Molecular and clinical characteristics of ATP1A3-related diseases.

Objective: With detailed studies of ATP1A3-related diseases, the phenotypic spectrum of ATP1A3 has greatly expanded. This study aimed to potentially identify the mechanisms by which ATP1A3 caused neurological dysfunction by analyzing the clinical features and phenotypes of ATP1A3-related diseases, and exploring the distribution patterns of mutations in the subregions of the ATP1A3 protein, thus providing new and effective therapeutic approaches. Methods: Databases of PubMed, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, and Human Gene Mutation Database, Wanfang Data, and Embase were searched for case reports of ATP1A3-related diseases. Following case screening, we collected clinical information and genetic testing results of patients, and analyzed the disease characteristics on the clinical phenotype spectrum associated with mutations, genetic characteristics of mutations, and effects of drug therapy. Results: We collected 902 clinical cases related to ATP1A3 gene. From the results of previous studies, we further clarified the clinical characteristics of ATP1A3-related diseases, such as alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism; cerebellar ataxia, areflexia, pes cavus, optic atrophy, and sensorineural hearing loss syndrome, and relapsing encephalopathy with cerebellar ataxia, frequency of mutations in different phenotypes and their distribution in gene and protein structures, and differences in mutations in different clinical phenotypes. Regarding the efficacy of drug treatment, 80 of the 124 patients with AHC were treated with flunarizine, with an effectiveness rate of ~64.5%. Conclusions: Nervous system dysfunction due to mutations of ATP1A3 gene was characterized by a group of genotypic-phenotypic interrelated disease pedigrees with multiple clinical manifestations. The presented results might help guide the diagnosis and treatment of ATP1A3-related diseases and provided new ideas for further exploring the mechanisms of nervous system diseases due to ATP1A3 mutations.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress: A New Research Direction for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common gynecological endocrine disorders, with sporadic ovulation, excessive androgens, and polycystic ovarian changes as the main clinical manifestations. Due to the high heterogeneity of its clinical manifestations, the discussion on its pathogenesis has not been unified. Current research has found that genetic factors, hyperandrogenism, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and obesity are strongly associated with PCOS. Recently, when studying the specific mechanisms of the abovementioned factors in PCOS, the biological response process of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) has gradually come to researchers' attention, and several studies have confirmed the involvement of ERS in the pathogenesis of PCOS and the improvement of a series of pathological manifestations of PCOS after the application of ERS inhibitors, which may be a new entry point for the treatment of PCOS. In this article, we review the relationship between ERS and various pathogenic factors of PCOS.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress: An Emerging Therapeutic Target for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

Low back pain (LBP) is a global health issue. Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a major cause of LBP. Although the explicit mechanisms underpinning IDD are unclear, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress caused by aberrant unfolded or misfolded proteins may be involved. The accumulation of unfolded/misfolded proteins may result in reduced protein synthesis and promote aberrant protein degradation to recover ER function, a response termed the unfolded protein response. A growing body of literature has demonstrated the potential relationships between ER stress and the pathogenesis of IDD, indicating some promising therapeutic targets. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the impact of ER stress on the process of IDD, as well as some potential therapeutic strategies for alleviating disc degeneration by targeting different pathways to inhibit ER stress. This review will facilitate understanding the pathogenesis and progress of IDD and highlights potential therapeutic targets for treating this condition.

Research on a personalized targeted air supply device based on body movement capture.

Unlike general ventilation, personalized ventilation can improve thermal comfort and conserve energy based on individual differences. It can also provide every individual the ability to control fresh air exposure and ensure good indoor air quality. However, determining how to improve air supply efficiency while avoiding a draft sensation is still a difficult question. This paper introduces a body movement-based personalized targeted air supply device. Two indices, size target value Ts and velocity target value Tr , are introduced to evaluate the degree to which the created flow field reaches the desired level. Additionally, the air supply effect of the device is compared with that of other devices. This research shows that the personalized targeted air supply device can successfully deliver air to the target area and improve air supply accessibility in the target area. The multinozzle coupling air supply mode produces a flow field air velocity of approximately 0.3 m/s, thus effectively avoiding a draft sensation. Compared with that of other personalized nozzles, the energy consumption is reduced significantly, by 88.2%, while the air supply accessibility can be increased by 48% with equivalent energy consumption.

Near-infrared-emitting heteroleptic cationic iridium complexes derived from 2,3-diphenylbenzo[g]quinoxaline as in vitro theranostic photodynamic therapy agents.

