Metal-Organic Framework with Space-Partition Pores by Fluorinated Anions for Benchmark C2H2/CO2 Separation.

The efficient separation of C2H2 from C2H2/CO2 or C2H2/CO2/CH4 mixtures is crucial for achieving high-purity C2H2 (>99%), essential in producing contemporary commodity chemicals. In this report, we present ZNU-12, a metal-organic framework with space-partitioned pores formed by inorganic fluorinated anions, for highly efficient C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CO2/CH4 separation. The framework, partitioned by fluorinated SiF62- anions into three distinct cages, enables both a high C2H2 capacity (176.5 cm3/g at 298 K and 1.0 bar) and outstanding C2H2 selectivity over CO2 (13.4) and CH4 (233.5) simultaneously. Notably, we achieve a record-high C2H2 productivity (132.7, 105.9, 98.8, and 80.0 L/kg with 99.5% purity) from C2H2/CO2 (v/v = 50/50) and C2H2/CO2/CH4 (v/v = 1/1/1, 1/1/2, or 1/1/8) mixtures through a cycle of adsorption-desorption breakthrough experiments with high recovery rates. Theoretical calculations suggest the presence of potent "2 + 2" collaborative hydrogen bonds between C2H2 and two hexafluorosilicate (SiF62-) anions in the confined cavities.

MicroRNA 98-5p Overexpression Contributes to Delayed Fracture Healing via Targeting BMP-2.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are related to the regulation of bone metabolism. Delayed fracture healing (DFH) is a common complication after fracture surgery. The study attempted to examine the role of miR-98-5p and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 with the onset of DFH. A total of 140 patients with femoral neck fracture were recruited, including 80 cases with normal fracture healing (NFH) and 60 cases with DFH. MC3T3-E1 cells were induced cell differentiation for cell function experiments. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was carried out to test mRNA levels. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were determined via CCK-8 and flow cytometry assay. Luciferase reporter assay was done to verify the targeted regulatory relationship of miR-98-5p with BMP-2. In comparison with NFH cases, DFH patients owned high levels of serum miR-98-5p and low concentration of BMP-2, and the levels of the two indexes are significantly negatively correlated. Both miR-98-5p and BMP-2 had the ability to predict DFH, while their combined diagnostic value is the highest. BMP-2 was demonstrated to be the target gene of miR-98-5p. Overexpression of BMP-2 reversed the role of miR-98-5p in MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation. Increased miR-98-5p and decreased BMP-2 serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of DFH. MiR-98-5p overexpression inhibits osteoblast proliferation and differentiation via targeting BMP-2.

Highly Efficient CO2/C2H2 Separation by Porous Graphene via Quadrupole Gating Mechanism.

Acetylene (C2H2) is an important and widely used raw material in various industries (such as petrochemical). Generally, a product yield is proportional to the purity of C2H2; however, C2H2 from a typical industrial gas-production process is commonly contaminated by CO2. So far, the achievement of high-purity C2H2 separated from a CO2/C2H2 mixture is still challenging due to their very close molecular dimensions and boiling temperatures. Taking advantage of their quadrupoles with opposite signs, here, we show that the graphene membrane embedded with crown ether nanopores can achieve an unprecedented separation efficiency of CO2/C2H2. Combining the molecular dynamics simulation and the density functional theory (DFT) approaches, we discovered that the electrostatic gas-pore interaction favorably allows the fast transport of CO2 through crown ether nanopores while completely prohibiting C2H2 transport, which yields a remarkable permeation selectivity. In particular, the utilized crown ether pore is capable of allowing the individual transport of CO2 while completely rejecting the passage of C2H2, independent of the applied pressures, fed gases ratios, and exerted temperatures, featuring the superiority and robustness of the crown pore in CO2/C2H2 separation. Further, DFT and PMF calculations demonstrate that the transport of CO2 through the crown pore is energetically more favorable than the transport of C2H2. Our findings reveal the potential application of graphene crown pore for CO2 separation with outstanding performance.

