Constitutively expressed small heat shock protein LsHsp21.5 not only enhances heat tolerance but also helps to maintain reproduction in female Laodelphax striatellus.

Coping with stressful conditions and maintaining reproduction are two key biological processes that affect insect population dynamics. Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are involved in the stress response and the development of insects. The sHsp gene Laodelphax striatellus (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) sHsp 21.5 (LsHsp21.5) showed constitutive, stage- and organ-specific expression in L. striatellus, a pest that damages cultivated rice in east Asia. The expression of LsHsp21.5 was highest in the ovary, with 43.60, 12.99 and 1.45 time higher expression here than in the head, gut and female fat bodies, respectively. The expression of this gene was weakly affected by heat or cold shock. The gene provided in vitro protection against heat damage to malate dehydrogenase and in vivo protection against heat stress in Escherichia coli (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae) BL21(DE3) and L. striatellus. Moreover, L. striatellus reproduction decreased by 1.85 times when the expression of LsHsp21.5 was inhibited by RNA interference. The expression of some genes related to reproduction, such as the homologous gene of chorion protein, also declined. These results suggest that LsHsp21.5 expression not only protects other proteins against stress but also helps maintain the stable expression of some reproduction-related genes under non-stressful conditions, with impacts on L. striatellus fecundity.

Structural Phase Transition and Decomposition of XeF2 under High Pressure and Its Formation of Xe-Xe Covalent Bonds.

Noble gases with inert chemical properties have rich bonding modes under high pressure. Interestingly, Xe and Xe form covalent bonds, originating from the theoretical simulation of the pressure-induced decomposition of XeF2, which has yet to be experimentally confirmed. Moreover, the structural phase transition and metallization of XeF2 under high pressure have always been controversial. Therefore, we conducted extensive experiments using a laser-heated diamond anvil cell technique to investigate the above issues of XeF2. We propose that XeF2 undergoes a structural phase transition and decomposition above 84.1 GPa after laser heating, and the decomposed product Xe2F contains Xe-Xe covalent bonds. Neither the pressure nor temperature alone could bring about these changes in XeF2. With our UV-vis absorption experiment, I4/mmm-XeF2 was metalized at 159 GPa. This work confirms the existence of Xe-Xe covalent bonds and provides insights into the controversy surrounding XeF2, enriching the research on noble gas chemistry under high pressure.

Determination and tissue distribution comparisons of five xanthones after orally administering crude and processed gamboge.

Caged polyprenylated xanthones are the main active ingredients isolated from the resin of Garcinia hanburyi, which has been reported to exhibit potential anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. This study aimed to develop sensitive and specific ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with the triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method for investigating the tissue distribution of five xanthones in rats: ß-morellic acid, isogambogenic acid, gambogenic acid, R-gambogic acid and S-gambogic acid. All tissue samples were prepared using the liquid-liquid extraction method and separated on a C8 column with a gradient system. Detection was performed on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer in multiple-reaction monitoring using positive ionization. The method established in this assay was successfully applied to the tissue distribution study of the five selected xanthones after orally administering crude and processed gamboge in rat tissues. The results indicated that these five xanthones were distributed to rat tissues rapidly and could be detected in all of the selected tissues after oral administration. After processing, the contents of R-gambogic acid and S-gambogic acid in the gastrointestinal tract were significantly reduced. The findings of this study might be helpful in further understanding the processing mechanism of gamboge and providing references for its reasonable clinical application.

[Simultaneous determination of 11 neurotransmitters in brain microdialysis samples from rats by UPLC-MS/MS].

