Podocan promoting skeletal muscle post-injury regeneration by inhibiting TGF-ß signaling pathway.

Podocan, the fifth member of Small Leucine-Rich Proteoglycan (SLRP) family of extracellular matrix components, is poorly known in muscle development. Previous studies have shown that Podocan promotes C2C12 differentiation in mice. In this study, we elucidated the effect of Podocan on skeletal muscle post-injury regeneration and its underlying mechanism. Injection of Podocan protein promoted the process of mice skeletal muscle post-injury regeneration. This effect seemed to be from the acceleration of muscle satellite cell differentiation in vivo. Meanwhile, Podocan promoted myogenic differentiation in vitro by binding with TGF-ß1 to inhibit the activity of the TGF-ß signaling pathway. These results indicated that Podocan had the potential roles to enhance skeletal muscle post-injury regeneration. Its mechanism is likely the regulation of the expression of p-Smad2 and p-Smad4 related to the TGF-ß signaling pathway by interacting with TGF-ß1.

High-Valent Thiosulfate Redox Electrochemistry for Advanced Sulfur-Based Aqueous Batteries.

Sulfur-based aqueous batteries (SABs) are promising for safe, low-cost, and high-capacity energy storage. However, the low output voltage of sulfur cannot meet the demands of high-energy cathode applications due to its intrinsic negative potential (E0 = -0.51 V vs SHE) of low-valent polysulfide redox (S2-/S0). Here, instead of relying on traditional aqueous polysulfide redox, for the first time, we demonstrate a high-valent thiosulfate redox (S2O32-/S4O62-) electrochemistry, exhibiting positive redox potential (E0 > 0 V vs SHE) and reversible cation storage in aqueous environment. Operando X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, in situ Raman spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations reveal the high reversibility and dynamic charge transfer process of high-valent thiosulfate redox. Significantly, the aqueous thiosulfate redox exhibits a high operating voltage of approximately 1.4 V, a reversible capacity of 193 Ah L-1, and a long cycling life of over 1000 cycles (99.6% capacity retention). This work provides new insights into the high-valent S-based electrochemistry and opens a new pathway to achieve energetic aqueous batteries.

Roles of TRP and PIEZO receptors in autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune diseases are pathological autoimmune reactions in the body caused by various factors, which can lead to tissue damage and organ dysfunction. They can be divided into organ-specific and systemic autoimmune diseases. These diseases usually involve various body systems, including the blood, muscles, bones, joints and soft tissues. The transient receptor potential (TRP) and PIEZO receptors, which resulted in David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2021, attracted people's attention. Most current studies on TRP and PIEZO receptors in autoimmune diseases have been carried out on animal model, only few clinical studies have been conducted. Therefore, this study aimed to review existing studies on TRP and PIEZO to understand the roles of these receptors in autoimmune diseases, which may help elucidate novel treatment strategies.

Multifunctional Iron Selenate Sheath of Fe-Based Anode Achieving High-Rate Capacity-Durability Combination of Aqueous Hybrid Energy Storage Devices.

The introduction of battery-type cathode has been commonly considered a preferred approach to boost the energy density of aqueous hybrid energy storage devices (AHESDs) in alkalic systems, but AHESDs with both high energy density and power density are rare due to the great challenge in designing battery-type anode materials with high rate and durability comparable to capacitive-type carbon anodes. In this paper, a well-hydrated iron selenate (FeSeO) sheath is constructed around FeOOH nanorods by a facile electrochemical activation, demonstrating the unique multifunction in fasting charge diffusion, promoting the dissociation of H2O, and inhibiting the irreversible phase transition of FeOOH to inert γ-Fe2O3, which endow the hydrated sheath coated Fe-based anodes with an impressive rate capability and superior durability. Thanks to the comprehensive performance of this Fe-based anode, the assembled AHESD delivered a high energy density of 117 Wh kg-1 with the extraordinary durability of almost 100% capacity retention after 40 000 cycles. Even at an ultrahigh power density of 27 000 W kg-1, an impressive energy density of 65 Wh kg-1 can be achieved, which rivals previously reported energy-storage devices.

