Search

Silica aerogels are the most widely studied type of aerogel. However, its application still suffers from low mechanical strength and high production cost. The paper studies the use of recyclable PVC as the backbone material of the aerogel and introduces an economically friendly fabrication process of flexible PVC aerogel using sol-gel technique and ambient drying instead of the CO2 critical drying. Three different types of PVC powder with the molecule weight of 43000, 48000, and 80000 respectively are chosen and dissolved in DMF in five different concentrations-0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 g (mL)-1. The lowest thermal conductivity of the aerogel is measured using hot-wire method as 0.0323W(m*K)-1, which is made of PVC with molecule weight of 80000 in a concentration of 0.4g (mL)-1. The analysis based on SEM pictures shows that PVC type and concentration would greatly influence aerogel’s structure thus affecting its thermal conductivity. The optimal solution for producing low thermal conductivity aerogel is to use PVC powder with low molecule weight with a concentration between 0.2 and 0.6 g (mL)-1.

According to cancer statistics reported in 2020, breast cancer constitutes 30% of new cancer cases diagnosed in American women. Histological markers of breast cancer are expressions of the estrogen receptor (ER), the progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2. Up to 80% of breast cancers are grouped as ER-positive, which implies a crucial role for estrogen in breast cancer development. Therefore, identifying potential therapeutic targets and investigating their downstream pathways and networks are extremely important for drug development in these patients. Through high-throughput technology and bioinformatics screening, we revealed that coiled-coil domain-containing protein 167 (CCDC167) was upregulated in different types of tumors; however, the role of CCDC167 in the development of breast cancer still remains unclear. Integrating many kinds of databases including ONCOMINE, MetaCore, IPA, and Kaplan-Meier Plotter, we found that high expression levels of CCDC167 predicted poor prognoses of breast cancer patients. Knockdown of CCDC167 attenuated aggressive breast cancer growth and proliferation. We also demonstrated that treatment with fluorouracil, carboplatin, paclitaxel, and doxorubicin resulted in decreased expression of CCDC167 and suppressed growth of MCF-7 cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that CCDC167 has high potential as a therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Invisible–visible printing with visibility controlled sensitively by hydrochromic materials is a perennially interesting scientific topic. A new hydrochromic invisible ink material, (C8H20N2)[Mn(NCS)4(H2O)2] (1), for rewritable or confidential printing is proposed and successfully demonstrated using water as the sole trigger to switch the hydrochromic dye on a solid medium. Additionally, it maintains reversible and sensitive reliability after continuous erasing and rewriting dozens of times without color fading.

Recent evidence shows that the expression levels of histamine receptor H3 (Hrh3) are upregulated in several types of cancer. However, the role of Hrh3 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been elucidated. In the present study, we showed that the expression levels of Hrh3 were significantly increased in NSCLC samples, and high levels of Hrh3 were associated with poor overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients. In five human NSCLC cell lines tested, Hrh3 was significantly upregulated. In NSCLC cell lines H1975, H460, and A549, Hrh3 antagonist ciproxifan (CPX, 10-80 μM) exerted moderate and concentration-dependent inhibition on the cell growth and induced apoptosis, whereas its agonist RAMH (80 μM) reversed these effects. Furthermore, inhibition of Hrh3 by CPX or siRNA retarded the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells through inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression via reducing the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MEK/ERK signaling pathways. In nude mice bearing H1975 cell xenograft or A549 cell xenograft, administration of CPX (3 mg/kg every other day, intraperitoneal) significantly inhibited the tumor growth with increased E-cadherin and ZO-1 expression and decreased Fibronectin expression in tumor tissue. In conclusion, this study reveals that Hrh3 plays an important role in the growth and metastasis of NSCLC; it might be a potential therapeutic target against the lung cancer.

Piezoelectric sensors that can work under various conditions with superior performance are highly desirable with the arrival of the Internet of Things. For practical applications, a large piezoelectric voltage coefficient g and a high Curie temperature Tc are critical to the performance of piezoelectric sensors. Here, we report a two-dimensional perovskite ferroelectric (4-aminotetrahydropyran)2PbBr4 [(ATHP)2PbBr4] with a saturated polarization of 5.6 μC cm-2, high Tc of 503 K [above that of BaTiO3 (BTO, 393 K)], and extremely large g33 of 660.3 × 10-3 V m N-1 [much beyond that of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) ceramics (20 to 40 × 10-3 V m N-1), more than 2 times higher than that of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF, about 286.7 × 10-3 V m N-1)]. Combined with the advantages of molecular ferroelectrics, such as light weight, easy and environmentally friendly processing, and mechanical flexibility, (ATHP)2PbBr4 would be a competitive candidate for next-generation smart piezoelectric sensors in flexible devices, soft robotics, and biomedical devices.

Chilling stress at booting stage can cause floret deterioration and sterility by limiting the supply of food chain and the accumulation of essential mineral elements resulting in reduction of yield and grain quality attributes in rice. Genomic selection of chilling tolerant rice with reference to the accumulation of mineral elements will have great potential to cope with malnutrition and food security in times of climate change. Therefore, a study was conducted to explore the genomic determinants of cold tolerance and mineral elements content in near-isogenic lines (NILs) of japonica rice subjected to chilling stress at flowering stage. Detailed morphological analysis followed by quantitative analysis of 17 mineral elements revealed that the content of phosphorus (P, 3,253 mg/kg) and potassium (K, 2,485 mg/kg) were highest while strontium (Sr, 0.26 mg/kg) and boron (B, 0.34 mg/kg) were lowest among the mineral elements. The correlation analysis revealed extremely positive correlation of phosphorus (P) and copper (Cu) with most of the cold tolerance traits. Among all the effective ear and the second leaf length correlation was significant with half of the mineral elements. As a result of comparative analysis, some QTLs (qBRCC-1, qBRCIC-2, qBRZC-6, qBRCHC-6, qBRMC-6, qBRCIC-6a, qBRCIC-6b, qBRCHC-6, and qBRMC-6) identified for calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr) and magnesium (Mg) on chromosome number 1, 2, and 6 while, a novel QTL (qBCPC-1) was identified on chromosome number 1 for P element only. These findings provided bases for the identification of candidate genes involved in mineral accumulation and cold tolerance in rice at booting stage.

Massive efforts have been devoted to designing molecular ferroic materials by molecular modification. For molecular ferroelastic, previous work is focused on the temperature-dependent ferroelastic domains, however, few are related to controlling the ferroelastic domain by the stress. Inspired by the "quasi-spherical theory" and fluorination effect, we designed a more flexible (MedabcoF)2+ (MedabcoF=1-fluoro-4-methyl-1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) cation by introducing a methyl group and a fluorine atom at the two symmetrical ends of the Dabco (1,4-diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) and synthesized a hybrid 3D perovskite (MedabcoF)Rb(BF4 )3 (1) which displays three reversible phase transitions accompanying dual ferroelastic behavior. Besides, it not only exhibits ferroelastic domains switching by the thermal stimulation, and the sensitive reaction of in situ domains under the stress of it is also realized. This work not only achieves a force-controlled ferroelastic domain but develops a more profound comprehension of the relationship between the thermal motion behavior of guest cations and the intriguing properties of materials.

