Hypoglycemic TCM formulas (Huangqi-Gegen drug pair) have the potential as an Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurological disorder. There is a considerable unmet medical need among those suffering from it. HYPOTHESIS AND PURPOSE: Given the link between type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and AD, hypoglycemic traditional Chinese medicine formulas (TCMFs) may be a treatment for AD. We investigated the possibility of identifying anti-AD medicines in hypoglycemic TCMFs and presented another option for the screening of AD medications. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Paralysis of the transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) strain CL4176 (caused by amyloid beta (Aß)1-42 aggregates) was used to evaluate the anti-AD effect. The toxicity and neurodegeneration induced by neuronal expression of Aß in the transgenic C. elegans strain CL2355 were determined using a 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) assay. The transgenic Aß-expressing strain CL 2006 and transgenic tau-expressing strain BR5270 were used to explore the effect of TCMFs on protein expression in C. elegans using ELISAs. Then, network pharmacology was used to determine the mechanism of action. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support System platform was used to investigate prescription patterns, core drugs, and optimum combinations of hypoglycemic TCMFs for AD. RESULTS: Sixteen hypoglycemic TCMFs prolonged the PT50 (half paralysis time) of the CL4176 strain of C. elegans, reduced the percentage of worms paralyzed. The results of network pharmacology showed that prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) are main targets of hypoglycemic TCMFs. Enriched pathway analysis showed that the cholinergic receptor-related pathway was the core pathway of hypoglycemic TCMFs. According to the "four qi and five flavors" system of TCM theory, the main pharmacological qualities were "cold" and "sweet." Through the analysis by TCMISS, we found that Huangqi-Gegen drug pair as the significant Chinese herbs of hypoglycemic TCMFs. The Huangqi-Gegen pairing had the most robust therapeutic effect when delivered at a 2:1 (v/v) ratio. It reduced the paralysis caused by 5-HT, decreased protein expression of AChE and PTGS2, and reduced Aß deposition in the brain of the CL2006 strain of C. elegans. CONCLUSIONS: Huangqi-Gegen is a promising treatment of AD, and its mechanism may be induced by suppressing the protein production of AChE and PTGS2, reducing 5-HT intake, and then decreasing Aß deposition.

Near Infrared Quantum Cutting of Tb3+-Yb3+ Co-Doped CeF3 Nanophosphors.

In this paper, Tb3+-Yb3+ Co-doped CeF3 nanophosphors were synthesized using the microwave-assisted heating hydrothermal method (M-H). The excitation and emission spectra of the samples at room temperature show that the samples absorb ultraviolet light from 250 nm to 280 nm, and emit light at 300 nm. This corresponds to the transitions from 5D to 4F of Ce3+, 480 nm, 540 nm, 583 nm, 620 nm which correspond to the transitions from 5D4 to 7F6,5,4,3 of Tb3+, 973 nm which corresponds to the transitions from 2F5/2-2F7/2 of Yb3+. In the emission spectra, it is clear that the emission intensity of Ce3+ and Tb3+ decreases, and Yb3+ increases with increasing Yb3+. This suggests that energy transfer from Ce3+ to Yb3+, and Ce3+ to Tb3+ to Yb3+ may occur. In the near infrared emission area, it is noted that a distinct emission centered at 973 nm was observed under 260 nm excitation. This is due to transitions among the different Stark levels of 2FJ(J=5/2,7/2) Yb3+ ions. This also suggests an energy transfer from Ce3+ ions to Tb3+ and then to Yb3+. The energy transfers from Tb3+-Yb3+ Co-doped CeF3 nanophosphors, which lead to intense NIR emissions at 900-1050 nm, match the energy of Si band gaps of Si-based solar cells. Therefore, these kinds of materials are promising candidates for applications that require modifying if solar spectrums and enhancement of conversion efficiency of Si-based solar cells.

[Upconversion properties of sodium and aluminum fluorides coated BaF2 material].

Sodium and aluminum fluorides coated BaF2 was synthesized by hydrothermal method. It was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescence spectrophotometer, respectively. The analysis results indicated that sodium and aluminum fluorides existed in the form of sodium fluoride and sodium fluoroaluminate, which combined with BaF2 surface via chemical bonds, and exhibited coated structure. Fluorescence spectroscopy testing showed that there were two wide upconversion emission peaks with maxima at 304 and 324 nm under the excitation at 583 and 863 nm, respectively. Its phosphorescence life time was greater than 18.4 ms, and the emission intensity exhibited a rising process from the beginning and a decaying process after 15 ms. The luminescence mechanism was proposed according to the energy conversion process of the upconversion emission, the results showed that the upconversion emission belonged to the quantum confinement effect-interface light emission center radiative recombination.