High-precision Helicobacter pylori infection diagnosis using a dual-element multimodal gas sensor array.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a globally widespread bacterial infection. Early diagnosis of this infection is vital for public and individual health. Prevalent diagnosis methods like the isotope 13C or 14C labelled urea breath test (UBT) are not convenient and may do harm to the human body. The use of cross-response gas sensor arrays (GSAs) is an alternative way for label-free detection of metabolite changes in exhaled breath (EB). However, conventional GSAs are complex to prepare, lack reliability, and fail to discriminate subtle changes in EB due to the use of numerous sensing elements and single dimensional signal. This work presents a dual-element multimodal GSA empowered with multimodal sensing signals including conductance (G), capacitance (C), and dissipation factor (DF) to improve the ability for gas recognition and H. pylori-infection diagnosis. Sensitized by poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and the metal-organic framework material NH2-UiO66, the dual-element graphene oxide (GO)-composite GSAs exhibited a high specific surface area and abundant adsorption sites, resulting in high sensitivity, repeatability, and fast response/recovery speed in all three signals. The multimodal sensing signals with rich sensing features allowed the GSA to detect various physicochemical properties of gas analytes, such as charge transfer and polarization ability, enhancing the sensing capabilities for gas discrimination. The dual-element GSA could differentiate different typical standard gases and non-dehumidified EB samples, demonstrating the advantages in EB analysis. In a case-control clinical study on 52 clinical EB samples, the diagnosis model based on the multimodal GSA achieved an accuracy of 94.1%, a sensitivity of 100%, and a specificity of 90.9% for diagnosing H. pylori infection, offering a promising strategy for developing an accurate, non-invasive and label-free method for disease diagnosis.

Carbon Dots Employed for the Detection of Ranitidine and Elaborating the Detecting Mechanism.

Carbon dots (CDs) has been widely utilized in multiple fields, especially towards kinds of drug analyses, owing to its superior optical properties and satisfactory stability. Herein, we rapidly synthesized one kind of soluble bright-blue fluorescent CDs through a facile microwave method, while disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and phosphoric acid served as the raw materials. Importantly, introducing ranitidine into these CDs resulted in its decreased fluorescence, and thus an innovative method of detecting ranitidine was successfully established, which showed the favorable selectivity and anti-interference ability. With the optimal conditions, the standard curve diagram of F0/F against concentration of ranitidine was linear in the range of 6-2000 µM with a correlation coefficient of 0.9833, and the limit of detection (LOD) was calculated to be 4.2 µM. Meanwhile, we also explored the detecting mechanism of ranitidine by CDs, and elaborated that as the internal filtration effect. Consequently, we may broaden the avenues of detecting ranitidine on the basis of CDs.

Cardiovascular and renal safety outcomes of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor roxadustat for anemia patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the cardiac and kidney-related adverse effects of roxadustat for the treatment of anemia in CKD patients. 18 trials with a total of 8806 participants were identified for analysis. We employed a fixed-effects model for analysis. The pooled result revealed no significant difference in the risk of occurrence of cardiac disorders when comparing CKD patients receiving roxadustat with the placebo (RR = 1.049; CI [0.918 to 1.200]) or ESA (RR = 1.066; CI [0.919 to 1.235]), in both dialysis-dependent (DD) (RR = 1.094; CI [0.925 to 1.293]) or non-dialysis-dependent (NDD) (RR = 1.036; CI [0.916 to 1.171]) CKD patients. No significant difference was observed in the risk of kidney-related adverse events when comparing roxadustat with the placebo (RR = 1.088; CI [0.980 to 1.209]) or ESA (RR = 0.968; CI [0.831 to 1.152]), in DD (RR = 2.649; CI [0.201 to 34.981]) or NDD (RR = 1.053; CI [0.965 to 1.149]) CKD patients. A high risk of hyperkalemia was observed in the roxadustat group in DD (RR = 0.939; CI [0.898 to 0.981]). Incidence of hypertension was higher in the roxadustat for NDD patients (RR = 1.198; CI [1.042 to 1.377]), or compared to the placebo (RR = 1.374; CI [1.153 to 1.638]). In summary, the risk of cardiac or kidney-related events observed in the roxadustat was not significantly increase whether in DD or NDD patients. However, attention must be paid to the occurrence of hyperkalemia for DD patients and hypertension in NDD patients using roxadustat.

Controllable Synthesis of Manganese Organic Phosphate with Different Morphologies and Their Derivatives for Supercapacitors.