The IL (ionic liquid) 1-(2-methoxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide [MOEMIM][NTf2] was prepared and confirmed by 1H NMR (1H nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy and 13C NMR (13C nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy. The density and surface tension for the binary mixtures of [MOEMIM][NTf2] with methanol and ethanol were measured across the entire range of mole fraction (x1 = 0.0000–1.0000) at T = (288.15–318.15) K. The average molar volumes of the binary mixtures were calculated from the experimental density, which increased with the increase of mole fraction and temperature. The excess molar volumes, VmE, were obtained and fitted by Redlich–Kister equation. The interaction between ionic liquid and alcohol is the strongest efficient packing and/or attractive interaction at the minimum point. The lower the temperature was, the smaller the absolute value of excess molar volume was. The new function – the molar surface quasi-Gibbs energy of mixtures was obtained by us in this work. On a basis of molar surface quasi-Gibbs energy of mixtures, a new Eӧtvӧs equation was obtained of mixtures and applied to binary mixtures of [MOEMIM][NTf2] with alcohols. The absolute value of the slope of the new Eotvos equation is the mole surface entropy, s, and the intercept is the molar surface enthalpy, h, which is temperature-independent. The deviation of molar surface quasi-Gibbs energy, Δgs, of mixtures for [MOEMIM][NTf2] with methanol and ethanol were calculated. Δgs was well fitted by Redlich–Kister equation. In terms of Redlich–Kister’s parameters, Ai, a new method for estimating the surface tension, γ, with any component of the mixtures is proposed and the estimated values, γ (est.), are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental ones, γ(exp.).

Viscosities of ternary mixtures of VOSO4 + H2SO4 with water were measured across the entire range of total ionic strength (IT = 1 to 11) mol·kg−1 and over a temperature range of (283.15–318.15) K. The viscosity B-coefficients of the binary aqueous were determined from Jones-Dole equation. Using the B-coefficients, the activation parameters for viscous flow of the solutes were further evaluated. On the basis of Eyring’s equation, a semi-empirical method to estimate the viscosity for concentrated and mixed electrolyte solutions was put forward. The estimated viscosity values of VOSO4 + H2SO4 + H2O are in quite good agreement with the corresponding experimental results with the average absolute relative deviation of 0.96%.

Flavonoids have been reported to exert protective effect against many inflammatory diseases, while the underlying cellular mechanisms are still not completely known. In the present study, we explored the anti-inflammation activity of 5, 7, 2', 4', 5'-pentamethoxyflavanone (abbreviated as Pen.), a kind of polymethoxylated flavonoid, both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Pen. was showed no obvious toxicity in macrophages even at high dosage treatment. Our results indicated that Pen. significantly inhibited both mRNA and protein level of proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and iNOS, which was characteristic expressed on M1 polarized macrophages. These effects of Pen. were further confirmed by diminished expression of CD11c, the M1 macrophage surface marker. Further researches showed that the mechanism was due to that Pen. downregulated the activity of p65, key transcription factor for M1 polarization. On the other hand, Pen. also enhanced M2 polarization with upregulation of anti-inflammatory factors and increase of M2 macrophage surface markers, which lead to the balance of M1 and M2 macrophages. Moreover, in vivo research verified that Pen. treatment alleviated LPS-induced sepsis in mice by increasing survival rate, decreasing inflammatory cytokines and improving lung tissue damage. In summary, our results suggested that Pen. modulated macrophage phenotype via suppressing p65 signal pathway to exert the anti-inflammation activity.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a worldwide epidemic. A large and growing unmet therapeutic need has inspired numerous studies in the field. Integrating the published genomic data available in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) with NAFLD samples from rodents, we discovered that interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) is significantly downregulated in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced fatty liver. In the current study, we identified IRF6 in hepatocytes as a protective factor in liver steatosis (LS). During HFD challenge, hepatic Irf6 was suppressed by promoter hypermethylation. Severity of HFD-induced LS was exacerbated in hepatocyte-specific Irf6 knockout mice, whereas hepatocyte-specific transgenic mice overexpressing Irf6 (IRF6-HTG) exhibited alleviated steatosis and metabolic disorder in response to HFD feeding. Mechanistic studies in vitro demonstrated that hepatocyte IRF6 directly binds to the promoter of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) gene and subsequently halts the transcription of Pparγ and its target genes (e.g., genes that regulate lipogenesis and lipid acid uptake) under physiological conditions. Conclusion: Irf6 is downregulated by promoter hypermethylation upon metabolic stimulus exposure, which fail to inhibit Pparγ and its targets, driving abnormalities of lipid metabolism.

Background. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The idea of therapeutic angiogenesis in ischemic myocardium is a promising strategy for MI patients. Buyang Huanwu decoction (BHD), a famous Chinese herbal prescription, exerted antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effects, which contribute to cardio-/cerebral protection. Here, we aim to investigate the effects of BHD on angiogenesis through the caveolin-1 (Cav-1)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway in MI model of mice. Materials and Methods. C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups by the table of random number: (1) sham-operated group (sham, n=15), (2) AMI group (AMI+sham, n=20), and (3) BHD-treated group (AMI+BHD, n=20). 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride solution stain was used to determine myocardial infarct size. Myocardial histopathology was tested using Masson staining and hematoxylin-eosin staining. CD31 immunofluorescence staining was used to analyze the angiogenesis in the infarction border zone. Western blot analysis, immunofluorescence staining, and/or real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was applied to test the expression of Cav-1, VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), and/or phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK). All statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS 20.0 software and GraphPad Prism 6.05. Values of P<0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results and Conclusion. Compared with the AMI group, the BHD-treated group showed a significant improvement in the heart weight/body weight ratio, echocardiography images, cardiac function, infarct size, Mason staining of the collagen deposition area, and density of microvessel in the infarction border zone (P<0.05). Compared with the AMI group, BHD promoted the expression of Cav-1, VEGF, VEGFR2, and p-ERK in the infarction border zone after AMI. BHD could exert cardioprotective effects on the mouse model with AMI through targeting angiogenesis via Cav-1/VEGF signaling pathway.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Chrysanthemum indicum Linne (C. indicum), a healthy food and folk medicine in China for thousands of years, has been reported to exert heat-clearing and detoxifying effects and extensively applied to treat various symptoms such as inflammation diseases, hepatitis and headache. Aim of this study The purpose of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of the supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extract from flowers and buds of C. indicum (CISCFE) on D -galactose-induced brain and liver damage during aging process and to illuminate the underlying mechanisms. Materials and methods Mice were orally administrated with CISCFE (100, 150 and 300 mg/kg) after injection with D -galactose. 24 h after the last administration, the blood samples, whole brain and liver tissues were collected for biochemical analysis, histological examination and western blot analysis. The body weight, spleen and thymus indexes, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA) in brain and liver, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected. Besides, the expressions of Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3 were determined by western blot assay. Results The results indicated that CISCFE effectively increased the suppressed body weight, attenuated the decline of thymus and spleen indexes, and reduced the elevated levels of ALT and AST induced by D -gal. Furthermore, CISCFE might notably alleviate D -gal-induced abnormal alterations in structure and function of brain and liver dose-dependently via renewing normal antioxidant enzymes activities (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px), reducing MDA accumulation, decreasing inflammatory cytokines productions (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α), as well as attenuating the increase of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and cleaved caspase-3 activation in the liver and brain. Conclusions Taken together, our present results suggested that CISCFE treatment could effectively mitigate the D -gal-induced hepatic and cerebral injury, and the underlying mechanism might be tightly related to the decreased oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis, indicating CISCFE might be an alternative and promising agent for the treatment of aging and age-associated brain and liver diseases.

