Facet-switching of rate-determining step on copper in CO2-to-ethylene electroreduction.

Reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) by renewable electricity to produce multicarbon chemicals, such as ethylene (C2H4), continues to be a challenge because of insufficient Faradaic efficiency, low production rates, and complex mechanistic pathways. Here, we report that the rate-determining steps (RDS) on common copper (Cu) surfaces diverge in CO2 electroreduction, leading to distinct catalytic performances. Through a combination of experimental and computational studies, we reveal that C─C bond-making is the RDS on Cu(100), whereas the protonation of *CO with adsorbed water becomes rate-limiting on Cu(111) with a higher energy barrier. On an oxide-derived Cu(100)-dominant Cu catalyst, we reach a high C2H4 Faradaic efficiency of 72%, partial current density of 359 mA cm-2, and long-term stability exceeding 100 h at 500 mA cm-2, greatly outperforming its Cu(111)-rich counterpart. We further demonstrate constant C2H4 selectivity of >60% over 70 h in a membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer with a full-cell energy efficiency of 23.4%.

Efficient and stable acidic CO2 electrolysis to formic acid by a reservoir structure design.

Electrochemical synthesis of valuable chemicals and feedstocks through carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction in acidic electrolytes can surmount the considerable CO2 loss in alkaline and neutral conditions. However, achieving high productivity, while operating steadily in acidic electrolytes, remains a big challenge owing to the severe competing hydrogen evolution reaction. Here, we show that vertically grown bismuth nanosheets on a gas-diffusion layer can create numerous cavities as electrolyte reservoirs, which confine in situ-generated hydroxide and potassium ions and limit inward proton diffusion, producing locally alkaline environments. Based on this design, we achieve formic acid Faradaic efficiency of 96.3% and partial current density of 471 mA cm-2 at pH 2. When operated in a slim continuous-flow electrolyzer, the system exhibits a full-cell formic acid energy efficiency of 40% and a single pass carbon efficiency of 79% and performs steadily over 50 h. We further demonstrate the production of pure formic acid aqueous solution with a concentration of 4.2 weight %.

Nitrogen-Mediated Promotion of Cobalt-Based Oxygen Evolution Catalyst for Practical Anion-Exchange Membrane Electrolysis.

Scarce and expensive iridium oxide is still the cornerstone catalyst of polymer-electrolyte membrane electrolyzers for green hydrogen production because of its exceptional stability under industrially relevant oxygen evolution reaction (OER) conditions. Earth-abundant transition metal oxides used for this task, however, show poor long-term stability. We demonstrate here the use of nitrogen-doped cobalt oxide as an effective iridium substitute. The catalyst exhibits a low overpotential of 240 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and negligible activity decay after 1000 h of operation in an alkaline electrolyte. Incorporation of nitrogen dopants not only triggers the OER mechanism switched from the traditional adsorbate evolution route to the lattice oxygen oxidation route but also achieves oxygen nonbonding (ONB) states as electron donors, thereby preventing structural destabilization. In a practical anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzer, this catalyst at anode delivers a current density of 1000 mA cm-2 at 1.78 V and an electrical efficiency of 47.8 kW-hours per kilogram hydrogen.

Simultaneously enhanced magnomechanical cooling and entanglement assisted by an auxiliary microwave cavity.

We propose a mechanism to simultaneously enhance quantum cooling and entanglement via coupling an auxiliary microwave cavity to a magnomechanical cavity. The auxiliary cavity acts as a dissipative cold reservoir that can efficiently cool multiple localized modes in the primary system via beam-splitter interactions, which enables us to obtain strong quantum cooling and entanglement. We analyze the stability of the system and determine the optimal parameter regime for cooling and entanglement under the auxiliary-microwave-cavity-assisted (AMCA) scheme. The maximum cooling enhancement rate of the magnon mode can reach 98.53%, which clearly reveals that the magnomechanical cooling is significantly improved in the presence of the AMCA. More importantly, the dual-mode entanglement of the system can also be significantly enhanced by AMCA in the full parameter region, where the initial magnon-phonon entanglement can be maximally enhanced by a factor of about 11. Another important result of the AMCA is that it also increases the robustness of the entanglement against temperature. Our approach provides a promising platform for the experimental realization of entanglement and quantum information processing based on cavity magnomechanics.