Morphological control of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) at the micro/nanoscopic scale is critical for optimizing the electrochemical properties of them and their derivatives. In this study, manganese organic phosphate (Mn-MOP) with three distinct two-dimensional (2D) morphologies was synthesized by varying the molar ratio of Mn2+ to phenyl phosphonic acid, and one of the morphologies is a unique palm leaf shape. In addition, a series of 2D Mn-MOP derivatives were obtained by calcination in air at different temperatures. Electrochemical studies showed that 2D Mn-MOP derivative calcined at 550 °C and exhibited a superior specific capacitance of 230.9 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 in 3 M KOH electrolyte. The aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor and the constructed flexible solid-state device demonstrated excellent rate performance. This performance reveals the promising application of 2D Mn-MOP materials for energy storage.

Cation Co-Intercalation with Anions: The Origin of Low Capacities of Graphite Cathodes in Multivalent Electrolytes.

Dual-ion batteries involving anion intercalation into graphite cathodes represent promising battery technologies for low-cost and high-power energy storage. However, the fundamental origins regarding much lower capacities of graphite cathodes in earth abundant and inexpensive multivalent electrolytes than in Li-ion electrolytes remain elusive. Herein, we reveal that the limited anion-storage capacity of a graphite cathode in multivalent electrolytes is rooted in the abnormal multivalent-cation co-intercalation with anions in the form of large-sized anionic complexes. This cation co-intercalation behavior persists throughout the stage evolution of graphite intercalation compounds and leads to a significant decrease of sites practically viable for capacity contribution inside graphite galleries. Further systematic studies illustrate that the phenomenon of cation co-intercalation into graphite is closely related to the high energy penalty of interfacial anion desolvation due to the strong cation-anion association prevalent in multivalent electrolytes. Leveraging this understanding, we verify that promoting ionic dissociation in multivalent electrolytes by employing high-permittivity and oxidation-tolerant co-solvents is effective in suppressing multivalent-cation co-intercalation and thus achieving increased capacity of graphite cathodes. For instance, introducing adiponitrile as a co-solvent to a Mg2+-based carbonate electrolyte leads to 83% less Mg2+ co-intercalation and a ∼29.5% increase in delivered capacity of the graphite cathode.

CD3 high and FoxP3 - tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the invasive margin as a favorable prognostic marker in patients with invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been extensively explored as prognostic biomarkers and cellular immunotherapy methods in cancer patients. However, the prognostic significance of TILs in bladder cancer remains unresolved. We evaluated the prognostic effect of TILs in bladder cancer patients. Sixty-four bladder cancer patients who underwent surgical resection between 2018 and 2020 in Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital were analyzed in this study. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate CD3, CD4, CD8, and FoxP3 expression on TILs in the invasive margin of tumor tissue, and the presence of TIL subsets was correlated with the disease-free survival (DFS) of bladder cancer patients. The relationship between clinical-pathological features and DFS were analyzed. A high level of CD3 + TILs (CD3 high TILs) ( P = 0.027) or negative expression of FoxP3 TILs (FoxP3 - TILs) ( P = 0.016) was significantly related to better DFS in bladder cancer patients. Those with CD3 high FoxP3 - TILs had the best prognosis compared to those with CD3 high FoxP3 + TILs or CD3 low FoxP3 - TILs ( P = 0.0035). Advanced age [HR 4.57, (1.86-11.25); P = 0.001], CD3 low TILs [HR 0.21, (0.06-0.71); P = 0.012], CD8 low TILs [HR 0.34, (0.12-0.94); P = 0.039], and FoxP3 + TILs [HR 10.11 (1.96-52.27); P = 0.006] in the invasive margin were associated with a worse prognosis (DFS) by multivariate analysis. In conclusion, we demonstrated that CD3 high , FoxP3 - , and CD3 high FoxP3 - TILs in the invasive margin were significantly associated with better DFS. CD8 high and CD4 high TILs in the invasive margin tended to predict better DFS in bladder cancer. Patients with CD4 high CD8 high TILs in the invasive margin were likely to have a better prognosis.

Sensation of dietary nutrients by gut taste receptors and its mechanisms.

Nutrients sensing is crucial for fundamental metabolism and physiological functions, and it is also an essential component for maintaining body homeostasis. Traditionally, basic taste receptors exist in oral cavity to sense sour, sweet, bitter, umami, salty and et al. Recent studies indicate that gut can sense the composition of nutrients by activating relevant taste receptors, thereby exerting specific direct or indirect effects. Gut taste receptors, also named as intestinal nutrition receptors, including at least bitter, sweet and umami receptors, have been considered to be activated by certain nutrients and participate in important intestinal physiological activities such as eating behavior, intestinal motility, nutrient absorption and metabolism. Additionally, gut taste receptors can regulate appetite and body weight, as well as maintain homeostasis via targeting hormone secretion or regulating the gut microbiota. On the other hand, malfunction of gut taste receptors may lead to digestive disorders, and then result in obesity, type 2 diabetes and gastrointestinal diseases. At present, researchers have confirmed that the brain-gut axis may play indispensable roles in these diseases via the secretion of brain-gut peptides, but the mechanism is still not clear. In this review, we summarize the current observation of knowledge in gut taste systems in order to shed light on revealing their important nutritional functions and promoting clinical implications.

