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In this work, a new type of solid amine sorbent was developed for low concentration CO2 capture at ambient temperature. Polyacrylonitrile(PAN)-poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA) porous hollow fibers were firstly prepared by a wet-spinning process. Tetraethylenepentamine(TEPA) was then grafted onto the porous structure of the hollow fibers. The amine modified hollow fibers denoted as TEPA@PAN-PMMA were characterized by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermo-gravimetric analysis(TGA), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET), and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) methods. Performance of the TEPA@PAN-PMMA for CO2 capture was evaluated by passing a 0.3% CO2-N2 gas mixture through the porous matrix of the hollow fibers at ambient temperature. The highest CO2 adsorption capacity reached up to 1.50 mmol g−1 for dry feed, and 3.00 mmol g−1 for wet feed, respectively. Cyclic CO2 adsorption-desorption test indicated that the TEPA@PAN-PMMA sorbents are stable and regenerable.

Large bone defect repair requires biomaterials that promote angiogenesis and osteogenesis. In present work, a nanoclay (Laponite, XLS)-functionalized 3D bioglass (BG) scaffold with hypoxia mimicking property was prepared by foam replication coupled with UV photopolymerization methods. Our data revealed that the incorporation of XLS can significantly promote the mechanical property of the scaffold and the osteogenic differentiation of human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) compared to the properties of the neat BG scaffold. Desferoxamine, a hypoxia mimicking agent, encourages bone regeneration via activating hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α)-mediated angiogenesis. GelMA-DFO immobilization onto BG-XLS scaffold achieved sustained DFO release and inhibited DFO degradation. Furthermore, in vitro data demonstrated increased HIF-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions on human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs). Moreover, BG-XLS/GelMA-DFO scaffolds also significantly promoted the osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs. Most importantly, our in vivo data indicated BG-XLS/GelMA-DFO scaffolds strongly increased bone healing in a critical-sized mouse cranial bone defect model. Therefore, we developed a novel BG-XLS/GelMA-DFO scaffold which can not only induce the expression of VEGF, but also promote osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs to promote endogenous bone regeneration., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights ● A nanoclay-functionalized 3D bioglass scaffolds with hypoxia mimicking ability were developed. ● These scaffolds had the ability to sustain release of DFO and induce VEGF expression in ADSCs. ● Nanoclay together with bioglass promoted the osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs in vitro and cranial bone formation in vivo. ● The scaffolds could act as favorable synthetic ECM for large bone defect repair.

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) is one of the commonly used binders for Si anodes in lithium battery. However, it cannot accommodate huge volume change of the Si anodes during the lithium insertion/delithiation process, which would cause a sharp attenuation of the capacity and cycle performance of the Si-based lithium batteries. Herein, we present a polydopamine (PDA)/PAA composite binder for Si anodes in lithium batteries. This PDA-PAA binder has a three-dimensional network structure and provides a strong adhesion between the active materials and the current collector. When PDA-PAA is used for Si anode, the lithium battery demonstrates a high specific capacity of 2383 mAh g−1 at the 2C with 77.7% capacity retention after 100 cycles.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are serious neurodegenerative diseases. Although their pathogenesis is unclear, the abnormal accumulation of TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) is a pathological feature that exists in almost all patients. Thus far, there is no drug that can cure ALS/FTLD. Tetramethylpyrazine nitrone (TBN) is a derivative of tetramethylapyrazine, derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Ligusticum chuanxiong, which has been widely proven to have therapeutic effects on models of various neurodegenerative diseases. TBN is currently under clinical investigation for several indications including a Phase II trial of ALS. Here, we explored the therapeutic effect of TBN in an ALS/FTLD mouse model. We injected the TDP-43 M337V virus into the striatum of mice unilaterally and bilaterally, and then administered 30 mg/kg TBN intragastrically to observe changes in behavior and survival rate of mice. The results showed that in mice with unilateral injection of TDP-43M337V into the striatum, TBN improved motor deficits and cognitive impairment in the early stages of disease progression. In mice with bilateral injection of TDP-43M337V into the striatum, TBN not only improved motor function but also prolonged survival rate. Moreover, we show that its therapeutic effect may be through activation of the Akt/mTOR/GSK-3β and AMPK/PGC-1α/Nrf2 signaling pathways. In summary, TBN is a promising agent for the treatment of ALS/FTLD.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic endocrine disorder with rapidly increasing prevalence worldwide. Genetic instability leading to metabolic dysfunction plays an important role in T2D susceptibility and progression. Structural alteration in genome, that is, copy number variation (CNV) is emerging as the inherent marker for disease identification. Previous genomic CNV array revealed that protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene was overlapped with a CNV region, however, whether this CNV affected T2D risk remains to be further elucidated. In this study, we first identified divergent distributions of the PTPN22 copy number (CN) between T2D patients and healthy controls in Chinese population (p < 0.01). Risk assessment analysis revealed that the CN gain (OR = 3.28, p < 0.001) was the promising risk factor for T2D. Also, significantly positive correlations of the PTPN22 CNV with fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin were demonstrated in T2D patients. Statistical association analysis investigated that the T2D individuals carrying CN gain showed higher plasma glucose and lower insulin levels than those carrying CN normal and loss at 60 min/120 min/180 min during an OGTT test. In addition, the PTPN22 CNV had an effect on total cholesterol, and the CN gain presented higher values than the other two CN types. These results suggested that the CN gain types of the PTPN22 gene accompany with the glycometabolism dysregulation, and finally predispose their carriers to T2D; therefore, the PTPN22 CNV may be a promising biomarker for predicting T2D risk, or a clinical target for T2D diagnosis and therapy.