This study established a method for simultaneous determination of 11 neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, glutamic acid, glycine, and norepinephrine from rat brain microdialysis samples using UPLC-MS/MS. A total of 20 µL of rat brain dialysate was diluted with 60 µL of acetonitrile-water(4∶1) and centrifuged for 10 min at 10 000 r·min~(-1),and 5 µL was injected into UPLC-MS/MS system for assay. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters ACQUITY BEH amide column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 µm) with gradient elution using acetonitrile/0.2% formic acid-water as mobile phases with a flow rate of 0.35 mL·min~(-1) and column temperature of 35 ℃. The eluate was detected by multiple-reaction monitoring(MRM) scanning with an electrospray ionization source operating in the positive ionization mode with an analysis duration of 3.5 min. The relationship between the recovery rate of 11 neurotransmitters and the perfusion rate or the concentration of neurotransmitters was investigated. Furthermore, the effects of puerarin alone or combined with borneol on the content of 11 neurotransmitters in the striatum of rats were investigated. The results showed the calibration curves displayed good linear regression with coefficients all greater than 0.99 and the lower limit of quantification(LLOQ) less than 12.5 nmol·L~(-1) for each analyte. The within-run and between-run precision(RSD) of the 11 neurotransmitters at low, medium, and high levels was less than 9.3%, and the relative error of the accuracy ranged from-8.4% to 9.5%. The stability, recovery, and matrix effects were in line with the biological sample analysis requirements. As revealed by experimental results, the levels of most neurotransmitters in the brain striatum changed significantly after rats were treated with puerarin as compared with the conditions in the blank group. Except for dopamine and norepinephrine, the degree of changes of other neurotransmitters in the combination group(borneol and puerarin) was less than that of the puerarin group. The established UPLC-MS/MS method could be applied to the quantitative determination of 11 neurotransmitters in microdialysis samples, providing an efficient and useful tool to study neurotransmitter changes in animal models of health and diseases.

A Panel of Glycopeptides as Candidate Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis of NASH Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using a Stepped HCD Method and PRM Evaluation.

Changes in N-glycosylation on specific peptide sites of serum proteins have been investigated as potential markers for diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related HCC. To accomplish this work, a novel workflow involving broad-scale marker discovery in serum followed by targeted marker evaluation of these glycopeptides were combined. The workflow involved an LC-Stepped HCD-DDA-MS/MS method coupled with offline peptide fractionation for large-scale identification of N-glycopeptides directly from pooled serum samples (each n = 10) as well as differential determination of N-glycosylation changes between disease states. We then evaluated several potentially diagnostic N-glycopeptides among 78 individual patient samples (40 cirrhosis, 28 early stage NASH HCC, and 10 late-stage NASH HCC) by LC-Stepped HCD-PRM-MS/MS to quantitatively analyze 65 targeted glycopeptides from 7 glycoproteins. Of these targets, we found site-specific N-glycopeptides n169GSLFAFR_HexNAc(4)Hex(5)NeuAc(2) and n242ISDGFDGIPDNVDAALALPAHSYSGR_HexNAc(5)Hex(6)Fuc(1)NeuAc(3) from VTNC were significantly increased comparing samples from patients with NASH cirrhosis and NASH HCC (p < 0.05). When combining results of these 2 glycopeptides with AFP, the ROC curve analysis demonstrated the AUC value increased to 0.834 (95% CI, 0.748-0.921) and 0.847 (95% CI, 0.766-0.932), respectively, as compared to that of AFP alone (AUC = 0.791, 95% CI, 0.690-0.892). These 2 glycopeptides may serve as potential biomarkers for early HCC diagnosis in patients with NASH related cirrhosis.

Assessing carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine-associated Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis: Data mining the public version of the FDA adverse event reporting system.

AIMS: Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis are viewed as the most severe drug-induced types of cutaneous adverse reactions, with high rates of morbidity and mortality. We aimed to examine carbamazepine- and oxcarbazepine-associated Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis, by data mining the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). METHODS: Reports in FAERs were analysed, from the first quarter of 2004 to the last quarter of 2019. Pharmacovigilance tools were employed for the quantitative detection of signals, where a signal represents a drug-associated adverse event, including the reporting odds ratio, proportional reporting ratio, an information component given by a Bayesian confidence propagation neural network, and the empirical Bayes geometric mean. RESULTS: The total number of reports identified as Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine included in this study was 1231. FAERS reports associated with carbamazepine were 1048, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (n = 668) and toxic epidermal necrolysis(n = 380). FAERS reports associated with oxcarbazepine were 183, including 142 Stevens-Johnson syndrome and 41 toxic epidermal necrolysis reports. The risk for Stevens-Johnson syndrome is higher than for toxic epidermal necrolysis and carbamazepine is associated with a higher risk than oxcarbazepine. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study are consistent with clinical observations, suggesting the necessity for further clinical research on Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine.

Charge transfer dynamics in chlorophyll-based biosolar cells.