Effect of a fall within three months of admission on delirium in critically Ill elderly patients: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is common among elderly patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and is associated with prolonged hospitalization, increased healthcare costs, and increased risk of death. Understanding the potential risk factors and early prevention of delirium is critical to facilitate timely intervention that may reverse or mitigate the harmful consequences of delirium. AIM: To clarify the effects of pre-admission falls on ICU outcomes, primarily delirium, and secondarily pressure injuries and urinary tract infections. METHODS: The study relied on data sourced from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. Statistical tests (Wilcoxon rank-sum or chi-squared) compared cohort characteristics. Logistic regression was employed to investigate the association between a history of falls and delirium, as well as secondary outcomes, while Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to assess short-term survival in delirium and non-delirium patients. RESULTS: Study encompassed 22,547 participants. Delirium incidence was 40%, significantly higher in patients with a history of falls (54.4% vs. 34.5%, p < 0.001). Logistic regression, controlling for confounders, not only confirmed that a history of falls elevates the odds of delirium (OR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.97-2.26; p < 0.001) but also showed it increases the incidence of urinary tract infections (OR:1.50; 95% CI:1.40-1.62; p < 0.001) and pressure injuries (OR:1.36; 95% CI:1.26-1.47; p < 0.001). Elderly delirium patients exhibited lower 30-, 180-, and 360-day survival rates than non-delirium counterparts (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study reveals that history of falls significantly heighten the risk of delirium and other adverse outcomes in elderly ICU patients, leading to decreased short-term survival rates. This emphasizes the critical need for early interventions and could inform future strategies to manage and prevent these conditions in ICU settings.

LZP is required for hepatic triacylglycerol transportation through maintaining apolipoprotein B stability.

The conserved zona pellucida (ZP) domain is found in hundreds of extracellular proteins that are expressed in various organs and play a variety of roles as structural components, receptors and tumor suppressors. A liver-specific zona pellucida domain-containing protein (LZP), also named OIT3, has been shown to be mainly expressed in human and mouse hepatocytes; however, the physiological function of LZP in the liver remains unclear. Here, we show that Lzp deletion inhibited very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion, leading to hepatic TG accumulation and lower serum TG levels in mice. The apolipoprotein B (apoB) levels were significantly decreased in the liver, serum, and VLDL particles of LZP-deficient mice. In the presence of LZP, which is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus, the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) of apoB was attenuated; in contrast, in the absence of LZP, apoB was ubiquitinated by AMFR, a known E3 ubiquitin ligase specific for apoB, and was subsequently degraded, leading to lower hepatic apoB levels and inhibited VLDL secretion. Interestingly, hepatic LZP levels were elevated in mice challenged with a high-fat diet and humans with simple hepatic steatosis, suggesting that LZP contributes to the physiological regulation of hepatic TG homeostasis. In general, our data establish an essential role for LZP in hepatic TG transportation and VLDL secretion by preventing the AMFR-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of apoB and therefore provide insight into the molecular function of LZP in hepatic lipid metabolism.

Binding properties of chemosensory protein 4 in Riptortus pedestris to aggregation pheromones.