Metformin alleviates ethanol-induced cardiomyocyte injury by activating AKT/Nrf2 signaling in an ErbB2-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: Metformin, a first-line oral anti-diabetic drug, has recently been reported to exert protective effect on various cardiovascular diseases. However, the potential role of metformin in ethanol-induced cardiomyocyte injury is still unknown. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the effect of metformin on ethanol-induced cardiomyocyte injury and its underlying mechanism. METHODS AND RESULTS: H9c2 cardiomyocytes were exposed to ethanol for 24 h to establish an ethanol-induced cardiomyocyte injury model, and followed by treatment with metformin in the presence or absence of Lapatinib (an ErbB2 inhibition). CCK8 and LDH assays demonstrated that metformin improved cell viability in cardiomyocytes exposed to ethanol. Furthermore, metformin suppressed cardiomyocyte apoptosis and reduced the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins (Bax and C-CAS-3). In addition, our results showed that metformin activated the AKT/Nrf2 pathway, and then promoted Nrf2 nuclear translocation and the transcription of its downstream antioxidant genes (HO-1, CAT and SOD2), thereby inhibiting oxidative stress. Interestingly, we found that ErbB2 protein expression was significantly inhibited in ethanol-treated cardiomyocytes, which was markedly reversed by metformin. In contrast, Lapatinib largely abrogated the activation of AKT/Nrf2 signaling by metformin, accompanied by the increases in oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis, indicating that metformin prevented ethanol-induced cardiomyocyte injury in an ErbB2-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: In summary, our study provides the first evidence that metformin protects cardiomyocyte against ethanol-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis by activating ErbB2-mediated AKT/Nrf2 signaling. Thus, metformin may be a potential novel treatment approach for alcoholic cardiomyopathy.

[Exploring the mechanisms of ferroptosis in non-obstructive azoospermia based on bioinformatics and machine learning].

OBJECTIVE: To explor the potential mechanisms of ferroptosis involvement in non-obstructive azoospermia based on bioinformatics and machine learning methods. METHODS: To obtain disease-related datasets and ferroptosis-related genes, we utilized the GEO database and FerrDb database, respectively. Using the R software, the disease dataset was subjected to normalization, differential analysis, and GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. The differentially expressed genes from the disease dataset were then intersected with the ferroptosis-related genes to identify common genes. Core genes were selected using three machine learning algorithms, namely LASSO, SVM-RFE, and random forest. Further analysis included exploring immune infiltration correlation, predicting target drugs, and conducting molecular docking simulations. RESULTS: The differential analysis of the GSE45885 dataset yielded 1751 differentially expressed genes, while the GSE145467 dataset yielded 4358 differentially expressed genes. The intersection of these two gene sets resulted in a disease-related gene set consisting of 508 genes. Taking the intersection of the disease-related gene set and the ferroptosis-related gene set, we obtained 17 disease-related ferroptosis genes. After machine learning-based screening, three core genes were identified: GPX4, HSF1, and KLHDC3. CONCLUSION: The mechanism underlying the involvement of ferroptosis in non-obstructive azoospermia may be linked to the downregulation of GPX4, HSF1, and KLHDC3 expression. This finding provides a basis for subsequent in-depth mechanistic and therapeutic studies.

Topological Design of Unprecedented Metal-Organic Frameworks Featuring Multiple Anion Functionalities and Hierarchical Porosity for Benchmark Acetylene Separation.

Separation of acetylene (C2 H2 ) from carbon dioxide (CO2 ) or ethylene (C2 H4 ) is industrially important but still challenging so far. Herein, we developed two novel robust metal organic frameworks AlFSIX-Cu-TPBDA (ZNU-8) with znv topology and SIFSIX-Cu-TPBDA (ZNU-9) with wly topology for efficient capture of C2 H2 from CO2 and C2 H4 . Both ZNU-8 and ZNU-9 feature multiple anion functionalities and hierarchical porosity. Notably, ZNU-9 with more anionic binding sites and three distinct cages displays both an extremely large C2 H2 capacity (7.94 mmol/g) and a high C2 H2 /CO2 (10.3) or C2 H2 /C2 H4 (11.6) selectivity. The calculated capacity of C2 H2 per anion (4.94 mol/mol at 1 bar) is the highest among all the anion pillared metal organic frameworks. Theoretical calculation indicated that the strong cooperative hydrogen bonds exist between acetylene and the pillared SiF6 2- anions in the confined cavity, which is further confirmed by in situ IR spectra. The practical separation performance was explicitly demonstrated by dynamic breakthrough experiments with equimolar C2 H2 /CO2 mixtures and 1/99 C2 H2 /C2 H4 mixtures under various conditions with excellent recyclability and benchmark productivity of pure C2 H2 (5.13 mmol/g) or C2 H4 (48.57 mmol/g).