Application of omics in Sjögren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) face many challenges, and there is an urgent need to develop new technologies to improve our understanding of SS. METHODS: By searching the literature published domestically and internationally in the past 20 years, this artical reviewed the research of various omics techniques in SS. RESULTS: Omics technology provided valuable insights into the pathogenesis, early diagnosis, condition and efficacy evaluation of SS. It is helpful to reveal the pathogenesis of the disease and explore new treatment schemes, which will open a new era for the study of SS. CONCLUSION: At present, omics research has made some gratifying achievements, but there are still many uncertainties. Therefore, in the future, we should improve research techniques, standardize the collection of samples, and adopt a combination of multi-omics techniques to jointly study the pathogenesis of SS and provide new schemes for its treatment.

Prognostic value and immunological roles of GPX3 in gastric cancer.

Objective: The prognosis for gastric cancer (GC), a prevalent tumor of the digestive system, is unfavorable. The involvement of glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) in tumorigenesis is significant, yet its specific role in GC remains insufficiently investigated. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the potential impact of GPX3 on GC and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Methods: The expression and survival of GPX3 in GC were analyzed using TCGA data. Additionally, the GPX3 mRNA and protein levels in GC were also assessed using datasets from GTEx, GEPIA, and HPA. A total of 38 pairs of GC tissues, along with their adjacent normal tissues, were collected from the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, accompanied by detailed clinical information. The expression levels of GPX3 were subsequently determined for the purpose of validation. Following expression, correlation, and survival analyses, we proceeded to investigate the upstream non-coding RNA (ncRNA) of GPX3 using starBase and miRNet. Additionally, the co-expression networks of GPX3 were examined based on LinkedOmics. Lastly, we explored the correlation between GPX3 and immune cell infiltration, as well as the biomarkers of immune cells and immune checkpoints in GC. Furthermore, the GDSC database offered valuable drug sensitivity information. Results: A lower expression of GPX3 was observed in individuals with GC, while a higher expression of GPX3 was associated with a poorer prognosis. The DUBR/hsa-miR-502-3p/GPX3 pathway was identified as the most promising upstream ncRNA pathway related to GPX3 in GC. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that GPX3 expression was linked to coagulation cascades and cell locomotion. Furthermore, GPX3 levels in GC were positively correlated with immune cell infiltration, immune cell biomarkers, and immune checkpoint expression. The group with low GPX3 expression also exhibited increased sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and other drugs. Conclusions: Collectively, we hypothesized that the potential involvement of non-coding RNAs in the downregulation of GPX3 could contribute to the inhibition of tumor formation during the malignant transition from gastritis to GC. Nevertheless, it was plausible that GPX3 may also facilitate tumor progression to advanced stages by promoting immune cell infiltration and activating immune checkpoints.

Lafutidine Ameliorates Indomethacin-Induced Small Intestinal Damage in Rats by Modifying the Intestinal Mucosal Barrier, Inflammation, and Microbiota.

INTRODUCTION: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced small intestinal damage is a serious and escalating clinical problem without effective treatment. Lafutidine (LAF) is a novel histamine H2 receptor antagonist with a mucosal protective action. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of LAF on indomethacin (IND)-induced enteropathy in rats. METHODS: Rats were treated with LAF for 10 days with concomitant IND treatment on the final 5 days. Changes in metabolism and hematological and biochemical parameters were measured, and intestinal damage was blindly scored. Intestinal mucosal tissue and luminal contents were collected for transcriptome and microbiota sequencing. Intestinal inflammation and barrier function were also evaluated. RESULTS: LAF treatment prevented anorexia and weight loss in rats and ameliorated reductions in hemoglobin, hematocrit, total protein, and albumin levels. LAF reduced the severity of IND-induced intestinal damage including macroscopic and histopathological damage score. Transcriptome sequencing results indicated that LAF might have positive effects on intestinal inflammation and the intestinal mucosal barrier. Further research revealed that LAF decreased neutrophil infiltration, and IL-1ß and TNF-α expression in intestinal tissue. Besides, the treatment increased mucus secretion, MUC2, Occludin, and ZO-1 expression, and decreased serum D-lactate levels. LAF treatment also ameliorates microbial dysbiosis in small intestine induced by IND and increased the abundance of Lactobacillus acidophilus. CONCLUSION: LAF may protect against NSAID enteropathy via enhancing the intestinal mucosal barrier, inhibiting inflammation, and regulating microbiota.