In insects, chemosensory proteins (CSPs) play an important role in the perception of the external environment and have been widely used for protein-binding characterization. Riptortus pedestris has received increased attention as a potential cause of soybean staygreen syndrome in recent years. In this study, we found that RpedCSP4 expression in the antennae of adult R. pedestris increased with age, with no significant difference in expression level observed between males and females, as determined through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Subsequently, we investigated the ability of RpedCSP4 to bind various ligands (five aggregated pheromone components and 13 soybean volatiles) using a prokaryotic expression system and fluorescence competitive binding assays. We found that RpedCSP4 binds to three aggregated pheromone components of R. pedestris, namely, ((E)-2-hexenyl (Z)-3-hexenoate (E2Z3), (E)-2-hexenyl (E)-2-hexenoate (E2E2), and (E)-2-hexenyl hexenoate (E2HH)), and that its binding capacities are most stable under acidic condition. Finally, the structure and protein-ligand interactions of RpedCSP4 were further analyzed via homology modeling, molecular docking, and targeted mutagenesis experiments. The L29A mutant exhibited a loss of binding ability to these three aggregated pheromone components. Our results show that the olfactory function of RpedCSP4 provides new insights into the binding mechanism of RpedCSPs to aggregation pheromones and contributes to discover new target candidates that will provide a theoretical basis for future population control of R. pedestris.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a protective factor against Alzheimer's disease: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological evidence suggests that there is an association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the causal relationship between RA and AD remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between RA and AD. METHODS: Using publicly available genome-wide association study datasets, bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) was performed using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, MR‒Egger regression, simple mode, and weighted mode methods. RESULTS: The results of MR for the causal effect of RA on AD (IVW, odds ratio [OR] = 0.959, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.941-0.978, P = 2.752E-05; weighted median, OR = 0.960, 95% CI: 0.937-0.984, P = 0.001) revealed a causal association between genetic susceptibility to RA and an increased risk of AD. The results of MR for the causal effect of AD on RA (IVW, OR = 0.978, 95% CI: 0.906-1.056, P = 0.576; weighted median, OR = 0.966, 95% CI: 0.894-1.043, P = 0.382) indicated that there was no causal association between genetic susceptibility to AD and an increased risk of RA. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this two-way two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis revealed a causal association between genetic susceptibility to RA and a reduced risk of AD but did not reveal a causal association between genetic susceptibility to AD and an increased or reduced risk of RA.

Efficient NH3-Tolerant Nickel-Based Hydrogen Oxidation Catalyst for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.

Converting hydrogen chemical energy into electrical energy by fuel cells offers high efficiencies and environmental advantages, but ultrapure hydrogen (over 99.97%) is required; otherwise, the electrode catalysts, typically platinum on carbon (Pt/C), will be poisoned by impurity gases such as ammonia (NH3). Here we demonstrate remarkable NH3 resistivity over a nickel-molybdenum alloy (MoNi4) modulated by chromium (Cr) dopants. The resultant Cr-MoNi4 exhibits high activity toward alkaline hydrogen oxidation and can undergo 10,000 cycles without apparent activity decay in the presence of 2 ppm of NH3. Furthermore, a fuel cell assembled with this catalyst retains 95% of the initial peak power density even when NH3 (10 ppm)/H2 was fed, whereas the power output reduces to 61% of the initial value for the Pt/C catalyst. Experimental and theoretical studies reveal that the Cr modifier not only creates electron-rich states that restrain lone-pair electron donation but also downshifts the d-band center to suppress d-electron back-donation, synergistically weakening NH3 adsorption.

Highly Enhanced Chloride Adsorption Mediates Efficient Neutral CO2 Electroreduction over a Dual-Phase Copper Catalyst.

Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction (CO2R) in neutral electrolytes can mitigate the energy and carbon losses caused by carbonate formation but often experiences unsatisfied multicarbon selectivity and reaction rates because of the kinetic limitation to the critical carbon monoxide (CO)-CO coupling step. Here, we describe that a dual-phase copper-based catalyst with abundant Cu(I) sites at the amorphous-nanocrystalline interfaces, which is electrochemically robust in reducing environments, can enhance chloride-specific adsorption and consequently mediate local *CO coverage for improved CO-CO coupling kinetics. Using this catalyst design strategy, we demonstrate efficient multicarbon production from CO2R in a neutral potassium chloride electrolyte (pH ∼6.6) with a high Faradaic efficiency of 81% and a partial current density of 322 milliamperes per square centimeter. This catalyst is stable after 45 h of operation at current densities relevant to commercial CO2 electrolysis (300 mA per square centimeter).

Gerhardtite as a Precursor to an Efficient CO-to-Acetate Electroreduction Catalyst.

