Inhibition of FABP5 attenuates inflammatory bowel disease by modulating macrophage alternative activation.

Fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5) is an intracellular chaperone of fatty acid molecules that regulates lipid metabolism and cell growth. However, its role in intestinal inflammation remains enigmatic. Through examination of human tissue samples and single-cell data, we observed a significant upregulation of FABP5 within the mucosa of patients afflicted with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), predominantly localized in intestinal macrophages. Herein, we investigate the regulation of FABP5-IN-1, a FABP5 inhibitor, on various cells of the gut in an inflammatory environment. Our investigations confirmed that FABP5 ameliorates DSS-induced colitis in mice by impeding the differentiation of macrophages into M1 macrophages in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, following FABP5-IN-1 intervention, we observed a notable restoration of intestinal goblet cells and tuft cells, even under inflammatory conditions. Additionally, FABP5-IN-1 exhibits a protective effect against DSS-induced colitis by promoting the polarization of macrophages towards the M2 phenotype in vivo. In summary, FABP5-IN-1 confers protection against DSS-induced acute colitis through a multifaceted approach, encompassing the reduction of inflammatory macrophage infiltration, macrophage polarization, regulating Th17/Treg cells to play an anti-inflammatory role in IBD. The implications for IBD are underscored by the comprehensive in vivo and in vitro experiments presented in this article, thereby positioning FABP5 as a promising and novel therapeutic target for the treatment of IBD.

A retrospective analysis of the effect of latent tuberculosis infection on clinical pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization-fresh embryo transferred in infertile women.

In areas with high incidence of tuberculosis (TB), there are more infertile women who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) and have latent TB infection (LTBI), and thus, their potential risks should be paid enough attention. The purpose of our study aimed to analyze the relationship between LTBI and clinical pregnancy outcomes of IVF and fresh embryo transfer (IVF-FET). This was a retrospective study of 628 infertile women who had undergone IVF-FET in the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2019 to December 2021. The women experienced no clinical symptoms, negative imaging, and T-SPOT.TB-positive diagnosis of LTBI. We divided the study population into the LTBI group and the non-LTBI group. The clinical pregnancy rate in the LTBI group was significantly lower than that in the non-LTBI group (40.54% vs 49.51%, P = 0.031), and there was no significant difference in live birth rate and miscarriage rate between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that LTBI was an independent risk factor for decreased clinical pregnancy rate in infertile women undergoing IVF-FET. In conclusion, LTBI affects clinical pregnancy rate of IVF-FET in infertile women, and therefore, clinicians (especially in countries with a high TB burden) need to pay attention to LTBI before IVF and embryo transfer.

Unresolved Excess Accumulation of Myelin-Derived Cholesterol Contributes to Scar Formation after Spinal Cord Injury.

Spinal cord injury triggers complex pathological cascades, resulting in destructive tissue damage and incomplete tissue repair. Scar formation is generally considered a barrier for regeneration in the central nervous system. However, the intrinsic mechanism of scar formation after spinal cord injury has not been fully elucidated. Here, we report that excess cholesterol accumulates in phagocytes and is inefficiently removed from spinal cord lesions in young adult mice. Interestingly, we observed that excessive cholesterol also accumulates in injured peripheral nerves but is subsequently removed by reverse cholesterol transport. Meanwhile, preventing reverse cholesterol transport leads to macrophage accumulation and fibrosis in injured peripheral nerves. Furthermore, the neonatal mouse spinal cord lesions are devoid of myelin-derived lipids and can heal without excess cholesterol accumulation. We found that transplantation of myelin into neonatal lesions disrupts healing with excessive cholesterol accumulation, persistent macrophage activation, and fibrosis. Myelin internalization suppresses macrophage apoptosis mediated by CD5L expression, indicating that myelin-derived cholesterol plays a critical role in impaired wound healing. Taken together, our data suggest that the central nervous system lacks an efficient approach for cholesterol clearance, resulting in excessive accumulation of myelin-derived cholesterol, thereby inducing scar formation after injury.

Tailoring particle size of PbI2 towards efficient perovskite solar cells under ambient air conditions.

PbI2 films as templates are essential to the quality of perovskite (PVK) film in a two-step sequential deposition process. Herein, we demonstrate that PbI2 microcrystal powder (P-PbI2) of micrometer size is beneficial for preparing higher-quality PbI2 films in contrast to millimeter-sized PbI2 crystals (C-PbI2) under low relative humidity (RH) conditions. Surprisingly, C-PbI2 allowed the growth of denser films than P-PbI2 under heavy RH conditions. Ultimately, P-PbI2 gave PVK solar cells (PSCs) a best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.30% under a low RH of 30 ± 5%, and C-PbI2 derived an impressive PCE of 21.09% when fabricated under conditions with RH = 50 ± 5%. This work provides ideas for the selection of lead iodide for the fabrication of PSCs under air conditions.

Fertility Outcome and Safety of Ethiodized Poppy Seed Oil for Hysterosalpingography in 1,053 Infertile Patients: A Real-World Study.