In this paper, bis (indol-3-yl) methanes (BIMs) were synthesised and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and α-amylase. All synthesised compounds showed potential α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities. Compounds 5 g (IC50: 7.54 ± 1.10 μM), 5e (IC50: 9.00 ± 0.97 μM), and 5 h (IC50: 9.57 ± 0.62 μM) presented strongest inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase, that were ∼ 30 times stronger than acarbose. Compounds 5 g (IC50: 32.18 ± 1.66 µM), 5 h (IC50: 31.47 ± 1.42 µM), and 5 s (IC50: 30.91 ± 0.86 µM) showed strongest inhibitory activities towards α-amylase, ∼ 2.5 times stronger than acarbose. The mechanisms and docking simulation of the compounds were also studied. Compounds 5 g and 5 h exhibited bifunctional inhibitory activity against these two enzymes. Furthermore, compounds showed no toxicity against 3T3-L1 cells and HepG2 cells.HighlightsA series of bis (indol-3-yl) methanes (BIMs) were synthesised and evaluated inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase and α-amylase.Compound 5g exhibited promising activity (IC50 = 7.54 ± 1.10 μM) against α-glucosidase.Compound 5s exhibited promising activity (IC50 = 30.91 ± 0.86 μM) against α-amylase.In silico studies were performed to confirm the binding interactions of synthetic compounds with the enzyme active site., Graphical Abstract

Chaetolactam A (1), an unprecedented azaphilone derivative bearing a unique 9-oxa-7-azabicyclo[4.2.1]octan-8-onering system, together with two new compounds, 11-epi-chaetomugilide B (2) and chaetomugilide D (3) was isolated from an endophytic fungus, Chaetomium sp. g1. Notably, extensive NMR data analyses, NMR calculations with DP4 and DP4+ analyses, ECD calculations, and the RDC method were employed to establish the structure of 1. Furthermore, 2 exhibited potent apoptosis induction activity by mediating caspase-3 activation and PARP degradation at 3 μM in HL-60.

Accompanying with diabetes mellitus-induced osteoporosis (DM-OS), diabetic patients show poor peri-implant osteogenesis after implantation for dentition defect. Berberine (BBR), a candidate oral hypoglycemic agent, is a promising agent for treating DM-OS. In this study, BBR was applied on DM rats and high-glucose-cultured bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to investigate its therapeutic mechanism on DM-OS, thus laying a theoretical basis for the future application of BBR in implant restoration. Phenotypes were assessed in the DM rats after 4 w of gavage with BBR. Furthermore, BMSCs were cultured with high glucose and BBR. Cell Counting Kit-8, 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (H2 DCF-DA), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and western blot were performed to estimate the cell proliferation, oxidative stress, and osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, the DM rats treated with BBR and insulin receptor substrate-1 anti-sense oligonucleotide (IRS-1-ASO) underwent a 4-w implant-healing period and then micro computed tomography (Micro-CT) and histology were performed to verify the mechanism. Results showed that the 4-w administration of BBR markedly improved the glucose metabolism and bone metabolism in the DM rats. in vitro experiments revealed that BBR alleviated high-glucose-inhibited osteogenesis of the BMSCs by upregulating reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated IRS-1 signaling. Besides, injection of IRS-1-ASO abolished the BBR promotion of implant osseointegration in the DM rats. In conclusion, targeting ROS-mediated IRS-1 signaling, BBR acted as an efficient agent to advance osseointegration in DM, which indicated that BBR use is a good strategy for future implants restoration in diabetic patients.

Gut microbial metabolism is intimately coupled with host health and disease. Aromatic amino acid (AAA) catabolism by the gut microbiome yields numerous metabolites that may regulate immune, metabolic, and neuronal responses at local and distant sites. Such a chemical dialog between host cells and the gut microbiome is shaped by environmental cues, and may become dysregulated in gastrointestinal and systems diseases. Increasing knowledge of the bacterial pathway and signaling basis may shed additional light on metabolic host-microbiome crosstalk that remains untapped for drug discovery. Here, we update our understanding of microbial AAA metabolism and its impacts on host physiology and disease. We also consider open questions related to therapeutically mining these signaling metabolites and how recent concepts and tools may drive this area forward.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the cause of severe liver disease in many people. The restricted species tropism of HCV hinders the research and development of drugs and vaccines. The Chinese tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis) is a close relative of primates and can be infected by HCV, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we have characterized the functions of tree shrew MAVS (tMAVS) in response to HCV infection and defined the capacity of HCV replication. HCV was shown to be colocalized with tMAVS in primary tree shrew hepatocytes and cleaved tMAVS at site Cys508 via its NS3/4A protease, with a modulating effect by site Glu506 of tMAVS. The tMAVS cleavage by HCV NS3/4A impaired the IRF3-mediated induction of IFN-β but maintained the activated NF-κB signaling in the tree shrew primary cells. Activation of the tMAVS-dependent NF-κB signaling inversely inhibited HCV replication and might limit the establishment of persistent infection. Overall, our study has revealed an elegant example of the balance between the host defenses and HCV infection via the MAVS-mediated antiviral signaling and has provided an insight into the mechanisms underpinning HCV infection in the Chinese tree shrew.

A poly (acrylic acid-co-N-methylol acrylamide-co-butyl acrylate) copolymer grafted-carboxymethyl cellulose (PA-PN-PBA-g-CMC) binder is synthesized via a free radical copolymerization for Si-based anodes in lithium ion batteries. In this multifunctional polymer binder system, carboxyl-rich poly (acrylic acid) and carboxymethyl cellulose can bond with Si particles and copper current collectors. Additionally, a robust cross-linking network can be obtained through the condensation reaction between hydroxyl and hydroxymethyl groups which are present in carboxymethyl cellulose and N-methylol acrylamide segments, respectively. This network structure helps to keep the integrity of the Si electrode, and thereby significantly improves the cycling performance of the Si anodes (capacity retention rate after 200 cycles is above 90%). The butyl groups in poly (butyl acrylate) segments provide the nonpolar sections in the binder, which help the electrolytes easily wet the electrodes, allowing Li ions to diffuse rapidly in the Si anodes. With this multi-functional binder, the Si-based LIBs perform well in both cycle performance and rate performance.

Purpose Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant cancers around the world. HCC is less sensitive to conventional cytotoxic agents and easily develops into systemic metastases. However, the molecular mechanisms of the metastasis of HCC are poorly understood and need elucidation. Materials and methods Transwell system of the chemotherapy-challenged and unchallenged HepG2 cells was established. Adhesion assay and scratch-wound assay were utilized to analyze the adhesion and migration of HepG2 cells. iPLA2 and LOX-5 expression were analyzed by Western blot. LTB4 level was analyzed by ELISA. Results Chemotherapeutics are traditionally regarded as a way of killing tumor cells; on the other hand, we proved that the chemotherapeutics-induced tumor cell apoptosis can also change the tumor microenvironment by activating the LOX pathway and subsequently release inflammatory factors such as LTB4 which can stimulate the adhesion and migration of the small number of surviving cells. Berberine can reverse the adhesion and migration of HepG2 cells by inhibiting the expression of LOX-5 and reducing the LTB4 production in the tumor microenvironment. Conclusion Our study sheds light on a novel anti-metastasis strategy that the combination of Berberine and chemotherapy may prevent the chemotherapy-induced metastasis in HCC.