We fabricated a chlorophyll (Chl)-based biosolar cell with H2Chl-sensitized TiO2 as an acceptor and (ZnChl)n as a donor. This solar cell gives a relatively high quantum yield from the absorption spectral contribution from both the donor and acceptor species. We employed subpicosecond time-resolved absorption spectroscopy (TAS) to study the excited state dynamics at the Chl interface. A charge transfer (CT) state between TiO2-H2Chl and (ZnChl)n was observed at 640 nm after excitation at the Qy peaks, 680 nm and 720 nm. This CT state is entirely different from the CT states observed for either TiO2-H2Chl (TiO2-H2Chl/spiro-OMeTAD) or TiO2-(ZnChl)n systems. Due to the slower charge transfer process from H2Chl+ to TiO2 as compared to that from (ZnChl)n+ to H2Chl, the CT lifetimes of H2Chl--(ZnChl)n+ (τ1 = 0.1 ps, τ2 = 1.4 ps) excited at 720 nm are slightly shorter than that excited at 680 nm (τ1 = 0.2 ps, τ2 = 5.6 ps). The TAS results suggest that the interface of TiO2-H2Chl and (ZnChl)n not only transfers holes as spiro-OMeTAD does, but also provides a built-in field for charge dissociation between the two Chl species.

[Effect of Ginkgo biloba Tablet on the Expression of Scavenger Receptor A of the Aortic Wall in Atherosclerotic Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of Ginkgo biloba Tablet (GbT) on scavenger receptor A (SRA) of the aortic wall and changes of serum inflammatory factors in atherosclerotic rats, and to explore its new mechanism for fighting against atherosclerosis (AS). METHODS: Totally 45 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control group, the model group, the GbT group, 15 rats in each group. Levels of blood glucose, blood lipids, blood calcium, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (slCAM-1), and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) were measured in all rats. The expression of SRA in the aortic wall of atherosclerotic rats was observed by immunohistochemical assay. The correlation between the expression of SRA and levels of in-flammatory factors was also observed. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, blood glucose and blood calcium obviously increased (P < 0.05); levels of TG, TC, and LDL-C were significantly elevated (P < 0.01); neointimal areas were significantly thickened, increased intima percentage was significantly enlarged, narrowed lumen index was significantly reduced; levels of CRP, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 were significantly elevated in the model group (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, blood glucose and blood calcium obviously decreased (P < 0.05); levels of TG, TC, and LDL-C significantly decreased (P < 0.01) in the GbT group. Aortic lumens were obviously narrower in the model group than in the GbT group (P < 0.05). SRA expressed at the aortic wall. The aforesaid 3 indices were significantly improved in the GbT group than in the model group (P < 0.01). Serum levels of CRP, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 were significantly decreased in the GbT group than in the model group (P < 0.01). Serum levels of CRP, sICAM-1, and sVCAM-1 were positively correlated with the percentage of SRA positive expression area (r = 0.701, 0.604, 0.581, all P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Serum levels of inflammatory factors in atherosclerotic rats were elevated, and the expression of SRA in the aortic wall was enhanced. The expression of SRA was closely correlated with serum levels of inflammatory factors. GbT could decrease serum levels of inflammatory factors and inhibit the expression of SRA.

[Attenuation mechanism of gamboges during processing based on inflammatory toxicity and AQP3, AQP4 protein and mRNA expressions in rat gastric and duodenal tissues].