Immunomodulatory effects of umbilical mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes on CD4+ T cells in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disease that leads to the destruction of exocrine glands and multisystem lesions. Abnormal proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation of CD4+ T cells are key factors in the pathogenesis of pSS. Autophagy is one of the important mechanisms to maintain immune homeostasis and function of CD4+ T cells. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (UCMSC-Exos) may simulate the immunoregulation of MSCs while avoiding the risks of MSCs treatment. However, whether UCMSC-Exos can regulate the functions of CD4+ T cells in pSS, and whether the effects via the autophagy pathway remains unclear. METHODS: The study analyzed retrospectively the peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in pSS patients, and explored the relationship between lymphocyte subsets and disease activity. Next, peripheral blood CD4+ T cells were sorted using immunomagnetic beads. The proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, and inflammatory factors of CD4+ T cells were determined using flow cytometry. Autophagosomes of CD4+ T cells were detected using transmission electron microscopy, autophagy-related proteins and genes were detected using western blotting or RT-qPCR. RESULTS: The study demonstrated that the peripheral blood CD4+ T cells decreased in pSS patients, and negatively correlated with disease activity. UCMSC-Exos inhibited excessive proliferation and apoptosis of CD4+ T cells in pSS patients, blocked them in the G0/G1 phase, inhibited them from entering the S phase, reduced the Th17 cell ratio, elevated the Treg ratio, inhibited IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17A, and IL-17F secretion, and promoted IL-10 and TGF-ß secretion. UCMSC-Exos reduced the elevated autophagy levels in the peripheral blood CD4+ T cells of patients with pSS. Furthermore, UCMSC-Exos regulated CD4+ T cell proliferation and early apoptosis, inhibited Th17 cell differentiation, promoted Treg cell differentiation, and restored the Th17/Treg balance in pSS patients through the autophagy pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated that UCMSC-Exos exerts an immunomodulatory effect on the CD4+ T cells, and maybe as a new treatment for pSS.

A Bio-Inspired Methylation Approach to Salt-Concentrated Hydrogel Electrolytes for Long-Life Rechargeable Batteries.

Hydrogel electrolytes hold great promise in developing flexible and safe batteries, but the presence of free solvent water makes battery chemistries constrained by H2 evolution and electrode dissolution. Although maximizing salt concentration is recognized as an effective strategy to reduce water activity, the protic polymer matrices in classical hydrogels are occupied with hydrogen-bonding and barely involved in the salt dissolution, which sets limitations on realizing stable salt-concentrated environments before polymer-salt phase separation occurs. Inspired by the role of protein methylation in regulating intracellular phase separation, here we transform the "inert" protic polymer skeletons into aprotic ones through methylation modification to weaken the hydrogen-bonding, which releases free hydrogen bond acceptors as Lewis base sites to participate in cation solvation and thus assist salt dissolution. An unconventionally salt-concentrated hydrogel electrolyte reaching a salt fraction up to 44 mol % while retaining a high Na+ /H2 O molar ratio of 1.0 is achieved without phase separation. Almost all water molecules are confined in the solvation shell of Na+ with depressed activity and mobility, which addresses water-induced parasitic reactions that limit the practical rechargeability of aqueous sodium-ion batteries. The assembled Na3 V2 (PO4 )3 //NaTi2 (PO4 )3 cell maintains 82.8 % capacity after 580 cycles, which is the longest cycle life reported to date.

Cathode Electrolyte Interphase (CEI) Endows Mo6 S8 with Fast Interfacial Magnesium-Ion Transfer Kinetics.