Background Despite the great clinical response to the first-line chemotherapeutics, metastasis still happens among most of the ovarian cancer patients within 2 years. Methods Using multiple human ovarian cancer cell lines, a transwell co-culture system of the carboplatin or VP-16-challenged feeder and receptor cells was established to demonstrate the chemotherapy-exacerbated migration. The migration and cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characteristics were determined by wound healing, transwell migration, flow cytometry and sphere formation. mRNA and protein expression were identified by qPCR and western blot. Bioinformatics analysis was used to investigate the differentially expressed genes. GLI1 expression in tissue samples was analysed by immunohistochemistry. Results Chemotherapy was found to not only kill tumour cells, but also trigger the induction of CSC-like traits and the migration of ovarian cancer cells. EMT markers Vimentin and Snail in receptor cells were upregulated in the microenvironment of chemotherapy-challenged feeder cells. The transcription factor GLI1 was upregulated by chemotherapy in both clinical samples and cell lines. Follow-up functional experiments illustrated that inhibiting GLI1 reversed the chemotherapy-exacerbated CSC-like traits, including CD44 and CD133, as well as prevented the migration of ovarian cancer cells. Conclusions Targeting GLI1 may improve clinical benefits in the chemotherapy-exacerbated metastasis in ovarian cancer treatment.

A considerable challenge in the conversion of carbon dioxide into useful fuels comes from the activation of CO2 to CO2 .- or other intermediates, which often requires precious-metal catalysts, high overpotentials, and/or electrolyte additives (e.g., ionic liquids). We report a microwave heating strategy for synthesizing a transition-metal chalcogenide nanostructure that efficiently catalyzes CO2 electroreduction to carbon monoxide (CO). We found that the cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoneedle arrays exhibit an unprecedented current density of 212 mA cm-2 with 95.5±4.0 % CO Faraday efficiency at -1.2 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE; without iR correction). Experimental and computational studies show that the high-curvature CdS nanostructured catalyst has a pronounced proximity effect which gives rise to large electric field enhancement, which can concentrate alkali-metal cations resulting in the enhanced CO2 electroreduction efficiency.

Metal/silica nanoparticles (NPs) have long been used as antibacterial substitutes; however, fabrication of a degradable carrier for achieving sustained release profile, high bactericidal efficacy, ...

Both aluminum and sulfur are promising materials for future-generation electrochemical energy storage technology owing to their natural abundance, low cost, and high capacity. However, a rechargeable aluminum–sulfur (Al–S) battery with high energy density suffers from poor reversibility and very short cycle life. Herein, a graphene/CoS2/sulfur composite cathode together with a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coated separator are fabricated to improve the room-temperature Al–S battery performance. The rGO coating on the separator along with the composite cathode form a sandwich structure which effectively suppresses the diffusion of polysulfides and decreases the polarization of the battery. As a result, the Al–S battery gives a stable cycle life of 38 cycles with a high discharge capacity range of 676–1145 mA h g−1 at 50 mA g−1; the performance is greatly improved compared with the bare separator. Electrochemical, spectroscopic, and microscopic analyses illustrate the mechanism of electrochemical reactions in detail. These meaningful studies facilitate a remarkable step forward in the progress of Al–S batteries.

The “shuttle effect” of long-chain polysulfides and the low conductivity of elemental sulfur lead to the inferior cycling stability of lithium–sulfur batteries and imped their practical applications. Herein, Co3O4 nanoflakes with uniform macro pores distribution were synthesized via facile oil bath and calcination methods. Coupled with super P and coated on common polypropylene separators, they were expected to hinder the migration of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and accelerate the redox kinetics of polysulfides. Coin cells assembled with the Co3O4–super P interlayer exhibited a capacity of 760 mA h g−1 at 1 C, maintained 598 mA h g−1 after 350 cycles, and the decay rate of discharge capacity was only about 0.062% per cycle. Such high performance can be attributed to the synergistic effects between polar Co3O4 and conductive super P. The facile fabrication method and high performance make the Co3O4-super P interlayer a feasible material to apply in lithium-sulfur batteries.

Tissue culture experiments were performed to investigate the impacts of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) on the improvement of plant growth and development in a bamboo species (Pleioblastus pygmaeus) under an experimentally controlled condition contaminated with phytotoxic levels of lead (Pb). Fifteen treatments were administered in the primary trial consisting of 50 µM, 250 µM, 500 µM, 1000 µM, or 1500 µM PbSO4 without and with 100 µM or 500 µM SiO2 NPs. The results showed that antioxidant enzyme activity first increased at low levels of Pb and then decreased with increasing concentrations of Pb. The addition of SiO2 NPs increased the capacity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in plants under Pb stress. Additionally, our findings indicated that SiO2 NPs may protect the bamboo plant plasma membrane and preserve the integrity of cells against Pb-induced oxidative stress by reducing the contents of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and soluble protein (SP), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity. Regarding impacts on indexes of plant photosynthesis, the results revealed that SiO2 NPs were able to regulate plant growth by increasing chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, which led to increased plant biomass and plant dry weight under Pb toxicity. We conclude that SiO2 NPs improve plant growth (plant biomass) by increasing antioxidant enzyme capacity in bamboo under Pb stress. Our results also revealed that 500 µM SiO2 NPs was much more effective than 100 µM SiO2 NPs at maintaining plant growth under Pb toxicity.

The anode oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is known to largely limit the efficiency of electrolyzers owing to its sluggish kinetics. While crystalline metal oxides are promising as OER catalysts, their amorphous phases also show high activities. Efforts to produce amorphous metal oxides have progressed slowly, and how an amorphous structure benefits the catalytic performances remains elusive. Now the first scalable synthesis of amorphous NiFeMo oxide (up to 515 g in one batch) is presented with homogeneous elemental distribution via a facile supersaturated co-precipitation method. In contrast to its crystalline counterpart, amorphous NiFeMo oxide undergoes a faster surface self-reconstruction process during OER, forming a metal oxy(hydroxide) active layer with rich oxygen vacancies, leading to superior OER activity (280 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm-2 in 0.1 m KOH). This opens up the potential of fast, facile, and scale-up production of amorphous metal oxides for high-performance OER catalysts.