Five heteroleptic cationic iridium complexes with a π-expansive cyclometalating 2,3-diphenylbenzo[g]quinoxaline (dpbq) ligand (C^N ligand) and different diimine ligands (N^N ligands) (i.e. 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy, 1), phenanthroline (phen, 2), 2-(2-pyridinyl)quinoline (pqu, 3), 2,2'-bisquinoline (bqu, 4), and 2-(quinolin-2-yl)quinoxaline (quqo, 5)) were synthesized and characterized. The lowest-energy singlet electronic transitions (S1 states) were mainly dpbq ligand-centred 1ILCT (intraligand charge transfer)/1MLCT (metal to ligand charge transfer) transitions mixed with some 1π,π* transitions for complexes 1-4 with increased contributions from 1LLCT (ligand to ligand charge transfer) in 3 and 4. For complex 5, the S1 state was switched to the 1LLCT/1MLCT transitions. All five complexes displayed weak near-infrared (NIR) phosphorescence, with maximal emission output spanning 700-1400 nm and quantum yields being on the order of 10-3. The triplet state absorptions of 1-4 all resembled that of the [Ir(dpbq)2Cl]2 dimer with lifetimes of ca. 400 ns, while the TA spectrum of 5 possessed the characteristics of both the quqo ligand and the [Ir(dpbq)2Cl]2 dimer with a bi-exponential decay of ca. 5 µs and 400 ns. While the photophysics of these complexes differ slightly, their theranostic photodynamic therapy (PDT) effects varied drastically. All of the complexes were biologically active toward melanoma cells. Complexes 2 and 3 were the most cytotoxic, with 230-340 nM activity and selectivity factors for melanoma cells over normal skin fibroblasts of 34 to 40 fold. Complexes 2, 3, and 5 became very potent cytotoxins with light activation, with EC50 values as low as 12-18 nM. This potent nanomolar light-triggered activity combined with a lower dark toxicity resulted in 5 having a phototherapeutic index (PI) margin of almost 275. The bpy coligand led to the least amount of dark toxicity of 1, while phen and pqu produced cytotoxic but selective complexes 2 and 3. The quqo coligand produced the most potent complex 5 for in vitro PDT, both in terms of photocytotoxicity and PI. All Ir(iii) complexes exhibited very bright NIR phosphorescence in melanoma cells. The wide range of cytotoxicity and photocytotoxicity effects within a relatively small class of complexes highlights the importance of the identity of the coligand in the biological activity of the π-expansive biscyclometalated Ir(iii) complexes, and their bright NIR emission in live cells demonstrates their potential as theranostic PDT agents.

π-Expansive Heteroleptic Ruthenium(II) Complexes as Reverse Saturable Absorbers and Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy.

Five heteroleptic tris-diimine ruthenium(II) complexes [RuL(N^N)2](PF6)2 (where L is 3,8-di(benzothiazolylfluorenyl)-1,10-phenanthroline and N^N is 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) (1), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) (2), 1,4,8,9-tetraazatriphenylene (tatp) (3), dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (dppz) (4), or benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (dppn) (5), respectively) were synthesized. The influence of π-conjugation of the ancillary ligands (N^N) on the photophysical properties of the complexes was investigated by spectroscopic methods and simulated by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT. Their ground-state absorption spectra were characterized by intense absorption bands below 350 nm (ligand L localized 1π,π* transitions) and a featureless band centered at ∼410 nm (intraligand charge transfer (1ILCT)/1π,π* transitions with minor contribution from metal-to-ligand charge transfer (1MLCT) transition). For complexes 4 and 5 with dppz and dppn ligands, respectively, broad but very weak absorption (ε < 800 M-1 cm-1) was present from 600 to 850 nm, likely emanating from the spin-forbidden transitions to the triplet excited states. All five complexes showed red-orange phosphorescence at room temperature in CH2Cl2 solution with decreased lifetimes and emission quantum yields, as the π-conjugation of the ancillary ligands increased. Transient absorption (TA) profiles were probed in acetonitrile solutions at room temperature for all of the complexes. Except for complex 5 (which showed dppn-localized 3π,π* absorption with a long lifetime of 41.2 µs), complexes 1-4 displayed similar TA spectral features but with much shorter triplet lifetimes (1-2 µs). Reverse saturable absorption (RSA) was demonstrated for the complexes at 532 nm using 4.1 ns laser pulses, and the strength of RSA decreased in the order: 2 ≥ 1 ≈ 5 > 3 > 4. Complex 5 is particularly attractive as a broadband reverse saturable absorber due to its wide optical window (430-850 nm) and long-lived triplet lifetime in addition to its strong RSA at 532 nm. Complexes 1-5 were also probed as photosensitizing agents for in vitro photodynamic therapy (PDT). Most of them showed a PDT effect, and 5 emerged as the most potent complex with red light (EC50 = 10 µM) and was highly photoselective for melanoma cells (selectivity factor, SF = 13). Complexes 1-5 were readily taken up by cells and tracked by their intracellular luminescence before and after a light treatment. Diagnostic intracellular luminescence increased with increased π-conjugation of the ancillary N^N ligands despite diminishing cell-free phosphorescence in that order. All of the complexes penetrated the nucleus and caused DNA condensation in cell-free conditions in a concentration-dependent manner, which was not influenced by the identity of N^N ligands. Although the mechanism for photobiological activity was not established, complexes 1-5 were shown to exhibit potential as theranostic agents. Together the RSA and PDT studies indicate that developing new agents with long intrinsic triplet lifetimes, high yields for triplet formation, and broad ground-state absorption to near-infrared (NIR) in tandem is a viable approach to identifying promising agents for these applications.