Carbon-carbon coupling electrochemistry on a conventional copper (Cu) catalyst still undergoes low selectivity among many different multicarbon (C2+) chemicals, posing a grand challenge to achieve a single C2+ product. Here, we demonstrate a laser irradiation synthesis of a gerhardtite mineral, Cu2(OH)3NO3, as a catalyst precursor to make a Cu catalyst with abundant stacking faults under reducing conditions. Such structural perturbation modulates electronic microenvironments of Cu, leading to improved d-electron back-donation to the antibonding orbital of *CO intermediates and thus strengthening *CO adsorption. With increased *CO coverage on the defect-rich Cu, we report an acetate selectivity of 56 ± 2% (compared to 31 ± 1% for conventional Cu) and a partial current density of 222 ± 7 mA per square centimeter in CO electroreduction. When run at 400 mA per square centimeter for 40 h in a flow reactor, this catalyst produces 68.3 mmol of acetate throughout. This work highlights the value of a Cu-containing mineral phase in accessing suitable structures for improved selectivity to a single desired C2+ product.

Prion-like strain effects in tauopathies.

Tau is a microtubule-associated protein that plays crucial roles in physiology and pathophysiology. In the realm of dementia, tau protein misfolding is associated with a wide spectrum of clinicopathologically diverse neurodegenerative diseases, collectively known as tauopathies. As proposed by the tau strain hypothesis, the intrinsic heterogeneity of tauopathies may be explained by the existence of structurally distinct tau conformers, "strains". Tau strains can differ in their associated clinical features, neuropathological profiles, and biochemical signatures. Although prior research into infectious prion proteins offers valuable lessons for studying how a protein-only pathogen can encompass strain diversity, the underlying mechanism by which tau subtypes are generated remains poorly understood. Here we summarize recent advances in understanding different tau conformers through in vivo and in vitro experimental paradigms, and the implications of heterogeneity of pathological tau species for drug development.

Interaction effect of midday napping duration and depressive symptoms on subjective memory impairment among older people in China: evidence from the China health and retirement longitudinal study database.

BACKGROUND: Subjective memory impairment (SMI) is common in older people. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors influencing SMI among older people in China, with specific focus on the interaction effect of midday napping duration and depressive symptoms on the risk of SMI. METHODS: Using a dataset representative of the Chinese population from a longitudinal study of health and retirement in China, subjects with SMI were screened using the question "how do you feel about your memory now?" and the Mini-Mental State Examination. A logistic regression model was applied to explore the factors affecting SMI. Additive and multiplicative models were used to analyze the interaction effect of midday napping duration and depressive symptoms on the risk of SMI. RESULTS: We enrolled 8,254 subjects included and the incidence of SMI was 63.9%. Depressive symptoms, nap time, and physical activity were influencing factors of SMI. Midday napping duration and depressive symptoms had positive additive interaction effects on the risk of SMI. When extended-length naps and depressive symptoms coexisted, the risk of SMI was 1.06 times greater than that for either alone (RERI, relative excess risk due to interaction = 0.27, 95% CI = 0.07-0.43; AP, attributable proportion = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.01-0.23; S, synergy index = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.57-1.62). When short naps and depressive symptoms coexisted, the risk of SMI was 1.2 times higher than that for either alone (RERI = 0.12, 95% CI=-0.14-0.39; AP = 0.13, 95% CI=-0.07-0.22; S = 1.20, 95% CI = 0.79-1.82). LIMITATIONS: Since this was a cross-sectional study, the cause-and-effect relationships between the associated variables cannot be inferred. CONCLUSIONS: The interaction effect that exists between nap time and depressive symptoms in older people is important for the identification and early intervention of people at risk for SMI.

Binding properties of chemosensory protein 12 in Riptortus pedestris to aggregation pheromone (E)-2-hexenyl (Z)-3-hexenoate.