To expand the clinical application of gamboges, it is necessary to study crude gamboges' toxicity after oral administration and attenuation mechanism during processing. In this study, crude gamboges' toxicity was judged by multiple assays, including inflammatory mediums [such as nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6)] released by macrophage RAW264.7, and pathological manifestations of rat stomach and duodenal tissues after oral administration with crude and processed gamboges. The attenuation mechanism during processing was studied by detecting AQP3, AQP4 protein and mRNA expression in rat gastric and duodenal tissues using immunohistochemical assay and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR technique. According to the results, crude gamboges group showed promotion in release of NO, TNF-α and IL-6 by macrophage RAW264.7 in a dose-dependent manner; Compared with crude gamboges group, processed gamboges group showed reduction in release of NO and IL-6, with increase in TNF-α. Crude gamboges could cause rat diarrhea, white blood cells increase, lymphocytes decrease, hyperemia and edema in rat gastric mucosa, duodenal mucosal necrosis and inflammatory cells infiltration. All of these results proved that gamboges had the inflammatory toxicity in gastric and duodenal tissues after oral administration in a dose-dependent manner, which however reduced after processing. In addition to the inflammatory toxicity, the mRNA and protein expressions of aquaporin 3 (AQP3), aquaporin 4 (AQP4) in gastric and duodenal tissues of high-dose crude gamboges group were increased significantly (P<0.05), while the protein and mRNA expressions of AQP3, AQP4 were weakened in processed gamboges group. The results showed that AQP3, AQP4 protein and mRNA expressions were positively correlated with the inflammatory toxicity. In conclusion, down-regulation of AQP3, AQP4 protein and mRNA expressions may be one of attenuation mechanisms in processing gamboges.

Reduction of Leukocyte Counts by Hydroxyurea Improves Cardiac Function in Rats with Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to decrease leukocytes counts by hydroxyurea (Hu) in an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rat model and examine its effect on the inflammatory response of myocardial infarction and cardiac functions. MATERIAL AND METHODS AMI was successfully caused in 36 rats, and 12 control rats received sham operation. Rats in the AMI group were then randomly divided into Hu and vehicle group with 18 rats each. Rats in the Hu AMI group received Hu (200 mg/kg) intragastrically while vehicle AMI group received saline. Leukocytes counts, cardiac functions, myocardial tissue morphology, and levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM), P-selectin and platelet activating factor (PAF) were measured and compared among the three groups four weeks after AMI induction. RESULTS Leukocytes, neutrophils, and leukomonocyte counts in vehicle AMI rats were significantly higher than that of the normal control group (p<0.05). However, Hu treatment decreased their counts significantly (p<0.05). sICAM, P-selectin, and PAF level in vehicle AMI group were significantly higher than those of the normal group, and their level was also decreased by Hu treatment (p<0.05). Echocardiography analysis showed that Hu treatment increased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) compared to that of vehicle AMI group (p<0.05). Histopathological examination showed that Hu significantly reduced the swelling of the heart muscle fiber in necrotic foci and the number of inflammatory cells infiltrated into myocardial interstitium compared to vehicle AMI group. CONCLUSIONS Decrease leukocytes counts by Hu significantly reduced inflammatory reaction and improved cardiac functions in AMI rats.

Cardiovascular adverse events associated with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs): a pharmacovigilance study based on the FAERS database.

Objective: As a novel drug formulation, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) are widely used in various types of cancer. However, clinically, there is a lack of attention to the CVD produced by them, as well as a lack of research on the real-world situation. Using the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database, to ensure its clinical safety application, we analyzed post-marketing data on antitumor ADCs to identify risk factors and drugs associated with the risk of cardiovascular events. Research design and methods: We used OpenVigil 2.1 to conduct a database query for adverse events (AEs) reported to the FAERS database between the time the drug was launched and the second quarter of 2023. Cardiovascular adverse events (AEs) were grouped into fourteen narrow categories using the Standardized Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) Queries (SMQs), and the reporting odds ratio (ROR) and the proportional reporting ratio (PRR) for reporting the association between different drugs and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk were calculated. Results: In the FAERS database, 1863 AEs associated with CVD we studied were identified in patients receiving ADC therapy. Most reports came from people aged ≥65, but a significant number of cases were found to be unknown. The number of patients with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)-related CVD cases aged <18 years, 18-64 years, and≥ 65 years was 52 (2.79%), 586 (31.45%), and 613 (32.90%), respectively. The proportion of female patients (834, 44.77%) was higher than that of male patients (752, 40.37%). Death (770 reports), disability (9 reports), Hospitalization initial or prolonged (407 reports), and life-threatening reactions (187 reports). Of the 770 deaths reported, 103 (31.7%) were associated with brentuximab vedotin, 10 (24.4%) with sacituzumab govitecan, 22 (19.3%) with enfortumab vedotin, and 35 (34.7%) with trastuzumab emtansine.49 (41.2%) cases were associated with polatuzumab vedotin, 62 (29%) with trastuzumab deruxtecan, 423 (54.3%) with gemtuzumab ozogamicin, and 66 (38.8%) with inotuzumab ozogamicin. In a disproportionate number of SMQS, cardiac failure (n = 277) and embolic and thrombotic events, venous (n = 446) were the most frequently reported CVD-related AEs in ADCs. Conclusion: By mining the FAERS database, we provided relevant information on the association between ADC use and cardiovascular-associated AEs. ADCs were associated with increased cardiovascular toxicity, deserving distinct monitoring and appropriate management. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and assess causality.

A UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of arachidonic acid, stearic acid, and related endocannabinoids in human plasma.

Endocannabinoids (eCBs) exert considerable influence over energy metabolism, lipid metabolism, and glucose metabolism within the human body. Among the most biologically active cannabinoids identified thus far are 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), arachidonoyl ethanolamide (AEA), 1-stearoylglycerol (1-SRG), and stearoyl ethanolamide (SEA), which are derived from arachidonic acid (AA) and stearic acid (SA). However, despite the unique in bioactivities exhibited by eCBs, their determination in plasma has been hindered by the lack of sensitive analytical methods. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a highly sensitive and rapid method using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) for accurate measurement of AEA, SEA, 2-AG, 1-SRG, AA, and SA levels in human plasma samples. Sample preparation involved a protein precipitation method and a methyl tert-butyl ether liquid-liquid extraction method. Chromatographic separation was accomplished by utilizing an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C8 column with a mobile phase of acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid and water containing 0.1% formic acid, flowing at a rate of 0.35 mL/min. AA-d8, 2-AG-d5, and AEA-d8 were selected as deuterated internal standards. The analytes were determined with MRM in both positive and negative ion mode. The lower limit of quantification ranged from 0.1 to 400 ng/mL, and the correlation coefficient (R2) was >0.99. Inter-day and intra-day precision exhibited values of 0.55-13.29% and 0.62%-13.90%, respectively. Recovery and matrix effect were within the range of 77.7%-109.7%, and 90.0%-113.5%, respectively. Stability tests confirmed the acceptability of all analytes. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach, it was implemented to assess and compare plasma samples from healthy volunteers (n = 49) and individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (n = 62). The study revealed significant differences in AEA, SEA, AA, and SA levels between the two groups.

High Fat Diet and High Sucrose Intake Divergently Induce Dysregulation of Glucose Homeostasis through Distinct Gut Microbiota-Derived Bile Acid Metabolism in Mice.

A high calorie diet such as excessive fat and sucrose intake is always accompanied by impaired glucose homeostasis such as T2DM (type 2 diabetes mellitus). However, it remains unclear how fat and sucrose individually affect host glucose metabolism. In this study, mice were fed with high fat diet (HFD) or 30% sucrose in drinking water (HSD) for 24 weeks, and glucose metabolism, gut microbiota composition, as well as bile acid (BA) profile were investigated. In addition, the functional changes of HFD or HSD-induced gut microbiota were further verified by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and ex vivo culture of gut bacteria with BAs. Our results showed that both HFD and HSD caused dysregulated lipid metabolism, while HFD feeding had a more severe effect on impaired glucose homeostasis, accompanied by reduced hyocholic acid (HCA) levels in all studied tissues. Meanwhile, HFD had a more dramatic influence on composition and function of gut microbiota based on α diversity indices, ß diversity analysis, as well as the abundance of secondary BA producers than HSD. In addition, the phenotypes of impaired glucose homeostasis and less formation of HCA caused by HFD can be transferred to recipient mice by FMT. Ex vivo culture with gut bacteria and BAs revealed HFD-altered gut bacteria produced less HCA than HSD, which might closely associate with reduced relative abundance of C7 epimerase-coding bacteria g_norank/unclassified_f_Eggerthellaceae and bile salt hydrolase-producing bacteria Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in HFD group. Our findings revealed that the divergent effects of different high-calorie diets on glucose metabolism may be due to the gut microbiota-mediated generation and metabolism of BAs, highlighting the importance of dietary management in T2DM.