Ionic liquids (1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluoride antimonite) were designed and synthesized, namely [Cnmim][SbF6] (n = 4,5,6). In temperature range of (293.15–343.15 ± 0.05) K with an interval of 5 K, the density, surface tension, refractive index and conductivity of the hydrophobic ILs were measured. According to empirical and semi-empirical equations with the interstice model theory, other physic-chemical properties of the ILs [Cnmim][SbF6] (n = 4,5,6) were estimated at 298.15 K, including the standard lattice energy, surface entropy, molar entropy, the molar enthalpy of vaporization, molar surface Gibbs energy and interstitial molar surface Gibbs energy. Based on interstice model, the thermal expansion coefficient of the ILs was calculated with a good magnitude order agreement of experimental value. Then, others physic-chemical properties of the ILs [Cnmim][SbF6] homologue were predicted with the estimated values.

Our previous work indicates the lymphatic network and perivascular spaces or tissues might be involved in the facial intradermal brain-targeted delivery of Evans blue (EB). In this article, we presented the detailed involvement of both, and the linkage between lymphatic network and perivascular spaces or tissues. The in-vivo imaging, the trigeminal transection and immunohistochemistry were used. In-vivo imaging indicated intradermal injection in the mystacial pad (i.d.) delivered EB into the brain at 2-, 6- and 24 h, while intranasal injection (i.n.) delivered EB into the rostral head and intravenous injection (i.v.) diffused EB weakly into the brain. Trigeminal perineurial and epineurial EB occurred along the perivascular spaces or tissues and along brain vessels. EB diffused into the lymphatic vessels and submandibular lymph nodes. Moreover, perineurial and epineurial EB co-located or overlaid with Lyve1 immuno-reactivity and VEGF antibody, and lymphatic network connected with perivascular spaces or tissues, suggesting lymphatic system-perivascular spaces might involve in the EB delivery with i.d. The trigeminal transection reduced the trigeminal epineurial and perineurial EB and brain EB along vessels. EB diffused in the fasciculus and the perineurium, blood and lymphatic vessels in the mystacial pad, mystacial EB overlaid VEGF or Lyve1 antibody. In summary, the dermal-trigeminal-brain perivascular spaces or tissues and the linkage to the lymphatic network mediated the intradermal brain-targeted delivery.

MFG-E8(Milk fat globule-EGF factor 8), a secreted glycoprotein, plays an exceptional role in various diseases. MFG-E8 overexpression is found in a variety of cancers. However, it remains unclear whether MFG-E8 overexpression is associated with the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of human breast cancer.In this study, we detected the expression and localization of MFG-E8 protein in breast cancer and cancer-adjacent tissues using immunohistochemical staining, Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence. We analyzed the association between MFG-E8 expression and clinical characteristics and outcomes of breast cancer patients with different HR and HER2 statuses.Our results confirmed that MFG-E8 expression increased significantly in breast cancer compared with cancer-adjacent tissues by immunohistochemical staining (P 0.001). Similarly, the Western blot results further confirmed the increased expression of MFG-E8 in breast cancer compared with cancer-adjacent tissues (P = 0.001). Immunofluorescence staining showed that MFG-E8 was mainly localized in the cytoplasm and membrane of tumor cells, consistent with the immunohistochemical staining results. The high expression levels of MFG-E8 showed a greater association with lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and histological grade (P0.001). Moreover, high MFG-E8 expression was related to a shortened overall survival (OS) (P 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (P 0.001). Bioinformatics analysis with a Kaplan-Meier plotter also demonstrated a strong association of MFG-E8 mRNA overexpression with a short OS and DFS compared with low MFG-E8 expression (P = 0.040, P = 0.005).Our findings indicate that MFG-E8 may be a potential marker for poor prognosis and survival in breast cancer.

Single-component nanomaterials such as bismuth (Bi) based on nanoparticles (NPs) intrinsically having both diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities are widely needed in biomedical fields. However, their design and fabrication still face enormous challenges. Here, a kind of pure Bi NPs with ultrahigh X-ray attenuation coeffcient was developed and evaluated as a simple but powerful theranostic nanomaterals and potent light-to-heat conversion efficiency for photoacuostic imaging (PAI)/photothermal therapy (PTT) in this study. The prepared pure Bi NPs showed excellent photothermal performance and the temperature of NPs solution (1 mg/mL) increased to 70 °C under near-infrared light irradiation within 4 min. The pure Bi NPs showed obvious enhancement effect both in X-ray computed tomography (CT) and PA imaging modalities in vivo. In addition, the glioma growth was efficiently suppressed by the pure Bi NPs after 808 nm laser irradiation, while maintained the biosafety and low toxicity. Thus, it is notable that this type of Bi nanomaterial has great potential in multi-imaging guided cancer treatment., Graphical Abstract Unlabelled Image

The density and surface tension for the binary mixtures of ionic liquid (IL) [C4py][DCA] with ethanol, 1-propanol and 2-propanol were measured across the entire range of mole fraction (x1 = 0.0000–1.0000) at T = (288.15–318.15) K. The average molar volume and the thermal expansion coefficient of the binary mixtures were calculated from the experimental density. The excess molar volumes, VE, of the binary mixtures were also calculated and well fitted by Redlich−Kister equation. The obtained VE are negative values over the whole composition range. The values of VE are related to the alcohol chain length and temperature. In order to predict the surface tension of the mixtures, the new function – the molar surface Gibbs energy of mixtures was obtained from Li’s model improved by us in this work. So, the molar surface Gibbs energy, gs, and its excess function, gsE, of mixtures for [C4py][DCA] with ethanol, 1-propanol and 2-propanol were calculated. The excess molar surface Gibbs energy, gsE, was well fitted by Redlich−Kister equation. In terms of the Redlich−Kister’s parameters, a new method for predicting the surface tension, γ, of the mixtures is proposed and the predicted values, γ (pre.), are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental ones, γ(exp.). On a basis of molar surface Gibbs energy of mixtures, a new Eӧtvӧs equation was obtained and applied to binary mixtures of [C4py][DCA] with alcohols. The absolute value of the slope of the new Eotvos equation is the mole surface entropy, s, and the intercept is the molar surface enthalpy, h, which is temperature-independent.