Riptortus pedestris (bean bug), a common soybean pest, has a highly developed olfactory system to find hosts for feeding and oviposition. Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) have been identified in many insect species; however, their functions in R. pedestris remain unknown. In this study, quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed that the expression of RpedCSP12 in the adult antennae of R. pedestris increased with age. Moreover, a significant difference in the expression levels of RpedCSP12 was observed between male and female antennae at one and three days of age. We also investigated the binding ability of RpedCSP12 to different ligands using a prokaryotic expression system and fluorescence competitive binding assays. We found that RpedCSP12 only bound to one aggregation pheromone, (E)-2-hexenyl (Z)-3-hexenoate, and its binding decreased with increasing pH. Furthermore, homology modelling, molecular docking, and site-directed mutagenesis revealed that the Y27A, L74A, and L85A mutants lost their binding ability to (E)-2-hexenyl (Z)-3-hexenoate. Our findings highlight the olfactory roles of RpedCSP12, providing insights into the mechanism by which RpedCSPs bind to aggregation pheromones. Therefore, our study can be used as a theoretical basis for the population control of R. pedestris in the future.

Distribution, sources, and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Kaokaowusu river sediments near a coal industrial zone.

This study systematically analyzed the contents, compositions, and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in river sediments near an important energy and chemical base in northwest China. In addition, their possible adverse effects on the ecology and human health were assessed. The PAH concentrations in this study area ranged from 2641.28 to 16783.72 (ng/g dw). PAHs of medium molecular weight (3-ring and 4-ring) showed the largest proportion, followed by PAHs of higher molecular weight (5-ring and 6-ring). The results of molecular diagnostic ratios and principal component analysis revealed that PAHs in the region have complex sources, with incomplete combustion of local fossil fuels and traffic exhaust factors being the main sources. The total toxic equivalent concentration of PAHs varied from 10.05 to 760.26 ng/g, and according to the sediment quality guidelines, PAHs have high potential ecological risk in the lower reaches of the river. The mean effect range-median quotient for the region was 0.46, and the combined ecological risk was at moderate to high levels (21% probability of toxicity). The lifetime carcinogenic risks for adults and children exposed to PAHs were 2.95 × 10-3 and 1.87 × 10-2, respectively, which are much higher than the limit of 10-4, indicating moderate to high potential cancer risks. Therefore, the local government should consider taking some environmental remediation measures. This study can provide theoretical support for pollution prevention measures and ecological restoration strategies for rivers in resource-rich areas.

Identification of Cu(100)/Cu(111) Interfaces as Superior Active Sites for CO Dimerization During CO2 Electroreduction.

The electrosynthesis of valuable multicarbon chemicals using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a feedstock has substantially progressed recently but still faces considerable challenges. A major difficulty lines in the sluggish kinetics of forming carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds, especially in neutral media. We report here that oxide-derived copper crystals enclosed by six {100} and eight {111} facets can reduce CO2 to multicarbon products with a high Faradaic efficiency of 74.9 ± 1.7% at a commercially relevant current density of 300 mA cm-2 in 1 M KHCO3 (pH ∼ 8.4). By combining the experimental and computational studies, we uncovered that Cu(100)/Cu(111) interfaces offer a favorable local electronic structure that enhances *CO adsorption and lowers C-C coupling activation energy barriers, performing superior to Cu(100) and Cu(111) surfaces, respectively. On this catalyst, no obvious degradation was observed at 300 mA cm-2 over 50 h of continuous operation.

A novel nonsense PKD1L1 variant cause heterotaxy syndrome with congenital asplenia in a Han Chinese patient.

Heterotaxy syndrome is a very rare congenital disease, which is caused by the disorder of left-right asymmetry during visceral development. However, pathogenic genetic lesions are found in less than 20% of HS patients. In this cohort study, whole-exome sequencing was performed for 110 patients with situs inversus or situs ambiguous. We identified a novel nonsense variant in PKD1L1(c.1387 C > T; p.463Gln*) in a Chinese patient with heterotaxy syndrome and congenital asplenia. This homozygous variant caused the domain of PKD1L1 complete absence. To our knowledge, this novel variant is the first phenotype of congenital asplenia found in patients with PKD1L1 variants, and the first PKD1L1 variant found in China. Our findings expand the spectrum of PKD1L1 variants and provide support for PKD1L1 variant and congenital asplenia, and the critical role of PKD1L1 during left-right patterning in the Han Chinese population.

Elastic-inertial separation of microparticle in a gradually contracted microchannel.