[Simulated processing with vinegar changes chemical structures of main terpenoids in Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix].

This study aims to explore the chemical structure transformation mechanisms of the main terpenoids in the effective fraction of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix(EER) during the processing with vinegar. The terpenoids including ent-11α-hydroxyabicta-8(14),13(15)-dien-16,12-olide(HAO), jolkinolide B(JNB), fischeria A(FA), and eupractenoid A(EA) were heated at 160 ℃ with 6% acetic acid for 40 min, and then LC-MS/MS was employed to analyze the structural transformation rules of the terpenoids. Further, we analyzed the changes in the relative content of the four compounds and their transformation products in raw and vinegar processed EER to verify the transformation rules during the simulated processing with vinegar. In addition, JNB and FA were processed with single heating, heating with water or heating with acetic acid. We then employed HPLC to compare the content of these two terpenoids and their transformation products before and after processing, so as to investigate the effect of different processing methods on chemical structure transformation. The results showed that the lactone ring of the abietane-type diterpenoids HAO and JNB and the norditerpene lactone FA were opened by heating with acetic acid. When there were hydroxyl groups in the structures, terpenoids were esterized to esters and oxidized to form carbonyl groups. When there was epoxy ring in the structures, ring opening reaction was easy to occur. During the heating with acetic acid, the heterodimeric diterpenoid EA underwent the cleavage of ether bond to produce the rosane-type diterpenoid euphebracteolatin A(EHTA) and another abietane-type diterpenoid. The changes in the relative content of terpenoids and their transformation products in raw and vinegar-processed EER were basically consistent with those of simulated processing of components with vinegar. The HPLC results revealed that the effect of different simulated processing methods on structural transformation varied. Heating with acid can change JNB and FA into new components. Heating with water can also promote the structural transformation, with the efficiency obviously lower than that of heating with acid. Direct heating had no influence on the structure of JNB, while it significantly reduced the relative content of FA. The components treated with direct heating did not produce the products like those of the heating with acid. These results indicated that vinegar plays a key role in the structural transformation of diterpenoids during the processing of EER with vinegar. The structural transformation of diterpenoids in EER during the processing with vinegar may be the material basis for vinegar processed EER to reduce toxicity and preserve effect.

Comprehensive Pore Tuning in an Ultrastable Fluorinated Anion Cross-Linked Cage-Like MOF for Simultaneous Benchmark Propyne Recovery and Propylene Purification.

Propyne/propylene (C3 H4 /C3 H6 ) separation is an important but challenging industrial process to produce polymer-grade C3 H6 and recover high-purity C3 H4 . Herein, we report an ultrastable TiF6 2- anion cross-linked metal-organic framework (ZNU-2) with precisely controlled pore size, shape and functionality for benchmark C3 H4 storage (3.9/7.7 mmol g-1 at 0.01/1.0 bar and 298 K) and record high C3 H4 /C3 H6 (10/90) separation potential (31.0 mol kg-1 ). The remarkable C3 H4 /C3 H6 (1/99, 10/90, 50/50) separation performance was fully demonstrated by simulated and experimental breakthroughs under various conditions with excellent recyclability and high productivity (42 mol kg-1 ) of polymer-grade C3 H6 from a 1/99 C3 H4 /C3 H6 mixture. A modelling study revealed that the symmetrical spatial distribution of six TiF6 2- on the icosahedral cage surface provides two distinct binding sites for C3 H4 adsorption: one serves as a tailored single C3 H4 molecule trap and the other boosts C3 H4 accommodation by cooperative host-guest and guest-guest interactions.

Upregulation of P53 promotes nucleus pulposus cell apoptosis in intervertebral disc degeneration through upregulating NDRG2.