Alcoholism represents a predisposing factor for liver-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Pogostemon cablin has been widely used in China for the treatment of digestive system diseases. Patchouli oil, the major active fraction of Pogostemon cablin, can ameliorate alcohol-induced acute liver injury (ALI). However, patchouli alcohol (PA), a principal bioactive ingredient of PO, exerts a protection against ALI remains elusive. The present work focused on the hepatoprotection of PA against acute ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. In this study, male Wistar rats orally received PA (10, 20, or 40 mg/kg), PO (400 mg/kg) and silymarin (200 mg/kg) for ten days. On the 8th day, the rats orally received 65% ethanol (10 mL/kg, 6.5 g/kg) every 12 h for 3 days. Results showed that PA was found to reduce alcohol-induced ALI, as evidenced by significantly alleviated histopathological alterations, decreased the elevation of ALT and AST levels, and enhanced the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activities. Additionally, PA markedly suppressed ROS levels and increased antioxidant enzyme activities via the CYP2E1/ROS/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. PA regulated lipid accumulation by markedly inhibiting the expression of lipogenesis-related genes and stimulating that of lipolysis-related genes, which were associated with the activation of the AMPK pathway. What’s more, PA pretreatment also restored acute alcohol-induced alterations in gut barrier function, colonic histopathology, and gut microbiota richness and evenness. PA pretreatment alleviated gut-origin LPS-induced inflammation by inhibiting the MyD88/TLR4/NF-κB signal pathway. In general, PA ameliorates ethanol-induced ALI via restoration of CYP2E1/ROS/Nrf2/HO-1-mediated oxidative stress and AMPK-mediated fat accumulation, as well as alleviation of gut-LPS-leakage-induced inflammation regulated by the MyD88/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been a leading cause of chronic metabolic disease, seriously posing healthy burdens to the public, whereas interventions available for it are limited to date. Patchouli oil had been reported to attenuate hepatic steatosis in our previous study. β-patchoulene (β-PAE) is a representative component separated from patchouli oil with multiple activities, but its effect against NAFLD is still unknown. To investigate the effect and potential mechanism of β-PAE on NAFLD, we used high fat diet (HFD) in vivo and free fatty acid (FFA) in vitro to induce hepatic steatosis in rats and L02 cells, respectively. Histological examination was evaluated via Hematoxylin-eosin and oil red O staining. The parameters for hepatic steatosis were estimated via biochemical kits, western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. Compound C, the inhibitor of AMPK, was applied further to examine the precise mechanism of β-PAE on NAFLD. Our results indicated that β-PAE significantly attenuated HFD-induced weight gain, hepatic injury, lipid deposition in serum and hepatic tissue as well as FFA induced-lipid accumulation. Besides, β-PAE markedly improved the expression of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its downstream factors which correlate with hepatic lipid synthesis and oxidation in vivo and in vitro. Nevertheless, Compound C abrogated the benefits derived from β-PAE in L02 cells. In conclusion, these results suggest that β-PAE exerts AMPK agonist-like effect to regulate hepatic lipid synthesis and oxidation, eventually prevent NAFLD progression.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the progressive form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is becoming a common chronic liver disease with the characteristics of steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis. Macrophage plays an important role in the development of NASH. In this study, Annexin A5 (Anx A5) is identified with the special effect on hepatic macrophage phenotype shift from M1 to M2. And it is further demonstrated that Anx A5 significantly switches metabolic reprogramming from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation in activated macrophages. Mechanistically, the main target of Anx A5 in energy metabolism is confirmed to be pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2). And we following reveal that Anx A5 directly interacts with PKM2 at ASP101, LEU104 and ARG106, inhibits phosphorylation of Y105, and promotes PKM2 tetramer formation. In addition, based on the results of PKM2 inhibitor (compound 3k) and the phosphorylated mutation (PKM2 (Y105E)), it is proved that Anx A5 exhibits the function in macrophage polarization dependently on PKM2 activity. In vivo studies also show that Anx A5 improves steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis in NASH mice due to specially regulating hepatic macrophages via interaction with PKM2. Therefore, we have revealed a novel function of Anx A5 in hepatic macrophage polarization and HFD-induced NASH, providing important insights into the metabolic reprogramming, which is important for NASH therapy., Graphical abstract Image 1

The present study was designed to investigate the role of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) overexpression in a rat model of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and its mechanism of action. A rat model of HT was constructed, and the HT rats were injected with an adenoviral expression vector carrying the Nampt gene. The expression of Nampt and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in thyroid tissues was examined using immunohistochemistry (IHC), RT-qPCR and western blot analyses. Serum anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TGAb) and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) were measured using chemiluminescence method. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and IHC staining of the rat thyroid tissues showed destroyed thyroid follicles and monocyte infiltration, as well as increased Nampt expression in the thyroid tissues of rats with HT. Furthermore, it was found that Nampt overexpression led to increased severity of inflammatory infiltration in thyroid tissues and increased levels of TPOAb in the serum of HT rats; however, the serum TGAb level was not affected by Nampt overexpression. In addition, Nampt overexpression promoted TLR4 expression in HT rats. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that Nampt was strongly expressed in the capillary region of HT rats thyroid tissues. The Nampt mRNA level was increased but the Nampt protein level was decreased in the thyroid tissues of rats with HT. Nampt overexpression has a promotive effect on HT progression, and this effect was related to TLR4. This study suggests that inhibition of Nampt activity may be valuable in the treatment of HT.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. Nevertheless, no first-line therapy exists. Hepatic steatosis is the earliest stage of NAFLD, which is characterized by an accumulation of hepatic lipids. Patchouli oil (PO), which is isolated from the well-known Chinese herb named Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. (Lamiaceae), inhibits hepatic lipid accumulation effectively. However, its potential ability for the treatment of NAFLD had not been reported before. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of PO against hepatic steatosis and its underlying mechanisms. We used a high fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic steatosis model of rats to estimate the effect of PO against NAFLD. Hematoxylin-eosin and oil red O staining were used to analyze the hepatic histopathological changes. ELISA, RT-qPCR, and Western blotting analysis were applied to evaluate the parameters for hepatic steatosis. Our results showed that PO significantly attenuated the lipid profiles and the serum enzymes, evidenced by quantitative and histopathological analyses. It also markedly down-regulated the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREPB-1c) with its downstream factors in de novo lipogenesis. And, likewise, in lipid export by very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), related molecules were dramatically improved. Furthermore, PO observably normalized the aberrant peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPAR-α) signal in fatty acids oxidation. In conclusion, PO exerted a preventing effect against HFD-induced steatosis and might be due to decrease de novo lipogenesis, promote export of lipids, as well as owing to improve fatty acids oxidation.

The heat capacities of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium lactate ionic liquids ([C4mim][Lact]) were measured with a highly accurate automatic adiabatic calorimeter over the temperature range from 79 to 406 K. And the experimental values of molar heat capacities were fitted to a polynomial equation using least square method in the appropriate temperature ranges. The standard molar heat capacity was determined to be 1734.46 ± 5.12 J K−1 mol−1 at 298.15 K. The molar enthalpy and molar entropy of the transition were determined to be 15.575 ± 0.045 and 64.44 ± 0.14 J K−1 mol−1. Other thermodynamic properties, such as (HT − H298.15) and (ST − S298.15), were also calculated. Furthermore, when the temperature reaches 241.87 K, the strongest peaks appeared by analysis of the heat capacity curve. This phenomenon could be explained from the interionic interaction, which is the hydrogen bond between the anions and cations.