Radiation dosage constraints and hypoxia-associated resistance lead to the failure of radiotherapy (RT), especially in hypoxic liver cancer. Therefore, the intricate use of combined strategies for potentiating and complementing RT is especially important. In this work, we fabricated multifunctional Janus-structured gold triangle-mesoporous silica nanoparticles (NPs) as multifunctional platforms to deliver the hypoxia-activated prodrug tirapazamine (TPZ) for extrinsic radiosensitization, local photothermal therapy, and hypoxia-specific chemotherapy. The subsequent conjugation of folic acid-linked poly(ethylene glycol) provided the Janus nanoplatforms with liver cancer targeting and minimized opsonization properties. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed the combined radiosensitive and photothermal antitumor effects of the Janus nanoplatforms. Importantly, the TPZ-loaded Janus nanoplatforms exhibited pH-responsive release behavior, which effectively improved the cellular internalization and therapeutic efficiency in hypoxic rather than normoxic liver cancer cells. Hypoxia-specific chemotherapy supplemented the ineffectiveness of radio-photothermal therapy in hypoxic tumor tissues, resulting in remarkable tumor growth inhibition without systematic toxicity. Therefore, our Janus nanoplatforms integrated radio-chemo-photothermal therapy in a hypoxia-activated manner, providing an efficient and safe strategy for treating liver cancer.

The clinical outcomes of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) chemotherapy are unsatisfactory. Water solubility and biosafety of chemo drugs are also major barriers for achieving satisfactory treatment effect. In this study, we have reported a combinational strategy by self-assembly engineering nanodrugs PC NDs, which were composed of paclitaxel (PTX) and curcumin (Cur), for effective and safe TNBC chemotherapy. PC NDs were prepared through reprecipitation method without using any additional carriers. The PC NDs were preferentially taken up by TNBC cells and we also observed pH-related drug release. Compared with free PTX and simple PTX/Cur mixture, PC NDs have shown higher therapeutic efficiency and better prognosis while the metastasis rate was significantly lower than that of either PTX or PTX/Cur mix group. Therefore, the self-assembly engineered PC NDs might be a promising nanodrugs for efficient and safe TNBC chemotherapy.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a refractory type of breast cancer that does not yet have clinically effective drugs. The aim of this study is to investigate the synergistic effects and mechanisms of resveratrol combined with cisplatin on human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 (MDA231) cell viability, migration, and invasion in vivo and in vitro. In vitro, MTS assays showed that resveratrol combined with cisplatin inhibits cell viability as a concentration-dependent manner, and produced synergistic effects (CI &lt, 1). Transwell assay showed that the combined treatment inhibits TGF-β1-induced cell migration and invasion. Immunofluorescence assays confirmed that resveratrol upregulated E-cadherin expression and downregulated vimentin expression. Western blot assay demonstrated that resveratrol combined with cisplatin significantly reduced the expression of fibronectin, vimentin, P-AKT, P-PI3K, P-JNK, P-ERK, Sma2, and Smad3 induced by TGF-β1 (p &lt, 0.05), and increased the expression of E-cadherin (p &lt, 0.05), respectively. In vivo, resveratrol enhanced tumor growth inhibition and reduced body weight loss and kidney function impairment by cisplatin in MDA231 xenografts, and significantly reduced the expressions of P-AKT, P-PI3K, Smad2, Smad3, P-JNK, P-ERK, and NF-κB in tumor tissues (p &lt, 0.05). These results indicated that resveratrol combined with cisplatin inhibits the viability of breast cancer MDA231 cells synergistically, and inhibits MDA231 cells invasion and migration through Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) approach, and resveratrol enhanced anti-tumor effect and reduced side of cisplatin in MDA231 xenografts. The mechanism may be involved in the regulations of PI3K/AKT, JNK, ERK and NF-κB expressions.

The research of high-performance flexible supercapacitors is urgent due to the rapid development of wearable and portable electronics. The key challenge is the preparation of flexible electrodes with high areal capacitance since electrodes are the most important part of supercapacitors. Compared to those conventional electrodes loading with typical flexible substrates such as textile, PET, paper et al, free-standing electrodes have many advantages such as more efficient capacity contribution, solidly embedded active materials and thinner thickness. Herein, we have successfully fabricated a novel sandwich-like structure free-standing MoO3-rGO (reduced graphene oxide) composite film electrode for flexible supercapacitors using simple vacuum filtration method followed by HI reduction process. The obtained MoO3-rGO composite film electrode shows excellent electrochemical performance, whose areal specific capacitance reaches 8972 mF·cm-2 (1.5 mA·cm-2). Here, MoO3 provides pseudocapacitance and rGO provides double-layer capacitance. After cycling for 2000 cycles, the capacity retention is 86.7%, showing good cycle stability. Besides, the as-prepared composite film has good flexibility and will not break easily during following bending, rolling, folding or twisting steps. This study has been approved to be an important step for the high-performance electrode design for free-standing flexible supercapacitors.

Oxygen vacancy-enriched MoO3−x nanobelts with oxygen vacancies up to 20% (equal to MoO2.4) were synthesized and demonstrated fast reaction kinetics. An asymmetric supercapacitor was assembled with active carbon (AC) as the anode and the as-prepared MoO3−x nanobelts as the cathode. A new aqueous electrolyte of H2SO4/ethylene glycol (EG) was investigated and found to work appropriately at low temperatures, even at −25 °C. The MoO3−x nanobelts electrode possesses excellent specific capacitance, rate capacity (1230 F g−1 and 1220 F g−1 at 5 A g−1 and 50 A g−1, respectively) and cycle performance (100% after 38 000 cycles). Its energy and power densities reached 111 W h kg−1 and 803 W kg−1 or 50 W h kg−1 and 27 321 W kg−1 and maintained 80 W h kg−1 and 794 W kg−1 or 17 W h kg−1 and 23 565 W kg−1 at −25 °C. It is hypothesized that the coexistence of oxygen vacancies and low valence Mo ions enhanced both mass and charge transport kinetics and catalyzed the redox reactions.

The objective of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activity and the homology of peptides extracted from dry-cured Xuanwei and Jinhua ham. The antioxidant activity of crude peptides was assessed by ORAC and ABTS assays and the scavenging effects on DPPH and O2− free radicals. LC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS was used to analyze the peptide composition. Based on the identified peptides, homologous proteins were matched by the Peaks software. Overall, 243 and 213 peptides were identified with their parent proteins in Xuanwei and Jinhua dry-cured hams. Based on the ORAC and TEAC values, XHP showed higher antioxidant ability than JHP (P

Berberine, a widely used isoquinoline alkaloid in traditional Chinese medicine, has been proved to be a potential candidate in liver cancer therapy. However, the low therapeutic dose in the tumor target which is due to the poor solubility and oral bioavailability has limited its clinical application. In this study, fluorescent self-carried Berberine microrods (Ber-MRs) were prepared in gram-scale through a facile and cheap antisolvent precipitation method. Ber-MRs exhibited good optical properties, pH-responsive drug release behavior and selective and safe antitumor performance in vitro and in vivo without obvious toxicity. These findings have demonstrated that Ber-MRs are promising for efficient and safe liver cancer therapy. © 2018 BioFactors, 44(5):496-502, 2018.