Fei-Yan-Qing-Hua decoction decreases hyperinflammation by inhibiting HMGB1/RAGE signaling and promotes bacterial phagocytosis in the treatment of sepsis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Fei-Yan-Qing-Hua decoction (FYQHD), derived from the renowned formula Ma Xing Shi Gan tang documented in Zhang Zhong Jing's "Treatise on Exogenous Febrile Disease" during the Han Dynasty, has demonstrated notable efficacy in the clinical treatment of pneumonia resulting from bacterial infection. However, its molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects remains elusive. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of FYQHD against lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP)-induced sepsis in mice and to elucidate its specific mechanism of action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sepsis models were established in mice through intraperitoneal injection of LPS or CRKP. FYQHD was administered via gavage at low and high doses. Serum cytokines, bacterial load, and pathological damage were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) detection, and hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E), respectively. In vitro, the immunoregulatory effects of FYQHD on macrophages were investigated through ELISA, MIC, quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR), immunofluorescence, Western blot, and a network pharmacological approach. RESULTS: The application of FYQHD in the treatment of LPS or CRKP-induced septic mouse models revealed significant outcomes. FYQHD increased the survival rate of mice exposed to a lethal dose of LPS to 33.3%, prevented hypothermia (with a rise of 3.58 °C), reduced pro-inflammatory variables (including TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1), and mitigated tissue damage in LPS or CRKP-induced septic mice. Additionally, FYQHD decreased bacterial load in CRKP-infected mice. In vitro, FYQHD suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines in macrophages activated by LPS or HK-CRKP. Mechanistically, FYQHD inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/4E-BP1 signaling pathway, thereby suppressing the translational level of inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, it reduced the expression of HMGB1/RAGE, a positive feedback loop in the inflammatory response. Moreover, FYQHD was found to enhance the phagocytic activity of macrophages by upregulating the expression of phagocytic receptors such as CD169 and SR-A1. CONCLUSION: FYQHD provides protection against bacterial sepsis by concurrently inhibiting the inflammatory response and augmenting the phagocytic ability of immune cells.

Hyper-branched CdTe nanostructures based on the self-assembling of quantum dots and their optical properties.

As the priority of interconnects and active components in nanoscale optical and electronic devices, three-dimensional hyper-branched nanostructures came into focus of research. Recently, a novel crystallization route, named as "nonclassical crystallization," has been reported for three-dimensional nanostructuring. In this process, Quantum dots are used as building blocks for the construction of the whole hyper-branched structures instead of ions or single-molecules in conventional crystallization. The specialty of these nanostructures is the inheritability of pristine quantum dots' physical integrity because of their polycrystalline structures, such as quantum confinement effect and thus the luminescence. Moreover, since a longer diffusion length could exist in polycrystalline nanostructures due to the dramatically decreased distance between pristine quantum dots, the exciton-exciton interaction would be different with well dispersed quantum dots and single crystal nanostructures. This may be a benefit for electron transport in solar cell application. Therefore, it is very necessary to investigate the exciton-exciton interaction in such kind of polycrystalline nanostructures and their optical properites for solar cell application. In this research, we report a novel CdTe hyper-branched nanostructures based on self-assembly of CdTe quantum dots. Each branch shows polycrystalline with pristine quantum dots as the building units. Both steady state and time-resolved spectroscopy were performed to investigate the properties of carrier transport. Steady state optical properties of pristine quantum dots are well inherited by formed structures. While a suppressed multi-exciton recombination rate was observed. This result supports the percolation of carriers through the branches' network.

[Study on tissue distribution of psoraleae fructus decoction in rats].

Advanced technologies are used to clarify the meridian tropism theory of traditional Chinese medicine is an important part of theoretical studies of traditional Chinese medicine. In this article, modern pharmacokinetic method was used to investigate tissue distribution characteristics of psoralen and isopsoralen of Psoraleae Fructus decoction in rats, in order to provide research ideas and experimental basis for the meridian tropism theory. In this study, various tissue samples such as heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain and spermary were collected at different times after oral administration with FP decoction, in order to determine concentration of psoralen and isopsoralen by HPLC. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 2.0 software. The study results showed that HPLC indexes of psoralen and isopsoralen in various tissues of rats met the determination requirements of biological samples. Both components were distributed in all of the tissues, with AUC(0-t) order of liver > lung approximately kidney > heart > brain approximately spleen > spermary. There was significant difference between liver, kidney, lung and other tissues (P < 0.05). MRT(0-t) of both psoralen and isopsoralen were about 10 h. Therefore, psoralen and isopsoralen showed stronger targeting selection in liver, kidney and lung.

