment of the effect of ferroptosis inhibitors on cell viability, the effect of ponicidin on the induction of ferroptosis in SW1990 cells was also detected.Results: The IC50 of ponicidin on SW1990 cells was 20 μM, which could significantly induce cell apoptosis and arrest the cells in G2/M phase. Metabolomics results showed that the contents of endogenous small molecules such as gamma-glutamylcysteine, 5-oxoproline, glutamic acid, reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and arachidonic acid have changed significantly. Main differential compounds were involved in the gamma-glutamyl cycle and polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism of pancreatic cancer cell lines. Additionally, ponicidin could covalently bind to GSH in SW1990 cells to form a conjugate Pon-GSH, which further reduced the content of free GSH and GPX4 activity in cells. Notably, ponicidin dose-dependently increased levels of iron ions, malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species in SW1990 cells, and the ferroptosis inhibitors could significantly block the effects of ponicidin on the proliferation of SW1990 cells.Conclusion: Ponicidin could suppress the pancreatic cancer cell proliferation via inducing ferroptosis by inhibiting the gamma-glutamyl cycle and regulating the polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism in SW1990 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) is unavoidable in daily life. Recently, research has showen that BPA could induce oxidative imbalance, thereby causing reproductive toxicity and liver dysfunction. Accumulated evidence has demonstrated that metformin possesses strong anti-oxidative properties. This study aimed to study the mechanism underlying the hepatic-protective effect of metformin on liver injury induced by BPA in rats via the UPLC-MS/MS metabolomics approach. Forty-two male rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 7), namely the saline group (control), the corn oil group (vehicle), the metformin group (Met), the bisphenol A group (BPA), the bisphenol A and metformin group (BPA + Met), and the bisphenol A and diammonium glycyrrhizinate (positive control) group (BPA + DG). Serum was collected for biochemical analysis and metabolomics, and liver tissue was collected for histopathology and metabolomics in each group. We found that metformin could significantly reduce the levels of liver function enzymes (ALT, AST and GGT) and ameliorate inflammatory cell infiltration and hepatocyte necrosis induced by BPA. On the other hand, metformin could significantly enhance the total antioxidant capacity in BPA rats. Notably, metabolomics data indicated that the principal altered metabolic pathways based on the 26 differential metabolites in liver tissue, and 21 in serum among vehicle, BPA and BPA + Met groups, respectively, including cysteine and methionine metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and arginine biosynthesis and purine metabolism. Additionally, metformin significantly increased cystathionine β synthase (CBS) and cystathionine γ lyase (CSE), thus reducing serum levels of homocysteine and increasing hepatic levels of cysteine and glutathione in BPA-treated rats. Overall, this study's results provided new insights into the role and mechanism of metformin in BPA-induced liver injury in rats. Unlabelled Image • Protection of metformin on BPA induced liver injury was assessed by metabolomics. • Metformin ameliorated oxidative stress induced by BPA • Changes in cysteine and methionine metabolism were vital for its liver protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state-of-the-art triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology has numerous advantages and creates new prospects for the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT) in marine environments. Here, to accelerate the application process of TENG, an elaborately designed multilayered sleeve-structured hybrid nanogenerator (M-HNG) is developed to efficiently and persistently harvest marine energy. The M-HNG integrates an electromagnetic nanogenerator (EMG) with four coils and a multilayered sleeve-structured TENG (MS-TENG) with three freestanding layer units to increase spatial utilization efficiency. Moreover, rabbit fur strips are introduced to enhance the output performance and strengthen the durability of TENG. Therefore, the MS-TENG has high durability due to its soft-contact structure, maintaining its performance even after 240,000 cycles. When a 1000 μF capacitor is charged by M-HNG utilizing a power management circuit (PMC), the stored energy is increased from 2.62 mJ to 140.11 mJ, representing a significant improvement of 52-fold. The M-HNG triggered by water waves has successfully powered various small electronic devices, including 1200 LED lights, nine thermo-hygrometers, a water quality testing pen, and water level alarms. The proposed M-HNG effectively harvests low-frequency water wave energy, introducing an innovative concept for constructing a hybrid TENG with enhanced density and durability.

Coronary spastic angina (CSA) is common, and treatment options for refractory vasospastic angina are sometimes limited. Guizhifuling pills (GFP) have demonstrated efficacy in reducing CSA episodes, but their pharmacological mechanism remains unclear. To explore the mechanism of action of GFP in preventing and treating CSA, we employed network pharmacology and molecular docking to predict targets and analyze networks. We searched GFP chemical composition information and related targets from databases. The drug-target and drug-target pathway networks were constructed using Cytoscape. Then the protein-protein interaction was analyzed using the STRING database. Gene Ontology biological functions and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were performed by the Metascape database, and molecular docking validation of vital active ingredients and action targets of GFP was performed using AutoDock Vina software. The 51 active components in GFP are expected to influence CSA by controlling 279 target genes and 151 signaling pathways. Among them, 6 core components, such as quercetin, β-sitosterol, and baicalein, may regulate CSA by affecting 10 key target genes such as STAT3, IL-6, TP53, AKT1, and EGFR. In addition, they are involved in various critical signaling pathways such as apelin, calcium, advanced glycation end product-receptor for advanced glycation end product, and necroptosis. Molecular docking analysis confirms favorable binding interactions between the active components of GFP and the selected target proteins. The effects of GFP in treating CSA involve multiple components, targets, and pathways, offering a theoretical basis for its clinical use and enhancing our understanding of how it works., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Hybrid nanogenerators (HNGs) represent a promising avenue for water energy harvesting, yet their commercial viability faces hurdles such as limited power output, poor coupling, and constrained operational lifespans. Here, a highly coupled triboelectric-electromagnetic magnetic-levitation hybrid nanogenerator (ML-HNG) is introduced that shows great potential for water energy harvesting. The ML-HNG fulfills the challenges of high power output, strong coupling, and long operational lifespans. During the contact-separation process of the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), the changing magnetic flux in the electromagnetic generator's coils generates a potential difference between the coils and Cu electrodes. The unique design of the ML-HNG employs a shared coil electrode configuration, which enhances the coupling without adding extra volume. This integration allows the ML-HNG to achieve multi-frequency vibrations and multiple output cycles per external longitudinal movement, a phenomenon known as the frequency multiplication effect. With an average power density of 1.69 W m -3 in water, the ML-HNG provides continuous power for a thermo-hygrometer and can quickly drive a wireless water level alarm system within a minute. This groundbreaking hybrid nanogenerator design holds significant promise for the efficient and consistent harvesting of low-frequency ocean wave energy, marking a substantial advancement in blue energy technology., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)