Dietary patterns and psychosocial factors, ubiquitous part of modern lifestyle, critically shape the gut microbiota and human health. However, it remains obscure how dietary and psychosocial inputs coordinately modulate the gut microbiota and host impact. Here, we show that dietary raffinose metabolism to fructose couples stress-induced gut microbial remodeling to intestinal stem cells (ISC) renewal and epithelial homeostasis. Chow diet (CD) and purified diet (PD) confer distinct vulnerability to gut epithelial injury, microbial alternation and ISC dysfunction in chronically restrained mice. CD preferably enriches Lactobacillus reuteri, and its colonization is sufficient to rescue stress-triggered epithelial injury. Mechanistically, dietary raffinose sustains Lactobacillus reuteri growth, which in turn metabolizes raffinose to fructose and thereby constituting a feedforward metabolic loop favoring ISC maintenance during stress. Fructose augments and engages glycolysis to fuel ISC proliferation. Our data reveal a diet-stress interplay that dictates microbial metabolism-shaped ISC turnover and is exploitable for alleviating gut disorders., Here, using a mouse model of chronic stress, the authors investigate how diet impacts stress and gut microbial structure and epithelial integrity and show that dietary raffinose metabolism to fructose couples stress-induced gut microbial remodeling to intestinal stem cell renewal and epithelial homeostasis.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common tumor and the third most deadly cancer worldwide. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has been reported to play a regulatory role in human cancers. However, the exact role of m6A in GC remains largely unknown, and the dysregulation of m6A on mitochondrial metabolism has never been studied. Method: The expression level of FTO in the GC tissue was analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR, Western blotting, IF and IHC. Colorimetric m6A RNA methylation assay kit and Dot blotting were used to evaluate the level of m6A methylated RNA. In vitro assays, including cell viability, colony formation assay, wound healing assay and invasion assay were performed to detect the effects of FTO and caveolin-1 manipulation on the biological functions of GC cells. Xenografts models were constructed to evaluate the effects of FTO and caveolin-1 manipulation on the biological function of GC cell in vivo. HiSeq RNA-Seq was used to screen the potential targets of FTO. Real-time integrated cellular oxygen consumption rate (OCR) was measured using the Seahorse XF24 Extracellular Flux Analyzer. Finding: We demonstrated that FTO, a key demethylase for RNA m6A modification, was up-regulated in GC tissues, especially in tissues with liver metastasis. Functionally, FTO acted as a promoter for the proliferation and metastasis in GC. Moreover, FTO enhanced the degradation of caveolin-1 mRNA via its demethylation, which regulated the mitochondrial fission/fusion and metabolism. Interpretation: Our current findings provided some valuable insights into FTO-mediated m6A demethylation modification and could be used as a new strategy for more careful surveillance and aggressive therapeutic intervention. Funding: This project was supported by grants from the National Key R&D Plan (2018YFC1313400), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31701111), Young Talent Development Plan of Changzhou Health Commission (CZQM2020008, CZQM2020018) and Youth Talent Science and Technology Project of Changzhou Health Commission (QN202014). Declaration of Interest: None to declare. Ethical Approval: All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Care Committee of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. All patients have provided written informed consent, and our study was preformed after formal approval by the Institutional Review Board of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University.

Background The inflammatory state of diabetes promotes high platelet response and endothelial adhesion, which are the main risk factors for cardiovascular events. Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) is an amide alkaloid isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Rhizoma Ligustici Chuanxiong, which has been widely used in the clinical treatment of ischemic cardiovascular disease. Purpose This study aimed to investigate whether TMP could alleviate diabetes-induced high platelet response and endothelial adhesion and the underlying mechanisms. Methods Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat model was established by high-fat feeding combined with low dose of streptozotocin. Rats in the TMP treatment group were administered with TMP (100 or 200 mg/kg) for 21 days. Cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were stimulated with glucose (5.5 mM) to induce endothelial activation. The NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) over- and low-expressing cell models were established via transfection of NLRP3 lentivirus plasmid into HUVECs. INF39 (25 mg/kg), a chemical inhibitor of NLRP3 inflammasome, was used to explore the role of NLRP3 in T2DM associated high platelet response and endothelial adhesion. Results TMP effectively improved the prothrombotic phenotypes and inhibited the expression of vascular inflammatory factors and adhesion molecules in T2DM rats. TMP inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome and reduced the adhesion of HUVECs to platelets and monocytes in vitro. Over-expression of NLRP3 blocked the effect of TMP on HUVECs activation and adhesion, while TMP had no effect on NLRP3 low-expressing HUVECs. The NLRP3 inhibitor INF39 produced similar effects of TMP on diabetes-induced high platelet response, endothelial adhesion and vascular inflammation. Conclusion TMP ameliorates diabetes-induced high platelet response and endothelial adhesion via inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in T2DM rats, which provide a new basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of diabetes-associated cardiovascular events.

Background Total glucosides of peony (TGP), extracted from the root and rhizome of Paeonia lactiflora Pall, has well-confirmed immunomodulatory efficacy in the clinic. However, the mechanism and active ingredients remain largely unclear. Hypothesis/Purpose Our previous study revealed a low systemic exposure but predominant gut distribution of TGP components. The aim of this study was to investigate involvement of the gut microbiota in the immunoregulatory effects and identify the active component. Methods Mice received 3% DSS to establish a model of colitis. The treatment group received TGP or single paeoniflorin (PF) or albiflorin (AF). Body weight, colon length, inflammatory and histological changes were assessed. Gut microbiota structure was profiled by 16s rRNA sequencing. Antibiotic treatment and fecal transplantation were used to explore the involvement of gut microbiota. Metabolomic assay of host and microbial metabolites in colon was performed. Results TGP improved colonic injury and gut microbial dysbiosis in colitis mice, and PF was responsible for the protective effects. Fecal microbiota transfer from TGP-treated mice conferred resilience to colitis, while antibiotic treatment abrogated the protective effects. Both TGP and PF decreased colonic indole-3-lactate (ILA), a microbial tryptophan metabolite. ILA was further identified as an inhibitor of epithelial autophagy and ILA supplementation compromised the benefits of TGP. Conclusion Our findings suggest that TGP acts in part through a gut microbiota-ILA-epithelial autophagy axis to alleviate colitis.