Review on Processing Methods of Toxic Chinese Materia Medica and the Related Mechanisms of Action.

Toxic Chinese materia medica (CMM) has both pharmacological activities and toxic effects. Based on thousands of years of experience in the application of CMMs, people have explored many practical processing methods of CMMs, also known as "Pao Zhi", to reduce/control toxicity and preserve/enhance efficacy. Toxic CMMs have been used throughout China's hospitals. Yet, the production and use of toxic CMM should be carried out in accordance with the Chinese pharmacopoeia (ChP) and the processing regulations formulated by the health administrative departments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government. This paper summarizes the current understanding and awareness of toxicity and 45 toxic CMMs, the commonly used processing methods of toxic CMMs recorded in the 2020 edition of ChP, and the changes in the chemical component, toxicity, or efficacy profiles after processing. This review may provide useful information for the processing methods of toxic CMMs worldwide. We believe that with an in-depth study and understanding of toxic CMMs combined with a standardized application, the toxicity of CMMs will be predictable and controllable in the future.

Ultrafast dynamics under high-pressure.

High-pressure is a mechanical method to regulate the structure and internal interaction of materials. Therefore, observation of properties' change can be realized in a relatively pure environment. Furthermore, high-pressure affects the delocalization of wavefunction among materials' atoms and thus their dynamics process. Dynamics results are essential data for understanding the physical and chemical characteristics, which is valuable for materials application and development. Ultrafast spectroscopy is a powerful tool to investigate dynamics process and becoming a necessary characterization method for materials investigation. The combination of high-pressure with ultrafast spectroscopy in the nanocosecond∼femtosecond scale enables us to investigate the influence of the enhanced interaction between particles on the physical and chemical properties of materials, such as energy transfer, charge transfer, Auger recombination, etc. Base on this point of view, this review summarizes recent progress in the ultrafast dynamics under high-pressure for various materials, in which new phenomena and new mechanisms are observed. In this review, we describe in detail the principles ofin situhigh pressure ultrafast dynamics probing technology and its field of application. On this basis, the progress of the study of dynamic processes under high-pressure in different material systems is summarized. An outlook onin situhigh-pressure ultrafast dynamics research is also provided.

Optimizing ex vivo culture conditions to study human gut microbiome.

The inter-individual variations of gut microbiome contribute to the different responses toward drug therapy among populations, developing a reliable ex vivo culture method for mixed bacteria is the urgent need for predicting personal reaction to drug therapy. Unfortunately, very few attentions have been paid to the bias that could be introduced during the culture process for mixed bacteria. Here we systemically evaluated the factors that may affect the outcomes of cultured bacteria from human feces. We demonstrated that inter-individual difference of host gut microbiome was the main factor affecting the outcomes of cultured bacteria, followed by the culture medium and time point. We further optimized a new medium termed GB based on our established multi-dimensional evaluation method, which could mimic the status of in situ host gut microbiome to the highest extent. Finally, we assessed the inter-individual metabolism by host gut microbiome from 10 donors on three frequently used clinical drugs (aspirin, levodopa and doxifluridine) based on the optimized GB medium. Our results revealed obvious variation in drug metabolism by microbiome from different donors, especially levodopa and doxifluridine. This work suggested the optimized culture medium had the potential for exploring the inter-individual impacts of host gut microbiome on drug metabolism.

Neural function of Bmal1: an overview.

Bmal1 (Brain and muscle arnt-like, or Arntl) is a bHLH/PAS domain transcription factor central to the transcription/translation feedback loop of the biologic clock. Although Bmal1 is well-established as a major regulator of circadian rhythm, a growing number of studies in recent years have shown that dysfunction of Bmal1 underlies a variety of psychiatric, neurodegenerative-like, and endocrine metabolism-related disorders, as well as potential oncogenic roles. In this review, we systematically summarized Bmal1 expression in different brain regions, its neurological functions related or not to circadian rhythm and biological clock, and pathological phenotypes arising from Bmal1 knockout. This review also discusses oscillation and rhythmicity, especially in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and provides perspective on future progress in Bmal1 research.