Magnesium (Mg) metal secondary batteries have attracted much attention for their high safety and high energy density characteristics. However, the significant issues of the cathode/electrolyte interphase (CEI) in Mg batteries are still being ignored. In this work, a significant CEI layer on the typical Mo6 S8 cathode surface has been unprecedentedly constructed through the oxidation of the chloride-free magnesium tetrakis(hexafluoroisopropyloxy)borate (Mg[B(hfip)4 ]2 ) salt under a proper charge cut-off voltage condition. The CEI has been identified to contain Bx Oy effective species originating from the oxidation of [B(hfip)4 ]- anion. It is confirmed that the Bx Oy species is beneficial to the desolvation of solvated Mg2+ , speeding up the interfacial Mg2+ transfer kinetics, thereby improving the Mg2+ -storage capability of Mo6 S8 host. The firstly reported CEI in Mg batteries will give deeper insights into the interface issues in multivalent electrochemical systems.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Promotes Intestinal Vitamin D Absorption by Upregulating Vitamin D Transporters in Senile Osteoporosis.

Intestinal absorption of vitamin D is an important way to improve the vitamin D level in senile osteoporosis (SOP). There is a link between oral probiotics and vitamin D, but the mechanism is still unclear. We aimed to evaluate whether Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG culture supernatant (LCS) can affect cholecalciferol absorption, transport, and hydroxylation in SOP, and explore underlying mechanisms. In the study, specific-pathogen-free SAMP6 mice were randomly divided into an experimental group administered undiluted LCS and a control group administered normal drinking water. Furthermore, levels of cholecalciferol absorption were compared between Caco-2 cells cultured with varying concentrations of cholecalciferol and stimulated with LCS or de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) broth (control). Similarly, LCS-stimulated HepG2 cells were compared with MRS-stimulated HepG2 cells. Finally, protein levels of VD transporters in small intestine tissues and Caco-2 cells, as well as vitamin D-binding protein and 25-hydroxylase in liver tissues and HepG2 cells, were detected by western blot. The results showed that plasma concentrations of cholecalciferol and 25OHD3 were higher in mice of the LCS group compared with the control group, and these values were positively correlated. With the addition of LCS, cholecalciferol uptake was increased with 0.5 µM or 10 µM cholecalciferol in the medium. Protein levels of CD36 and NPC1L1 were higher in the LCS group compared with the control group, while SR-BI protein was decreased, both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, LCS can promotes intestinal absorption cholecalciferol by affecting protein levels of VD transporters and improves 25OHD3 levels in SOP.

Alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota affect absorption of cholecalciferol in severe osteoporosis.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the relationship between the gut microbial composition and intestinal cholecalciferol absorption in patients with severe osteoporosis (SOP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with primary osteoporosis (OP) and 18 with SOP were included. Their clinical data were collected and their circulating concentrations of cholecalciferol and 25(OH)D3 were measured. Fecal samples were collected and their microbial contents were analyzed using 16S rDNA sequencing. RESULTS: The age, sex, body mass index, and body mass of the participants did not differ between the groups. The prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the participants with SOP was significantly higher than that in the participants with OP. There were significant differences in the 25(OH)D3 and cholecalciferol concentrations between participants with SOP or OP and there was a significant positive correlation between the concentrations of these substance. The diversity of the gut microbiota in participants with SOP was significantly higher than that in participants with OP. Firmicutes was more abundant in the SOP group and the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes in participants with SOP was higher. Conversely, Bifidobacterium was significantly less abundant, as were the order and family it belongs to. At the species level, Bifidobacterium was the most significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Differences in the intestinal microecology, especially Bifidobacterium, are associated with differences in the absorption of cholecalciferol and in the circulating 25(OH)D3 concentration, which may influence the progression of OP to SOP.

Charge-Compensation in a Displacement Mg2+ Storage Cathode through Polyselenide-Mediated Anion Redox.

Chalcogenides have been viewed as important conversion-type Mg2+ -storage cathodes to fulfill the high volumetric energy density promise of magnesium (Mg) batteries. However, the low initial Columbic efficiency and the rapid capacity degradation remain challenges for the chalcogenide cathodes, as the clear Mg2+ -storage mechanism has yet to be clarified. Herein, we illustrate that the charge storage mechanism of the Cu2-x Se cathode is a reversible displacement reaction along with a polyselenide (PSe) mediated solution process of anion-compensation. The unique anion redox improves charge storage, while the dissolution of PSe also leads to performance degradation. To address this issue, we introduce Mo6 S8 into the Cu2-x Se cathode to immobilize PSe, which significantly improves performance, especially the reversible capacity (from 140 mAh g-1 to 220 mAh g-1 ). This work provides inspiration for the modification of the Mg2+ -storage cathode, which is a milestone for high-performance Mg batteries.