Separation of microparticle in viscoelastic fluid is highly required in the field of biology and clinical medicine. For instance, the separation of the target cell from blood is an important prerequisite step for the drug screening and design. The microfluidic device is an efficient way to achieve the separation of the microparticle in the viscoelastic fluid. However, the existing microfluidic methods often have some limitations, including the requirement of the long channel length, the labeling process, and the low throughput. In this work, based on the elastic-inertial effect in the viscoelastic fluid, a new separation method is proposed where a gradually contracted microchannel is designed to efficiently adjust the forces exerted on the particle, eventually achieving the high-efficiency separation of different sized particles in a short channel length and at a high throughput. In addition, the separation of WBCs and RBCs is also validated in the present device. The effect of the flow rate, the fluid property, and the channel geometry on the particle separation is systematically investigated by the experiment. With the advantage of small footprint, simple structure, high throughput, and high efficiency, the present microfluidic device could be utilized in the biological and clinical fields, such as the cell analysis and disease diagnosis.

Establishment of an in vitro safety assessment model for lipid-lowering drugs using same-origin human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells.

Cardiovascular safety assessment is vital for drug development, yet human cardiovascular cell models are lacking. In vitro mass-generated human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived cardiovascular cells are a suitable cell model for preclinical cardiovascular safety evaluations. In this study, we established a preclinical toxicology model using same-origin hPSC-differentiated cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) and endothelial cells (hPSC-ECs). For validation of this cell model, alirocumab, a human antibody against proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9), was selected as an emerging safe lipid-lowering drug; atorvastatin, a common statin (the most effective type of lipid-lowering drug), was used as a drug with reported side effects at high concentrations, while doxorubicin was chosen as a positive cardiotoxic drug. The cytotoxicity of these drugs was assessed using CCK8, ATP, and lactate dehydrogenase release assays at 24, 48, and 72 h. The influences of these drugs on cardiomyocyte electrophysiology were detected using the patch-clamp technique, while their effects on endothelial function were determined by tube formation and Dil-acetylated low-density lipoprotein (Dil-Ac-LDL) uptake assays. We showed that alirocumab did not affect the cell viability or cardiomyocyte electrophysiology in agreement with the clinical results. Atorvastatin (5-50 µM) dose-dependently decreased cardiovascular cell viability over time, and at a high concentration (50 µM, ~100 times the normal peak serum concentration in clinic), it affected the action potentials of hPSC-CMs and damaged tube formation and Dil-Ac-LDL uptake of hPSC-ECs. The results demonstrate that the established same-origin hPSC-derived cardiovascular cell model can be used to evaluate lipid-lowering drug safety in cardiovascular cells and allow highly accurate preclinical assessment of potential drugs.

Acetazolamide Alleviate Cerebral Edema Induced by Ischemic Stroke Through Inhibiting the Expression of AQP4 mRNA.

OBJECTIVE: We want to investigate the effect of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) on cerebral edema induced by ischemic stroke in rats and explore whether inhibiting the expression of AQP4 through acetazolamide (AZA) could attenuate brain edema and protect cerebral function. METHODS: The Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham + saline group, sham + AZA group, AZA intervention group, and nonintervention group. Each group was divided into five subgroups according to the time of cerebral ischemia (6 h, 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, and 7 days). The model of cerebral infarction in rats was adopted by means of the bilateral carotid arteries ligation (2-VO) method. The rats in intervention group were given intraperitoneal injection of AZA (35 mg/kg/day). Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed for pathological analysis of the infarcted area. The brain water content was calculated to evaluate the degree of brain edema. The messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expressions of AQP4 in the brain were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, respectively. RESULTS: Significant cerebral pathological damages were found in ischemic stroke rats. The brain water content, protein, and mRNA expression of AQP4 of the intervention and nonintervention groups were markedly higher than those of the sham groups. By contrast, AZA administration reduced the brain water content, whereas improved cerebral dysfunction was induced by ischemic stroke. Moreover, AZA obviously reduced the protein and mRNA expression of AQP4 after ischemic stroke in rats' brains. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of AQP4 was closely related to cerebral edema induced by ischemic stroke. Decreasing the expression of AQP4 mRNA by AZA administration can effectively relieve cerebral edema and decrease cerebral pathological damage.