Patchoulene epoxide (PAO), a tricyclic sesquiterpene isolated from the long-stored patchouli oil, has been demonstrated the anti-inflammatory activity in vivo based on our previous study. However, the gastric protective effect of PAO still remains unknown. Therefore, in the present study, ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model was carried out to evaluate the anti-ulcerogenic activity of PAO and to elucidate the potential mechanisms that involves. According to our results, macroscopic examination revealed that PAO could significantly reduce ethanol-induced gastric ulcer areas as compared with the vehicle group, which was also supported by the histological evaluation result. As for its potential mechanism, the anti-inflammatory activity of PAO contributed to gastric protection through reversing the imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and modulating the expressions of NF-κB pathway-related proteins including p-IκBα, IκBα, p-p65 and p65. Besides, PAO was able to enhance the expressions of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and down-regulate malonaldehyde (MDA), an indicator of lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry analysis exhibited potent anti-apoptosis effect of PAO, as evidence by down-regulating the protein expression of caspase-3, Fas and Fasl. Additionally, we also demonstrated that PAO could replenish PGE2 and NO mucosal defense. In conclusion, these findings suggested that PAO has gastric protective activity against ethanol and this might be related to its influence on inflammatory response, oxidative stress, apoptosis cascade and gastric mucosal defense.

In order to expand the application of coal pitch, the H2O2 oxidation of coal pitch was employed to obtain some small molecular oxygen-containing aromatic compounds and to increase high-value-added products of coal pitch. The optimum oxidation conditions were determined by the oxygen conversion rate. The oxidation products were investigated with FTIR spectroscopy and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method. The results show that the coal pitch had been oxidized and depolymerized by H2O2 under mild conditions. The oxygen conversion rate was 59.06% at optimum condition of 60 °C, 6 h. The small molecular oxygen-containing aromatic compounds derived from this H2O2 oxidation are mainly grouped into alkanoic acids (AAs), aliphatic carboxylic acids (APCAs), benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCAs), and a small amount of alkylbenzenes (ABs). Finally, the oxidation process of coal pitch by H2O2 is speculated.

Background Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are most widely used as effective anti-inflammatory agents. However, their clinical application brings about inevasible gastrointestinal side effects. Pogostemon cablin is a traditional herbal medicine used for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases in China. One of its representative components, the tricyclic triterpenoid β-patchoulone (β-PAE) has demonstrated great anti-inflammatory activity and gastroprotective effect against ethanol-induced gastric injury, but its protective effect against gastric ulcer induced by indomethacin is still unknown. Purpose To assess the protective effect of β-PAE against ulcer produced by indomethacin and reveal the underlying pharmacological mechanism. Study design We used an indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model of rats in vivo. Methods Gastroprotective activity of β-PAE (10, 20, 40 mg/kg, i.g.) was estimated via indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model in rats. Histopathological and histochemical assessment of ulcerated tissues were performed. Protein and mRNA expression were determined by Elisa, Western blotting and qRT-PCR. Results β-PAE could inhibit ulcer formation. Histopathological and histochemical assessment macroscopically demonstrated that β-PAE alleviates indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration in dose-dependent manner. After administration of β-PAE, elevated tumor necrosis factor -α level was significantly decreased and the phosphorylation of JNK and IκB was markedly inhibited. β-PAE suppressed the levels of E-selectin, P-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, as well as myeloperoxidase. Meanwhile, β-PAE increased cyclooxygenase enzyme activities (COX-1 and COX-2) to enhance the production of prostaglandin E2. Proangiogenic protein, vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 mRNA expression were promoted while anti-angiogenic protein, endostatin-1 and its receptor ETAR mRNA expression were decreased. Conclusion β-PAE may provide gastroprotection in indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats by reducing inflammatory response and improving angiogenesis.

Excessive alcohol consumption can cause serious hepatic injury which is associated with oxidative stress and fatty metabolic disturbance. Patchouli oil (PO) is a sort of food supplement with high medicinal value in hepatoprotection, but its ability against ethanol-induced liver failure has not been demonstrated. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the potential hepatoprotection of PO through an ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity rat model. Our results showed that PO pretreatment could dramatically decrease the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum, paralleled by an improvement of histopathology alterations. Additionally, PO could markedly suppress the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), free fatty acid (FFA), and triglyceride (TG), while enhancing the activities of glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as the ratio of glutathione to oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) in liver. The protective effect of PO against oxidative stress was interrelated with restraining the mRNA and protein expression of hepatic microsomal enzyme cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1). What's more, PO pretreatment could also accelerate lipometabolism via up-regulating expressions of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPAR-α), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT-1) and down-regulating expressions of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) p65, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD-1). To conclude, PO showed potent effect against ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity by relieving oxidative stress and preventing lipid accumulation.

Three novel ether-functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) 1-ethyl-3-(2-methoxyethyl)-imidazolium acetate, [C22O1IM][OAc], 1-ethyl-3-(2-methoxyethyl)-imidazolium thiocyanate, [C22O1IM][SCN], 1-ethyl-3-(2-methoxyethyl)-imidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate, [C22O1IM][TfO], and two ILs 1-ethyl-3-(2-methoxyethyl)-imidazolium dicyanamide, [C22O1IM][DCA], 1-ethyl-3-(2-methoxyethyl)-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [C22O1IM][NTF2] were prepared and characterized. Their density and surface tension were measured at T = (298.15–338.15) K. As a new theoretical model, the ionic molar surface Gibbs free energy, gi, was put forward. The ionic molar surface Gibbs free energy, g−, for [BF4]−, which was as reference ion, was obtained in terms of the extrathermodynamic assumptions so that the ionic molar surface Gibbs free energy, g+, of the corresponding cations, [Cnmim]+ (n = 2–6), were determined. In terms of the g+ values of [Cnmim]+ (n = 2–6), the g− values of 12 kinds of anions were determined and then the average g+ value of [C22O1IM]+ (9.52 ± 0.21 kJ·mol−1) was gotten. By using the values of these gi, the predicted values of molar surface Gibbs free energy, gest, and surface tension, γest, for [C22O1IM][X] (X = OAC, SCN, DCA, TfO, NTF2) and other 45 ionic liquids were estimated. In comparison, the predicted values correlated quite well with their matching experimental values.

Enhancing the reactivity of mine tailings through the efficient and economical technology and using them as active precursors for alkali-activated materials is essential to effectively alleviate environmental issues caused by huge tailings emissions. In this study, an alkaline hydrothermal technology was proposed for increasing the reactivity of gold mine tailings. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and leaching tests indicated that the crystalline structures of tailings were significantly destroyed and amorphous sodium aluminosilicate was identified as the major hydrothermal activation product, which dissolved in water, released large quantities of active Si and Al species, and created an alkaline environment for the slag activation. Subsequently, one-part alkali-activated materials (OPM) were prepared from activated tailings and slag. To improve the hydration properties of these materials, quicklime (CaO) was employed as an additive. OPM sample exhibited the optimum strengths of 8.4, 28.7, 39.5, and 42.5 MPa at 1, 3, 7, 28 days, respectively, when CaO content was controlled at ∼ 6 wt%. pH tests, XRD, thermogravimetric (TG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses revealed that the addition of CaO improved the pH of the pore solution, increased the quantity of calcium-sodium aluminosilicate hydrate gel (C(N)-A-S-H, the main hydration reactant), and generated the compact microstructure, thereby enhancing the strength of the OPM samples. However, the strength was dramatically reduced when CaO content exceeded 6 wt% at later stages, mainly because of the severe carbonation of the sample.