Adsorption of magnetic transition metal atoms on a metal surface leads to the formation of Kondo states at the atom/metal interfaces. However, the significant influence of surrounding environment presents challenges for potential applications. In this work, we realize a novel strategy to regularize the Kondo states by moving a CoPc molecular mold on an Au(111) surface to capture the dispersed Co adatoms. The symmetric and ordered structures of the atom-mold complexes, as well as the strong dπ–π bonding between the Co adatoms and conjugated isoindole units, result in highly robust and uniform Kondo states at the Co/Au(111) interfaces. Even more remarkably, the CoPc further enables a fine tuning of Kondo states through the molecular-mold-mediated superexchange interactions between Co adatoms separated by more than 12 Å. Being highly precise, efficient and reproducible, the proposed molecular mold strategy may open a new horizon for the construction and control of nano-sized quantum devices., The surrounding environment’s influence on the Kondo states formed around an adsorbed transition metal atom are challenging potential applications. Here, the authors demonstrate, via STM and DFT+HEOM calculations, that a metal phthalocyanine molecule on an Au(111) surface enables a fine tuning of the Kondo characteristics.

Background/Aims: IL-1β is an important mediator of “inflammation-cancer" transformation through IL-1β/NF-κB/COX-2/HIF-1α signaling pathway, whereas certain portion of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) still suffer from rapid tumor progression in clinical practice, indicating the occurrence of potential bypass. Methods: Real-time polymerase chain reaction was applied to examine the expressions of mir-144-3p, WT1, NF-κB, COX2 and HIF-1α at the mRNA level in 127 LUAD samples and corresponding adjacent tissues. miR-144-3p mimic and antagormiR were used to trigger activation and suppression of miR-144-3p in A549 cells, respectively. MTT assay and Western blotting analysis were carried out to evaluate the cell proliferation. Stable clones with over-expression or knockdown of WT1 were generated with plasmid or shRNA by lentiviral vector technology in H1568 and H1650 NSCLC cell lines, respectively. Dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to validate the effect of miR-144-3p on WT1D. Xenograft model was established for in vivo experiment, and TCGA data were extracted for validation. Results: miR-144-3p could suppress the WT1D expression at the post-transcriptional level, hence regulating cell proliferation in LUAD. WT1 and COX-2 were independent prognostic factors of LUAD patients. In addition, inhibition of IL-1β/miR-144-3p/WT1D and IL-1β/NF-κB/COX-2/HIF-1α pathways using miR-144-3p mimic and Celecoxib, respectively, displayed synergistic suppressive effect on cell proliferation in LUAD. Conclusion: A de novo IL-1β/miR-144-3p/WT1D axis was involved in proliferative regulation of LUAD. Moreover, simultaneous blockade of both IL-1β/miR-144-3p/WT1D and IL-1β/NF-κB/COX-2/ HIF-1α pathways might have synergistic suppressive effect on cell proliferation in LUAD.

A novel strain, designated Y1A-10 4-9-1T, with Gram-stain-positive and rod-shaped cells, was isolated from paddy soil in Yingtan, Jiangxi, China. Cells were 0.15–0.2 µm wide and 1.5–3.3 µm long. The optimal growth temperature was 30 °C and the optimal pH was 7.0. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the novel strain is closely related to Propionicimonas paludicola JCM 11933T (98.57 %). The genomic DNA G+C content was 63.9 mol%. The predominant menaquinone was MK-9(H4) and meso-diaminopimelic acid was present in the cell-wall peptidoglycan layer. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified phospholipid and two unidentified lipids. The dominant cellular fatty acids detected were anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0. The phylogenetic and phenotypic results supported that strain Y1A-10 4-9-1T is a novel species of the genus Propionicimonas , for which the name Propionicimonas ferrireducens sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Y1A-10 4-9-1T (=CCTCC AB 2016249T=KCTC 15566T=LMG 29810T).

Microorganisms mobilize phosphorus (P) from soil and make it available for plants. However, the role of microbial activity in soil P dynamics especially among different P pools is poorly understood largely due to methodological limitations. In this study, we analyzed the oxygen isotope ratios in phosphate (δ18OP) of sequentially extracted inorganic P (Pi) pools (H2O-Pi, NaHCO3-Pi, NaOH-Pi, and HCl-Pi) in a long-term agricultural research field in Henan, China with different fertilization histories and coupled with soil enzyme activity and P-cycling bacteria gene abundance studies. Results showed the dominant enzymes were alkaline phosphatase (APase) and phosphodiesterase (PDE), and the functional genes for P-cycling were bpp, cphy, phoX and pqqC. After long-term P fertilization, the δ18OP values of H2O-Pi, NaHCO3-Pi and NaOH-Pi pools approached to or achieved equilibrium, suggesting that the externally applied P was actively mobilized and cycled by soil microorganisms and speciated into different P pools. Based on the extent of isotope excursion among different Pi pools, the equilibrium fractionation oriented the source signature in the NaHCO3-Pi and NaOH-Pi pools, and HCl-Pi pool could be derived from P fertilizer but through multistep reactions, and mixed with the HCl-Pi from rock weathering product, which constituted HCl-Pi pool in the non-P treatments. Overall, the long-term P fertilization especially the balanced fertilization with nitrogen (N), P and potassium (K) was found to be beneficial for extensive utilization of soil P with abundant biological uptake and cell-internal Pi cycling. Variation partitioning analysis (VPA) indicated that the expression of functional genes may be stimulated to mobilize soil P under specific P pools distribution in this alkaline environment. Overall, our findings provide new insights to understand the roles of microbial activities in soil P biogeochemistry that are useful for agricultural P sustainability.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a common limitation for the clinical use of microtubule-targeting chemotherapeutic agents, and it is the main factor for poor prognoses in cancer therapy. Here, we report on deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPT), a promising microtubule inhibitor in phase 1, as a promising candidate to circumvent this obstacle. DPT remarkably suppressed tumor growth in xenograft mice bearing either paclitaxel (PTX)-sensitive MCF-7/S or acquired resistance MCF-7/Adr (MCF-7/A) cells. Also, DPT exhibited similar accumulation in both tumors, whereas PTX displayed much a lower accumulation in the resistant tumors. In vitro, DPT exhibited a much lower resistance index (0.552) than those of PTX (754.5) or etoposide (38.94) in both MCF-7/S and MCF-7/A cells. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that DPT (5 and 10 nM) caused arrest of the G2/M phase in the two cell lines, whereas PTX (up to 10 nM) had no effect on cell-cycle progression of the MCF-7/A cells. Microtubule dynamics assays revealed that DPT destabilized microtubule assembly in a different mode. Cellular pharmacokinetic assays indicated comparable intracellular and subcellular accumulations of DPT in the two cell lines but a much lower retention of PTX in the MCF-7/A cells. Additionally, transport assays revealed that DPT was not the substrate of P-glycoprotein, breast cancer resistance protein, or MDR-associated protein 2, indicating a lower occurrence rate of MDR. DPT might be a promising microtubule inhibitor for breast cancer therapy, especially for treatment of drug-resistant tumors.

