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We aimed to investigate the effect of the genetic mutant G71R (c. 211G > A) in uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) on the glucuronidation of unconjugated bilirubin. The UGT1A1 wild-type and mutant G71R gene sequences were inserted into the lentiviral vector GV358 plasmid and then transfected into COS-7 cells. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses were used to determine mRNA and protein expression levels of UGT1A1, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to quantitate the levels of conjugated bilirubin. The results showed no significant difference in the mRNA and protein expression levels between the UGT1A1 wild-type and G71R homozygous and heterozygous mutants. The level of conjugated bilirubin reached a maximum in wild-type UGT1A1-transfected COS-7 cells. However, relative to the UGT1A1 wild-type, conjugated bilirubin concentrations were 71 and 22% with G71R heterozygous- and G71R homozygous-transfected COS-7 cells, respectively. In conclusion, we successfully established in vitro cell models of the UGT1A1 wild-type and the G71R homozygous and heterozygous mutants using a lentiviral vector. Furthermore, the catalytic activity for unconjugated bilirubin was lower in the mutant G71R than the UGT1A1 wild-type enzyme, and a weaker effect was observed in the homozygote.

Several epidemiological studies have investigated the association between sugar intake, the levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and the risk of hypertension, but findings have been inconsistent. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to examine the associations between sugar intake, hypertension risk, and BP levels. Articles published up to February 2, 2021 were sourced through PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. Pooled relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using a fixed- or random-effects model. Restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate dose-response associations. Overall, 35 studies were included in the present meta-analysis (23 for hypertension and 12 for BP). Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) were positively associated with hypertension risk: 1.26 (95% CI, 1.15–1.37) and 1.10 (1.07–1.13) per 250-g/day increment, respectively. For SBP, only SSBs were significant with a pooled β value of 0.24 mmHg (95% CI, 0.12–0.36) per 250 g increase. Fructose, sucrose, and added sugar, however, were shown to be associated with elevated DBP with 0.83 mmHg (0.07–1.59), 1.10 mmHg (0.12–2.08), and 5.15 mmHg (0.09–10.21), respectively. Current evidence supports the harmful effects of sugar intake for hypertension and BP level, especially SSBs, ASBs, and total sugar intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy, as a clean and renewable energy source, holds significant promise for addressing water shortages. Utilizing solar energy for water evaporation is seen as an effective solution in this regard. While many existing interfacial photothermal water evaporation systems rely on nanoparticles or graphene as photothermal or support materials, this study introduced polydopamine (PDA) as a photothermal material due to its environmental friendliness and excellent photon absorption characteristics that closely match the solar spectrum. Polystyrene (PS) was also introduced as a support material for its porous structure and density similar to water, enabling it to float on water. The resulting PS-PDA composite porous structure solar evaporator exhibited a photothermal conversion efficiency comparable to nanoparticles (over 75%), yet with lower production costs and minimal environmental impact. This innovative approach offers a scalable solution for water-scarce regions, providing a cost-effective and efficient means to address water scarcity. The use of PDA and PS in this context highlights the potential for utilizing common materials in novel ways to meet pressing environmental challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron (Fe)‐based nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted considerable attention in nanomedicine research due to their enhancement effects in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cancer therapy. Although zero‐valent Fe (Fe(0)) can serve as an active catalyst to decompose H2O2 into reactive oxygen species (ROS), its activity is compromised in physiological conditions due to its susceptibility to oxidation. Here it is reported that a 9 nm FeAu alloy NP system can efficiently stabilize Fe(0) in neutral pH solution, but release Fe(0) in tumor‐bearing environment, catalyzing H2O2 decomposition to ROS. Although Fe3O4 NPs and Au NPs are well‐known for their biocompatible, FeAu NPs effectively eliminate cancer cells at an IC50 as low as 15 µg mL−1 Fe. Further proteomics analysis reveals that FeAu NPs can concomitantly induce both ferroptosis and pyroptosis. Additional near‐infrared (NIR) irradiation further increases cell death and promotes maturation of dendritic cells within tumor‐draining lymph nodes and infiltration of helper T cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes within tumor sites, resulting in significant reduction in tumor growth and metastasis. The studies demonstrate a great potential of FeAu NPs as a stable Fe(0) reservoir for pH/NIR controlled Fe(0) release and further for ferroptosis and pyroptosis co‐mediated tumor immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study the effects of left ventricular dysfunction induced by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) on pulmonary vascular remodeling and hemodynamics, and the relationship with bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) expression in the lung tissues of rats. Methods Sixteen healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized equally into TAC model group and sham operation group. At the end of 9 weeks after the surgery, cardiac remodeling and the changes of cardiac functions were assessed by cardiac ultrasound. The pulmonary hemodynamic parameters and the right ventricular functions were evaluated by cardiac catheterization. HE and Masson staining was used to observe pulmonary vascular remodeling, left ventricular myocardial cell size and left ventricular myocardial cell fibrosis in the rats. The mRNA and protein levels of BMP7 in the lung tissues of the rats were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting. Results Compared with the sham-operated rats, the rats with TAC showed significantly increased left ventricular wall and septal thickness, increased left ventricular end-diastolic volume (P < 0.01), and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (P < 0.01). Hemodynamic analysis showed significant increases of the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) in rats with TAC as compared with the sham-operated rats (P < 0.01). Pathological examination revealed that in rats with TAC, the cross-sectional area of the left ventricular cardiomyocytes increased significantly (P < 0.01) with obvious myocardial fibrosis (P < 0.01) and thickening of the medial layer of the pulmonary arterioles (P < 0.01) in comparison with the sham-operated group. The expression of BMP7 was decreased significantly at both the mRNA and protein levels in the pulmonary tissue in TAC group as compared with the sham-operated group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular remodeling caused by left ventricular remodeling and left ventricular dysfunction might be related to decreased pulmonary BMP7 expression in addition to the direct influence by changes in the hemodynamics, suggesting that the organ crosstalk between the heart and the lung might participate in the occurrence of pulmonary hypertension resulting from left heart diseases.