In addition to the appealing semiconducting properties displayed by layered SnII or PbII halidometallates, intriguing phase-transition-induced properties, such as dielectric and ferroelectric properties, have recently been found by us in (benzylammonium)2PbCl4 and (cyclohexylammonium)2PbBr4–4xI4x (x = 0–1). The simple molecular structures of the layered compounds allow further chemical design for the modification of the physical properties. Thus, we extended the study to layered compounds templated by structurally similar organic cations to achieve future functions. Here, we report the design of a layered perovskite templated by cyclohexylmethylammonium cations, namely, bis[(cyclohexylmethyl)ammonium] tetrabromidolead(II). We found that this compound exhibits not only photoluminescence with a remarkably high efficiency (quantum yield = 21 %) but also interesting phase-transition-related physical properties, such as striking dielectric responses. These results reveal the great application potential of organic–inorganic hybrid compounds in the field of phase-transition multifunctional materials. More interesting phase-transition crystals are expected to be tailored in the future by taking advantage of the richness of layered perovskites.

We successfully explored for the first time that trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) can effectively catalyze the oxa-Pictet-Spengler reaction of secondary tryptophols and acetals to synthesize 1,3-disubstituted 1,3,4,9-tetrahydropyrano[3,4-b]indoles in high yield (up to >99%) and diastereoselectivity (>20:1). The secondary tryptophols were synthesized from indole-3-acetic acid. The one-pot synthesis of tetrahydropyrano[3,4-b]indoles was successfully developed from secondary tryptophols and in situ prepared acetals from aldehydes and trimethylorthoformate and thus the cost-efficiency of the protocol was effectively enhanced. Finally, the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of the 1,3-disubstituted tetrahydropyrano[3,4-b]indole was also demonstrated after enantioselective achievement of highly enantiopure secondary tryptophols.

Organic–inorganic hybrids represent a new type of material showing promising properties. In this report, sequential dielectric transitions have been studied in an organic–inorganic hybrid halide, (N-2-AP)CuCl5·2H2O (N-2-AP = N-(2-ammoniumethyl)piperazinium) (1). The packing structure of 1 displays discrete [CuCl5]3− rectangular pyramids and N-2-AP cations, which are linked by two water molecules, forming infinite hydrogen bond networks with inorganic and organic components along the b-axis. Characterization studies containing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements, variable-temperature X-ray diffraction and dielectric measurements were performed to investigate the phase transitions in 1. The deuterated sample of 1 (named 2) also exhibits a similar behavior to that in 1, but shows different phase transition temperatures in dielectric transitions. The arresting deuterated effect strongly confirms that the phase transitions in 1 are attributable to the local vibrations of water molecules resulting from the variation of hydrogen-bonding interactions.

A series of ionic liquids based on trifluoroacetic acid, namely, [Cnmim][TFA] (n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) (1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoroacetate), were designed and synthesized. The density, surface tension and refractive index were measured in the temperature range of 293.15 to 343.15 ± 0.05 K, and some physicochemical properties of the ILs were calculated. Using the concept of molar surface Gibbs free energy, the traditional Eotvos equation was improved into a modified Eotvos equation, in which the intercept and the slope represented the molar surface enthalpy and the molar surface entropy, respectively, for [Cnmim][TFA] (n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). The thermal expansion coefficient (α) of [Cnmim][TFA] was calculated according to the interstitial model, and the order of magnitude of the calculated values was in good agreement with the corresponding experimental values. A new hypothesis was proposed, stating that the interstitial molar surface Gibbs free energy (gs) is not determined by the type of IL. From the refractive index and the molar surface Gibbs free energy, an equation to predict the surface tension of ILs was derived and the predicted values were highly correlated with the corresponding experimental values. Finally, a new polarity scale for ILs was developed, and the polarity order of the [Cnmim][TFA] (n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) ILs was estimated.

Surface tension and density for aqueous VOSO 4 solution have been measured at different temperatures from T = (283.15 to 313.15) K. The values of average molar volume, V , were calculated. Based on Li's theory, a new definition of molar surface Gibbs free energy has been proposed and was used to predict the surface tension of the aqueous VOSO 4 . The results show that the predicted values of the surface tension of the aqueous VOSO 4 were in the consistency with the corresponding experimental ones. According to the relationship between the proposed molar surface Gibbs free energy and temperatures, a semi-empirical equation derived from the Eotvos equation with a more explicit physical meaning was subsequently presented, from which the molar surface enthalpy and entropy could be evaluated directly. Furthermore, the proposed semi-empirical approach also gave an opportunity to apply the molar surface Gibbs free energy to other types of solutions so as to assist in the prediction of the surface tension with satisfactory results.

A new organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite-type compound, (4-MPD)CdCl3 (1, 4-MPD = 4-methylpiperidinium), demonstrating high temperature phase transition at around 364 K and prominent dielectric relaxation behavior, can be considered as a potential high temperature relaxor-type dielectric material. Systematic characterization techniques have been performed including variable-temperature structural analyses, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements, dielectric measurements and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) measurements. The structural phase transition coupled with the dielectric relaxation property is mainly ascribed to the order–disorder changes of organic cations. The studies of dielectric relaxation between 25 kHz and 1000 kHz disclose a significant Debye relaxation process above room temperature, which is well fitted by the Cole–Cole function.

Layered organic–inorganic hybrids represent a class of technologically important materials due to their promising physical properties. In this report, two new layered organic–inorganic hybrid compounds (IAA)2CdX4 (IAA = isoamyl-ammonium cation, X = Cl, 1 and Br, 2) have been successfully synthesized and characterized. 1 undergoes a reversible solid-state phase transition at 230 K and 2 demonstrates three successive phase transitions and both of them exhibit prominent temperature-dependent dielectric behaviors. Detailed characterization was performed to investigate their phase transitions, including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements, variable-temperature structural analyses, variable-temperature powder X-ray diffraction (VT-PXRD) and dielectric measurements. The obvious difference in the phase transitions between 1 and 2 is originated from a bridged halogen effect, which makes different spaces between the inorganic framework layers where the organic IAA cation resides, resulting in different dynamic motions of the organic cations. These findings might be helpful to search for new dielectric materials based on layered organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites through exchange of the halogen atom.