Increasing the triplet lifetime and extending the ground-state absorption of biscyclometalated Ir(iii) complexes for reverse saturable absorption and photodynamic therapy applications.

The synthesis, photophysics, reverse saturable absorption, and photodynamic therapeutic effect of six cationic biscyclometalated Ir(iii) complexes (1-6) with extended π-conjugation on the diimine ligand and/or the cyclometalating ligands are reported in this paper. All complexes possess ligand-localized 1π,π* absorption bands below 400 nm and charge-transfer absorption bands above 400 nm. They are all emissive in the 500-800 nm range in deoxygenated solutions at room temperature. All complexes exhibit strong and broad triplet excited-state absorption at 430-800 nm, and thus strong reverse saturable absorption for ns laser pulses at 532 nm. Complexes 1-4 are strong reverse saturable absorbers at 532 nm, while complex 6 could be a good candidate as a broadband reverse saturable absorber at 500-850 nm. The degree of π-conjugation of the diimine ligand mainly influences the 1π,π* transitions in their UV-vis absorption spectra, while the degree of π-conjugation of the cyclometalating ligand primarily affects the nature and energies of the lowest singlet and emitting triplet excited states. However, the lowest-energy triplet excited states for complexes 3-6 that contain the same benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (dppn) diimine ligand but different cyclometalating ligands remain the same as the dppn ligand-localized 3π,π* state, which gives rise to the long-lived, strong excited-state absorption in the visible to the near-IR region. All of the complexes exhibit a photodynamic therapeutic effect upon visible or red light activation, with complex 6 possessing the largest phototherapeutic index reported to date (>400) for an Ir(iii) complex. Interactions with biological targets such as DNA suggest that a novel mechanism of action may be at play for the photosensitizing effect. These Ir(iii) complexes also produce strong intracellular luminescence that highlights their potential as theranostic agents.

Effects of extending the π-conjugation of the acetylide ligand on the photophysics and reverse saturable absorption of Pt(ii) bipyridine bisacetylide complexes.

The synthesis and photophysics of four platinum(ii) bipyridine (bpy) bisacetylide complexes with different degrees of π-conjugation and an electron-donating diphenylamino (NPh2) or electron-withdrawing benzothiazolyl (BTZ) terminal substituent on the acetylide ligands are reported. The UV-vis absorption spectra of these complexes are composed of intense ligand-localized 1π,π* transitions at 330-430 nm and broad, moderately strong ligand-to-ligand charge transfer/metal-to-ligand charge transfer (1LLCT/1MLCT) transitions at 430-530 nm. All complexes are phosphorescent in solutions at room temperature and exhibit very broad and moderately strong triplet excited-state absorption in the visible to the NIR spectral region (425-800 nm). It is found that extending the π-conjugation of the acetylide ligands via adding one or two more ethynylfluorenyl unit(s) to the acetylide ligand does not change the energies of the 1π,π* and 1LLCT/1MLCT transitions pronouncedly except for increasing the molar extinction coefficients of the 1π,π* transitions. The emitting triplet excited states of the four complexes are the 3MLCT/3LLCT states and have the same energy. However, the complex that contains the tris(ethynylfluorenyl) units and the terminal NPh2 substituent on the acetylide ligand exhibits longer triplet lifetimes than the corresponding complex that has the bis(ethynylfluorenyl) units. The transient absorption band maxima of the complexes with tris(ethynylfluorenyl) units are slightly red-shifted in comparison to those of their respective counterparts with bis(ethynylfluorenyl) units. The nature of the terminal substituent does not influence the parentage and energies of the lowest singlet and triplet excited states. However, the triplet excited-state lifetimes of the complexes with the NPh2 terminal substituent on the bis(ethynylfluorenyl) or tris(ethynylfluorenyl) ligands are much longer than that of their counterpart with monofluorenylacetylide ligands; while the triplet lifetimes of the complexes containing the BTZ terminal substituent are similar to their counterpart with monofluorenylacetylide ligands. All complexes exhibit strong reverse saturable absorption (RSA) at 532 nm for nanosecond laser pulses.