Objective: Ethiodized poppy seed oil for hysterosalpingography (HSG) is reported to display some therapeutic effect on infertility, but big a sample-size study under real clinical settings is still lacking to verify the speculation. Thus, this real-world study enrolled 1,053 infertile patients who underwent ethiodized poppy seed oil-based HSG to explore its fertility enhancement value. Method: A total of 1,053 infertile patients who underwent HSG using ethiodized poppy seed oil as the contrast medium were retrospectively analyzed. The live birth rate and 3-, 6-, 12-month and total pregnancy rate were retrieved. Besides, adverse events during and after HSG were recorded. Results: The 3-, 6-, 12-month and total pregnancy rate was 22, 36.8, 50, and 53.8%, respectively. The total live birth rate was 42.7%. Sub-group analyses showed that pregnancy rate was 53.7, 53.8, 54.1, and 62.4% in subgroups of primary infertility patients, secondary infertility patients, infertility patients with fallopian tube disease, and infertility patients with unknown cause, respectively. Meanwhile the live birth rate was 44.3, 41.3, 41.5, and 59.2% in these subgroups, separately. Multivariate logistic regression analysis disclosed that BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2, history of dysmenorrhea, and abnormity of sperm count or motility-related infertility were independently correlated with reduced pregnancy rate and livebirth rate (All Ps < 0.05). Adverse events mainly included pain (20.6%) and interstitial reflux (7.9%), which were mild and tolerable. Conclusion: Ethiodized poppy seed oil for HSG discloses a satisfying fertility outcome with a tolerable safety profile in infertile patients; meanwhile, this effect might be influenced by BMI, history of dysmenorrhea, and paternal abnormity of sperm.

Strength-tunable printing of xanthan gum hydrogel via enzymatic polymerization and amide bioconjugation.

Amide bioconjugation and interfacial enzyme polymerization are designed to provide a general strategy for regulating the mechanical strength (storage modulus from 3 kPa to 100 kPa) of printable hydrogel inks.

The anti-diabetic effect of eight Lagerstroemia speciosa leaf extracts based on the contents of ellagitannins and ellagic acid derivatives.

Previously, we have reported the opposite effects of compounds isolated from Lagerstroemia speciosa leaves on a glucose transport (GLUT4) assay. Ellagitannins from L. speciosa activated GLUT4, while ellagic acid derivatives showed an inhibitory effect. As part of our continuing research on anti-diabetic nutritional supplements, we herein compared the anti-diabetic effects of several extracts (LE1-8) from leaves of L. speciosa using different manufacturing processes based on the contents of ellagitannins and ellagic acid derivatives. Their anti-diabetic effects were evaluated through glucose uptake and adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells in vitro as well as alloxan induced diabetic mice in vivo. These extracts were given to mice by gavage at doses of 0.25, 1.0, and 4.0 g per kg body weight once a day for 21 consecutive days. Results showed that LE1 (1.0 g kg-1), LE3 (1.0 or 4.0 g kg-1), LE4 (1.0 or 4.0 g kg-1), LE5 (0.25 or 1.0 or 4.0 g kg-1) and LE7 (1.0 or 4.0 g kg-1) showed significant anti-diabetic effects in alloxan-induced diabetic mice as indicated by the decreased levels of fasting blood glucose, body weight, serum biomarkers, tissue weight and body fat, and increased final insulin levels. LE8 (1.0 g kg-1) showed a moderate anti-diabetic effect as illustrated by the reduced fasting blood glucose level while LE2 and LE6 showed slight effects in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. The potential correlation of the content of ellagitannins, ellagic acid derivatives, and corosolic acid with the anti-diabetic activity was discussed.

Active compounds from Lagerstroemia speciosa, insulin-like glucose uptake-stimulatory/inhibitory and adipocyte differentiation-inhibitory activities in 3T3-L1 cells.

Seven ellagitannins, lagerstroemin (1), flosin B (2), stachyurin (3), casuarinin (4), casuariin (5), epipunicacortein A (6), and 2, 3-(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-alpha/beta-D-glucose (7), together with one ellagic acid sulfate, 3-O-methyl-ellagic acid 4'-sulfate (8), ellagic acid (9), and four methyl ellagic acid derivatives, 3-O-methylellagic acid (10), 3,3'-di-O-methylellagic acid (11), 3,4,3'-tri-O-methylellagic acid (12), and 3,4,8,9,10-pentahydroxydibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-one (13), were identified by the bioassay-directed isolation from the leaves of Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. The chemical structures of these components were established on the basis of one- and two-dimensional NMR and high-resolution mass spectroscopic analyses. Other known compounds, including corosolic acid, gallic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3-O-methylprotocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, kaempferol, quercetin, and isoquercitrin, were also isolated from the same plant. The obtained ellagitannins exhibited strong activities in both stimulating insulin-like glucose uptake (1-5 and 7) and inhibiting adipocyte differentiation (1 and 4) in 3T3-L1 cells. Meanwhile, ellagic acid derivatives (10-13) showed an inhibitory effect on glucose transport assay. This study is the first to report an inhibitory effect for methyl ellagic acid derivatives.

Cimicifuga species identification by high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array/mass spectrometric/evaporative light scattering detection for quality control of black cohosh products.

Black cohosh has become one of the most important herbal products in the US dietary supplements market. It is manufactured from roots and rhizomes of Cimicifuga racemosa (Ranunculaceae). Botanical identification of the raw starting material is a key step in the quality control of black cohosh preparations. The present report summarizes a fingerprinting approach based on high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array/mass spectrometric/evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-PDA/MS/ELSD) that has been developed and validated using a total of 10 Cimicifuga species. These include three North American species, Cimicifuga racemosa, Cimicifuga americana, Cimicifuga rubifolia, and seven Asian species, Cimicifuga acerina, Cimicifuga biternat, Cimicifuga dahurica, Cimicifuga heracleifolia, Cimicifuga japonica, Cimicifuga foetida, and Cimicifuga simplex. The chemotaxonomic distinctiveness of the HPLC fingerprints allows identification of all 10 Cimicifuga species. The triterpene glycoside cimigenol-3-O-arabinoside (3), cimifugin (12), and cimifugin-3-O-glucoside (18) were determined to be suitable species-specific markers for the distinction of C. racemosa from the other Cimicifuga species. In addition to identification, the fingerprint method provided insight into chemical interconversion processes occurring between the diverse triterpene glycosides contained in black cohosh. The reported method has proven its usefulness in the botanical standardization and quality control of black cohosh products.