Viscosity and density for aqueous VOSO 4 solution have been measured in the concentration range of (0.05 to 0.3) mol·kg − 1 at different temperatures from (283.15 to 323.15) K. On the basis of the measurements, the activation energy of viscous flow has been calculated by Arrhenius equation. A predicting function for the viscosity of aqueous VOSO 4 has been proposed based on the viscosity coefficients A and B determined from Jones-Dole equation. In addition, the VO 2 + -water interaction and its effect on the structure of solvent according to the B -coefficient of VO 2 + in dependence of temperature have been discussed. Using the B -coefficients, furthermore, the activation parameters for viscous flow of the solution, Δ μ 1 ≠ 0 , Δ μ 2 ≠ 0 , and other thermodynamics parameters Δ S 2 ≠ 0 , Δ H 2 ≠ 0 and Δ C p2 ≠ 0 were evaluated. Finally, another empirical model of the viscosity has been investigated on the basis of the Eyring equation with the AAPD of 1.81%, and the maximum relative deviation is 2.77% below 313.15 K, but up to 7.01% above 323.15 K. Both predicting equations for the viscosities of aqueous VOSO 4 are both in good agreement with the experimental results.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Pogostemon cablin, commonly named “Guang-Huo-Xiang” in China, has long been renowned for its ability to dispel dampness and regulate gastrointestinal functions. Patchouli oil (P.oil), the major active fraction of Pogostemon cablin, has been traditionally used as the principal component of Chinese medicinal formulae to treat exterior syndrome and diarrhea. However, the effects of P.oil in treating 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced intestinal mucositis have not yet been reported. Aim of the study To investigate the protective effects of P.oil against 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis and the mechanisms underlying these effects. Materials and methods Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with 5-FU (30 mg/kg) to establish an intestinal mucositis model. Meanwhile, rats with intestinal mucositis were orally administered with P.oil (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg). Histological analysis, ELISA (for detecting inflammatory cytokines and aquaporins), immunohistochemistry analysis (for examining caspases), qRT-PCR analysis (for assessment tight junctions), and western blotting analysis (for the assessment of TLR2/TLR4-MyD88 and VIP-cAMP-PKA signaling pathway-related proteins) were performed to estimate the protective effects of P.oil against intestinal mucositis and the mechanisms underlying these effects. Results The histopathological assessment preliminarily exhibited that P.oil alleviated the 5-FU-induced damage to the intestinal structure. After P.oil administration, the elevation of the expression of cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-13) decreased markedly and the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling was significantly inhibited. P.oil also increased the mRNA expression of ZO-1 and Occludin, thereby stabilizing intestinal barrier. In addition, P.oil decreased the expressions of caspase-8, caspase-3, and Bax, and increased the expression of Bcl-2, thereby reducing the apoptosis of the intestinal mucosa. These results were closely related to the regulation of the TLR2/TLR4-MyD88 signaling pathway. It has been indicated that P.oil possibly protected the intestinal barrier by reducing inflammation and apoptosis. Furthermore, this study showed that P.oil inhibited the abnormal expression of AQP3, AQP7, and AQP11 by regulating the VIP-cAMP-PKA signaling pathway. Furthermore, it restored the intestinal water absorption, thereby alleviating diarrhea. Conclusions P.oil ameliorated 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis in rats via protecting intestinal barrier and regulating water transport.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Ulcerative colitis (UC) is tightly associated with inflammation response and oxidative stress. As a folk medicine applied in treatment of diarrhea, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza also possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities, which indicated that B. gymnorrhiza may exert anti-colitis effect. Aim of the study To investigate effect and mechanism of B. gymnorrhiza on experimental UC. Materials and methods Aqueous extract of B. gymnorrhiza leaves (ABL) was used for investigation in the present study. Murine UC was established through access to 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) for 7 days. Meanwhile, mice accepted treatment with ABL (25, 50, 100 mg/kg) or sulfasalazine (200 mg/kg) once daily. On the last day, disease activity index (DAI) including body weight loss, fecal character and degree of bloody diarrhea was evaluated, colon segments were obtained for length measurement and further analysis and feces were collected for intestinal microbiota analysis. Results ABL ameliorated DAI scores, colon length shortening and histopathological damage in DSS-induced colitis mice obviously. SOD activity, levels of MDA and GSH altered by colitis were restored remarkably after ABL treatment. ABL inhibited increases in levels of colonic COX-2, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-11 in colitis mice. Moreover, ABL prominently suppressed NF-κB p65 and IκB phosphorylation and down-regulated mRNA levels of COX-2, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β elevated by colitis. As shown in microbiota analysis, ABL modulated composition of intestinal microbiota of colitis mice. Conclusion ABL exhibited protective effect against DSS-induced ulcerative colitis through suppressing NF-κB activation and modulating intestinal microbiota.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are novel key regulators of cellular differentiation. miR‑124 has been reported to regulate osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow‑derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). However, the specific mechanisms involved have not yet been fully elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of miR‑124 on osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and its underlying mechanisms. In the present study, it was found that alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteocalcin (OC) secretion, and the protein levels of osterix (Sp7) and runt‑related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) were significantly increased, whereas the expression of miR‑124 was decreased in a time‑dependent manner during osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Following overexpression of miR‑124 via transfection of miR‑124 mimics in BMSCs, Runx2 protein expression and ALP activity were significantly decreased. By contrast, inhibition of miR‑124 expression led to an increase in ALP activity and Runx2 expression. Sp7 expression was suppressed in BMSCs transfected with miR‑124 mimics while increased when miR‑124 expression was inhibited, indicating that miR‑124 regulates the expression of Sp7. Moreover, a luciferase reporter assay further verified that Sp7 is the direct target of miR‑124. Finally, the effect of miR‑124 inhibitor on promoting the differentiation of BMSCs was abolished following treatment with a small interfering RNA targeting Sp7. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that miR‑124 inhibits the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs by targeting Sp7.

Molecular distributions and stable carbon isotopic (δ13C values) compositions of dicarboxylic acids and related secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in PM2.5 aerosols collected on a day/night basis at the summit of Mt. Tai (1534 m a.s.l.) in the summer of 2016 were analyzed to investigate the sources and photochemical aging process of organic aerosols in the forested highland region of the North China Plain. The molecular distributions of dicarboxylic acids and related SOA are characterized by the dominance of oxalic acid (C2), followed by malonic (C3), succinic (C4) and azelaic (C9) acids. The concentration ratios of C2 ∕ C4, diacid-C ∕ OC and C2 ∕ total diacids are larger in the daytime than in the nighttime, suggesting that the daytime aerosols are more photochemically aged than those in the nighttime due to the higher temperature and stronger solar radiation. Both ratios of C2 ∕ C4 (R2>0.5) and C3 ∕ C4 (R2>0.5) correlated strongly with the ambient temperatures, indicating that SOA in the mountaintop atmosphere are mainly derived from the photochemical oxidation of local emissions rather than long-range transport. The mass ratios of azelaic acid to adipic acid (C9 ∕ C6), azelaic acid to phthalic aid (C9 ∕ Ph) and glyoxal to methylglyoxal (Gly ∕ mGly) and the strong linear correlations of major dicarboxylic acids and related SOA (i.e., C2, C3, C4, ωC2, Pyr, Gly and mGly) with biogenic precursors (SOA tracers derived from isoprene, α/β-pinene and β-caryophyllene) further suggest that aerosols in this region are mainly originated from biogenic sources (i.e., tree emissions). C2 concentrations correlated well with aerosol pH, indicating that particle acidity favors the organic acid formation. The stable carbon isotopic compositions (δ13C) of the dicarboxylic acids are higher in the daytime than in the nighttime, with the highest value (-16.5±1.9 ‰) found for C2 and the lowest value (-25.2±2.7 ‰) found for C9. An increase in δ13C values of C2 along with increases in C2 ∕ Gly and C2 ∕ mGly ratios was observed, largely due to the isotopic fractionation effect during the precursor oxidation process.

The detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is drawing much attention in numerous aspects. It is not only highly utilised in the field of detection of toxic and flammable gases but also in the field of disease diagnosis and healthcare. To date, much research has been done by using liquid crystals (LCs). In this chapter, in addition to introducing various prior arts, we investigated the structural dependence of LC materials which have been hardly studied so far. In particular we focused on the use of chiral nematic LCs which show selective reflection and clarified the relationship between these molecular structures and the shift in their reflection spectrum as a result from contact with VOCs. We also propose a mechanism to explain the red- or blue-shift in the peak wavelength of the selective reflection spectrum. Furthermore, enhancement of the sensitivity and the selectivity of this VOC detection method are discussed.

Background Progressive accumulation of α-synuclein is a key step in the pathological development of Parkinson’s disease. Impaired protein degradation and increased levels of α-synuclein may trigger a pathological aggregation in vitro and in vivo. The chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) pathway is involved in the intracellular degradation processes of α-synuclein. Dysfunction of the CMA pathway impairs α-synuclein degradation and causes cytotoxicity. Results In the present study, we investigated the effects on the CMA pathway and α-synuclein aggregation using bioactive ingredients (Dihydromyricetin (DHM) and Salvianolic acid B (Sal B)) extracted from natural medicinal plants. In both cell-free and cellular models of α-synuclein aggregation, after administration of DHM and Sal B, we observed significant inhibition of α-synuclein accumulation and aggregation. Cells were co-transfected with a C-terminal modified α-synuclein (SynT) and synphilin-1, and then treated with DHM (10 μM) and Sal B (50 μM) 16 hours after transfection; levels of α-synuclein aggregation decreased significantly (68% for DHM and 75% for Sal B). Concomitantly, we detected increased levels of LAMP-1 (a marker of lysosomal homeostasis) and LAMP-2A (a key marker of CMA). Immunofluorescence analyses showed increased colocalization between LAMP-1 and LAMP-2A with α-synuclein inclusions after treatment with DHM and Sal B. We also found increased levels of LAMP-1 and LAMP-2A both in vitro and in vivo, along with decreased levels of α-synuclein. Moreover, DHM and Sal B treatments exhibited anti-inflammatory activities, preventing astroglia- and microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in BAC-α-syn-GFP transgenic mice. Conclusions Our data indicate that DHM and Sal B are effective in modulating α-synuclein accumulation and aggregate formation and augmenting activation of CMA, holding potential for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Open-Access-Publikationsfonds 2019

A number of additives have been proven to improve the performance of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). Polyacrylic acid (PAA) is considered to be one of the promising candidates because of its beneficial effects on the stability of batteries. This paper studied the influence of PAA on viscosity, which is one of the electrolyte transport properties. The viscosity of VOSO4 + PAA + H2O ternary solution was measured at different temperature, ionic strength, and ionic strength fractions in the temperature range of 283.15 K–318.15 K. Several thermodynamic parameters of the PAA aqueous solution were calculated, such as the viscosity B-coefficients, the apparent molar volume of infinite dilution and the free energy of activation. In addition, two different semi-empirical prediction equations were established for ternary solution viscosity on the basis of the Eyring's theory, and the better one was determined through comparison. The average relative deviation is 0.74% between the predicted and the experimental values, which indicates this function can be used to predict the viscosity of VOSO4 + PAA + H2O ternary solution.

As a green material, ionic liquids were widely concerned and applied, but thermodynamic study of ionic liquids were not comprehensive and in-depth. The bridge between the properties of ILs needs to be built. As a continuation, N-alkylpyridinium acetate ILs [CnPy][OAc] (n = 5, 6) were prepared by the neutralization method and characterized by (Rantwijk and Sheldon, 2007) HNMR spectroscopy, TG, DSC and elemental analysis. The density, surface tension, refractive index and conductivity for [CnPy][OAc] (n = 5, 6) were measured by the standard addition method (SAM) in the temperature range of 293.15 to 343.15 K every 5 K. The molecular volume Vm, the standard molar entropy S0, and the lattice energy UPOT were calculated. The parachor P was obtained and used to predict physicochemical properties. The molar vaporization enthalpies ∆lgHmθ were calculated according to the Kabo's and Rebelo's empirical equation. In addition, the molar surface Gibbs energy was calculated based on the experimental density and surface tension, and the traditional Eotvos equation was improved, whose parameters have clear physical meaning. The surface tension could be estimated by combining the mole surface Gibbs free energy and Lorentz-Lorenz relationship. The polarity of [CnPy][OAc] (n = 5, 6) were also predicted based on the ∆lgHmθ(298 K). The molar conductivity and diffusion coefficient were calculated. In addition, the prediction of physicochemical properties for homologues [CnPy][OAc] (n = 2, 3, 4) were carried out based on the semi-empirical method. The relationship between the properties of ILs is described and calculated, and the reasonable calculation and prediction provide strong evidence and model for the follow-up study on the properties of ILs. Further more, the accuracy of the prediction results is enough to serve as the reference data for the selection and application of ILs.

The substituent effects on the potential energy surfaces of RB≡BiR (R = F, OH, H, CH3, SiH3, Tbt, Ar*, SiMe(SitBu3)2, and SiiPrDis2) are determined using density functional theories (M06-2X/Def2-TZVP, B3PW91/Def2-TZVP, and B3LYP/LANL2DZ+dp). The theoretical results show that all of the triply bonded RB≡BiR molecules prefer to adopt a bent geometry (i.e., ∠RBBi ≈ 180° and ∠BBiR ≈ 90°), which agrees well with the valence-electron bonding model. It is also demonstrated that the smaller groups, such as R = H, F, OH, CH3, and SiH3, neither kinetically nor thermodynamically stabilize the triply bonded RB≡BiR compounds, except for H3SiB≡BiSiH3. However, triply bonded R′B≡BiR′ molecules that feature bulkier substituents (R′ = SiiPrDis2, SiMe(SitBu3)2, Tbt, and Ar*) are predicted to have a thermodynamic and kinetic global minimum. This theoretical study finds that both the steric and the electronic effects of bulkier substituent groups play a significant role in forming triply bonded RB≡BiR species that are experi...

Precise measurements of electrical conductivities of aqueous VOSO4 solutions at various molalities were performed from 278.15 to 318.15 K in 5 K intervals. In terms of Fuoss’s equation and Shedlovsky’s equation, the limiting molar conductance, Λ 0, and the dissociation constant, K d, of the ion-pair [VOSO4]0 were determined. From an empirical equation for the temperature dependence of dissociation constants, the thermodynamic functions for the dissociation process of the ion-pair [VOSO4]0 were calculated. It is discovered that the reaction for ion-pair dissociation is unfavorable under normal pressure and room temperature because the standard state dissociation Gibbs energy (ΔG 0) > 0. The calculated values of the dissociation entropy and the dissociation enthalpy are negative, indicating that the dissociation entropy opposes the dissociation process.