Ultrathin nanostructures are attractive for diverse applications owing to their unique properties compared to their bulk materials. Transition-metal chalcogenides are promising electrocatalysts, yet it remains difficult to make ultrathin structures (sub-2 nm), and the realization of their chemical doping is even more challenging. Herein we describe a soft-template mediated colloidal synthesis of Fe-doped NiSe2 ultrathin nanowires (UNWs) with diameter down to 1.7 nm. The synergistic interplay between oleylamine and 1-dodecanethiol is crucial to yield these UNWs. The in situ formed amorphous hydroxide layers that is confined to the surface of the ultrathin scaffolds enable efficient oxygen evolution electrocatalysis. The UNWs exhibit a very low overpotential of 268 mV at 10 mA cm-2 in 0.1 m KOH, as well as remarkable long-term stability, representing one of the most efficient noble-metal-free catalysts.

The ability to solubilize fixed inorganic phosphorus (P) for plant growth is important for increasing crop yield. More P can be released by inoculating soil with inorganic-phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (iPSBs). We used 96-well microplates instead of traditional 200-mm petri dishes to rapidly screen iPSB strains for their solubilizing ability. We simultaneously obtained 76 iPSB isolates from 576 wells containing two agricultural soils. This method conveniently identified positive iPSB strains and effectively prevented fungal cross-contamination. Maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees of the isolated strains showed that Bacillus megaterium was the most dominant iPSB, and strains Y99, Y95, Y924 and Y1412 were selected as representatives for the analysis of P solubilization. Succinic acid was the main organic acid of B. megaterium for releasing P. It was strongly correlated with the increase in soluble P concentration during 168 h of incubation of these four strains. pH was negatively exponentially correlated with the amount of soluble P in the medium, and the amount of succinic acid was strongly linearly correlated with the amount of P released (P

During the pathogenesis of gastric cancer, Akt signaling is considered as a pivotal inducer of gastric cancer development. Here we report the identification of anticancer activities of deguelin, a natural agent that inhibits Akt signaling. When applied to MGC-803 and MKN-45 cells, deguelin suppressed the proliferation and arrested cell cycle by p21-mediated inhibition of cyclin E. We further present in vitro evidence that deguelin promoted apoptosis of cancer cells by decreasing the phospho-Akt signaling and affecting expression of the apoptosis-associated genes Bax and Bcl-2. Additionally, deguelin was found to suppress the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells. Taken together, these results indicated that deguelin exerted anticancer activity of human gastric cancer MGC-803 and MKN-45 cells in vitro.

Elevated kynurenine (Kyn) production from tryptophan (Trp) metabolism is a biomarker of immune dysregulation in depression, but its mechanistic contributions to the behavioral symptoms are poorly defined. In this study, Kyn was shown to be a metabolic regulator of proinflammatory monocytes that orchestrated peripheral immune activation and neuroinflammation in depressive mice. Kyn-induced depressive behavior was paralleled by brain infiltration of proinflammatory monocytes and astrocytic activation. Kyn enhanced chemokine (C-C motif) ligand-2-mediated chemotaxis of monocytes and their proinflammatory capability on cocultured astrocytes in vitro, which involved the activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling. Kyn augmented, whereas pharmacological AhR blockade rescued, systemic inflammation-induced monocyte trafficking, neuroimmune disturbance, and depressive-like behavior in mice. The behavior-exacerbating effects of the Kyn-AhR axis were dampened with prior depletion of functional monocytes in the periphery. The findings in our study extend understanding of an immunologic effect of Kyn that links Trp metabolism and inflammatory signaling in depression pathology, with potential therapeutic implications for depressive disorders.-Zang, X., Zheng, X., Hou, Y., Hu, M., Wang, H., Bao, X., Zhou, F., Wang, G., Hao, H. Regulation of proinflammatory monocyte activation by the kynurenine-AhR axis underlies immunometabolic control of depressive behavior in mice.

A green and practical protocol between sulfonyl hydrazides and disulfides is herein reported for the synthesis of unsymmetrical thiosulfonates with the assistance of H2O2 in PEG-400, releasing N2 and H2O as the byproducts. The efficient and compatible process was considered to take place in the absence of metallic catalysts through a radical mechanism as determined by EPR analysis.

Fluorescent berberine-based carbon dots (Ber-CDs) were prepared through a facile synthesis strategy. Ber-CDs exhibited excellent optical properties for bioimaging and retained the biofunctions of berberine, and enabled selective and safe anti-tumor performance, demonstrating their promising application potential in cancer theranostics.

Fructus Corni, the dried ripe sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb.et Zucc (Cornaceae), is widely used in traditional medicine. Pharmacological studies to date have attributed many biological effects to the high-polarity components. However, current quality control methods focus on only several iridoid glycoside components, and, of note, there is no comprehensive method available to simultaneously quantify the high-polarity components in Fructus Corni. Here, a simple, sensitive and robust liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to simultaneously determine 11 high-polarity constituents (5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural, gallic acid, sweroside, cornin, loganin, morroniside, 7α-O-methylmorroniside, 7β-O-methylmorroniside, 7α-O-ethylmorroniside and 7β-O-ethylmorroniside, cornuside) of Fructus Corni. This method showed good specificity, linearity (r2 ≥ 0.9907), repeatability (RSD < 5.98%) and recovery (93.24 ~ 112.92%, RSD < 9.06%). This validated method was successfully employed to assess the component variation of crude Fructus Corni of three regional origins as well as after processing. In particular, the iridoid isomers were, for the first time, included as the quality markers for Fructus Corni. We propose that this method may provide a new and powerful tool for achieving comprehensive quality control of Fructus Corni.

Incorporating conductive materials into the fabric structure for flexible wearable applications has aroused extensive research attention in recent years. Although flexible wearable sensors based on textiles make important strides towards the achievement of flexible wearable devices, most of the reported flexible strain sensors still have some limitations, with special reference to the manufacture of the sensitivity, and durability of these sensors with subtle- and large-scale workable strain sensing ranges on an industrial scale. Herein, a flexible strain sensor was fabricated to generate carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNTs-COOH) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) respectively on the polydopamine (PDA)-templated nylon/polyurethane (nylon/PU) fabric surface via a dip-coating technique and liquid-phase chemical adsorption reduction process. The surface morphology and chemical structure of the fabricated nylon/PU fabric were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Interestingly, CNTs-COOH and AgNPs were successfully coated onto the PDA-templated nylon/PU fabric (PNPF). Furthermore, the as-prepared strain sensor exhibited fascinating performances, containing high sensitivity, suitable stability under different strains, remarkable electrical conductivity because of the depositing of conductive fills, exceptional durability over 1000 cycles, and outstanding electrical heating property. Importantly, the proposed strain sensor was demonstrated to be used for human motion including tiny human movement and robust body motion or temperature detection, indicating its further desirable application in flexible wearable devices.

Amplifying the chemotherapy-driven immunogenic cell death (ICD) for efficient and safe cancer chemoimmunotherapy remains a challenge. Here, a potential ICD nanoamplifier containing diselenide-bridged mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (MONs) and chemotherapeutic ruthenium compound (KP1339) to achieve cancer chemoimmunotherapy is tailored. KP1339-loaded MONs show controlled drug release profiles via glutathione (GSH)-responsive competitive coordination and matrix degradation. High concentration of MONs selectively evoked reactive oxygen species production, GSH depletion, and endoplasmic reticulum stress in cancer cells, thus amplifying the ICD of KP1339 and boosting robust antitumor immunological responses. After the combination of PD-L1 checkpoint blockade, cancer cell membrane-cloaked KP1339-loaded MONs not only regress primary tumor growth with low systemic toxicity, but also inhibit distant tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis of breast cancer. The results have shown the potential of coordination and redox dual-responsive MONs boosting amplified ICD for cancer chemoimmunotherapy.

Despite the remarkable clinical response in ovarian cancer therapy, the distinctively high metastasis rate is still a barrier to achieve satisfying prognosis. Our study aimed to decipher the role of berberine in inhibiting chemotherapy-exacerbated ovarian cancer metastasis. We found that chemotherapy exacerbated the migration and cancer stem cell (CSC)-like characteristics through transcriptional factor GLI1, which regulated the pluripotency-associated gene BMI1 and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers Vimentin and Snail. Berberine could not only down-regulate CSC-like characteristics but also reverse EMT and migration through inhibiting chemotherapy-activated GLI1/BMI1 signaling pathway. Together, our study revealed the pivotal role of berberine in overcoming chemotherapy-exacerbated ovarian cancer metastasis, thereby provided a potential adjuvant therapeutic agent in combination with chemotherapeutics to prevent metastasis during ovarian cancer chemotherapy.

Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3), a major active ingredient enriched in red ginseng, possesses well-confirmed immunoregulatory effects. Immune disturbance is a common trigger and aggravating factor of depression. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of Rg3 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression-like behavior in mice and the involvement of immune regulation. Pretreatment with Rg3 (i.g., 20 and 40 mg/kg) effectively ameliorated LPS (i.p., 0.83 mg/kg) induced body weight loss, anorexia, and immobility time in both the tail suspension test and the forced swimming test. Rg3 attenuated the disturbed turnover of tryptophan and serotonin in the hippocampus, accompanied by decreased mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). These central benefits were partially linked to the regulation of microglia activation and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. In addition, Rg3 significantly reduced LPS-induced elevation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in plasma, and restored the systemic balance of tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism. Taken together, our results demonstrated that Rg3 was effective in ameliorating depressive-like behavior induced by immune activation, adding new evidence to support its health benefits by immunoregulation.

Meng-meng Lu,1 Qiu-jing Wang,2 Zhi-min Chang,3 Zheng Wang,3 Xiao Zheng,4 Dan Shao,3,4 Wen-fei Dong,3 Yan-min Zhou1 1Department of Dental Implantology, Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Tooth Development and Bone Remodeling, School and Hospital of Stomatology, 2Experimental Center of Functional Sciences, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 3Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Bio-Medical Diagnostics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 4Department of Pharmacology, Nanomedicine Engineering Laboratory of Jilin Province, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Combination of chlorhexidine (CHX) and silver ions could engender synergistic bactericidal effect and improve the bactericidal efficacy. It is highly desired to develop an efficient carrier for the antiseptics codelivery targeting infection foci with acidic microenvironment. In this work, monodisperse mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) nanospheres were successfully developed as an ideal carrier for CHX and nanosilver codelivery through a facile and environmentally friendly method. The CHX-loaded, silver-decorated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Ag-MSNs@CHX) exhibited a pH-responsive release manner of CHX and silver ions simultaneously, leading to synergistically antibacterial effect against both gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Escherichia coli. Moreover, the effective antibacterial concentration of Ag-MSNs@CHX showed less cytotoxicity on normal cells. Given their synergistically bactericidal ability and good biocompatibility, these nanoantiseptics might have effective and broad clinical applications for bacterial infections. Keywords: mesoporous silica nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, chlorhexidine, pH-responsive release, synergistic bactericidal activity, good biocompatibility&nbsp

Objectives Berberine (BBR) has shown promising antitumour effects in vitro. However, intravenous administration of BBR solution is complicated by lethal adverse cardiovascular effects. The aim of this study was to prepare common and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified long-circulating BBR liposomes and evaluate their efficacy and safety as potential antitumour agents. Methods Physiochemical properties of common and long-circulating BBR liposomes were characterized including particle size, Zeta potential and thermal stability. Pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution study of liposomal BBR was performed in rats and tumour-bearing nude mice, respectively. Antitumour efficacy and safety were observed in SGC-7901 tumour-xenografted mice. Key findings Berberine liposomes showed homogenous morphology, storage stability and sustained-releasing behaviour in vitro. BBR liposomes led to significantly increased circulation retention of BBR in comparison with BBR solution. In tumour-bearing mice, BBR liposomes selectively increased BBR concentrations in the liver, spleen, lung and tumour, while conferred lower distribution to the heart and kidney. Importantly, chronic administration of BBR liposomes proved effective and safe in suppressing the tumour growth in nude mice, especially the PEG-modified long-circulating liposomes. Conclusion Our study suggested that BBR liposomes may provide a safe form of intravenous drug therapy for strengthening the antitumour effects of BBR.

To extend the use of phase change materials (PCMs) of those with good performance, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (THAM) is embedded in silica gels (SG) (pore diameter, d = 15–100 nm) and in controlled porous glasses (CPG) (nominal d = 12–100 nm). The THAM/SG and THAM/CPG composites are characterized by SEM and XRD. Latent heat storage performance of THAM/SG and THAM/CPG is investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, showing size dependence of phase transition temperature, enthalpy change and supercooling. THAM in the nanopores displays stable transition temperature and heat storage capacity in a short-term thermal cycling. The bulk and the nanosized THAM own the same diffraction patterns. The encapsulation of phase change material in nanoporous media is a promising way of tuning the thermal energy properties of those ideal PCMs for use in a wider range of temperature.