P53 is an apoptosis marker which is involved in determining nucleus pulposus (NP) cell fate. Little is known about P53 interaction with N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Here, we studied the role of the P53-NDRG2 axis in IVDD. We found that NDRG2 was expressed in NP tissue obtained from patients with IVDD. The level of NDRG2 was positively related to the severity of IVDD, as determined by Pfirrmann grading. Subsequently, we overexpressed NDRG2 in human NP cells by adenoviral transfection and studied the effects of increased levels of NDRG2 on the viability and apoptosis of these cells. NDRG2 overexpression induced NP cell apoptosis and reduced viability in NP cells obtained from patient with IVDD. We also found that the level of P53 was elevated in NP cells from patients with IVDD and treatment with exogenous P53 upregulated NDRG2 in NP cells. Last, IVDD model was established in P53 knockout mice and the pathological changes in the intervertebral discs and NDRG2 expression were examined. P53 knockout can reduce the damage of NP tissues after IVDD surgery to some extent. Restoration of NDRG2 antagonized the effect of P53 knockout on IVDD. Collectively, this study suggests that elevated P53 in NP cells stimulates apoptosis of the cells by upregulating NDRG2 expression, thereby exacerbating IVDD.

Modulation of Topological Structures and Adsorption Properties of Copper-Tricarboxylate Frameworks Enabled by the Effect of the Functional Group and Its Position.

To push forward the structural development and fully explore the potential utility, it is highly desired but challenging to regulate in a controllable manner the structures and properties of MOFs. In this work, we reported the structural and functional modulation of Cu(II)-tricarboxylate frameworks by employing a strategy of engineering the functionalities and their positions. Two pairs of unsymmetrical biaryl tricarboxylate ligands modified with a methyl group and a pyridinic-N atom at distinct positions were logically designed and synthesized, and their corresponding Cu(II)-based MOFs were solvothermally constructed. Diffraction analyses revealed that the variation of functionalities and their positions furnished three different types of topological structures, which we ascribed to the steric effect exerted by the methyl group and the chelating effect involving the pyridinic-N atom. Furthermore, gas adsorption studies showed that three of them are potential candidates as solid separation media for acetylene (C2H2) purification, with the separation potential tailorable by altering functionalities and their locations. At 106.7 kPa and 298 K, the C2H2 uptake capacity varies from 64.1 to 132.4 cm3 (STP) g-1, while the adsorption selectivities of C2H2 over its coexisting components of CO2 and CH4 fall in the ranges of 3.28-4.60 and 14.1-21.9, respectively.

Anti-Malignant Ascites Effect of Total Diterpenoids from Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix Is Attributable to Alterations of Aquaporins via Inhibiting PKC Activity in the Kidney.

This study evaluated the anti-ascites effect of total diterpenoids extracted from Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix (TDEE) on malignant ascitic mice and elucidated its underlying mechanism. TDEE was extracted by dichloromethane and subjected to column chromatography. The purity of six diterpenoids isolated from TDEE was determined to be 77.18% by HPLC. TDEE (3 and 0.6 g raw herbs/kg, p.o.) reduced ascites and increased urine output. Meanwhile, analysis of tumor cell viability, cycle and apoptosis indicated that TDEE had no antitumor activity. In addition, the expression levels of aquaporins (AQPs) and the membrane translocation levels of protein kinase C (PKC) α and PKCß in kidney and cells were measured. TDEE reduced the levels of AQP1-4, and inhibited PKCß expression in membrane fraction. Four main diterpenoids, except compound 2, reduced AQP1 level in human kidney-2 cells. Compounds 4 and 5 inhibited AQP2-4 expression in murine inner medullary collecting duct cells. The diterpenoid-induced inhibition of AQP1-4 expression was blocked by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA; agonist of PKC). The diterpenoids from TDEE are the main anti-ascites components. The anti-ascites effect of diterpenoids may be associated with alterations in AQPs in the kidneys to promote diuresis. The inhibition of AQP1-4 expression by TDEE is related to the inhibition of PKCß activation.

Gram-Scale Synthesis of an Ultrastable Microporous Metal-Organic Framework for Efficient Adsorptive Separation of C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CH4.

A highly water and thermally stable metal-organic framework (MOF) Zn2(Pydc)(Ata)2 (1, H2Pydc = 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid; HAta = 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole) was synthesized on a large scale using inexpensive commercially available ligands for efficient separation of C2H2 from CH4 and CO2. Compound 1 could take up 47.2 mL/g of C2H2 under ambient conditions but only 33.0 mL/g of CO2 and 19.1 mL/g of CH4. The calculated ideal absorbed solution theory (IAST) selectivities for equimolar C2H2/CO2 and C2H2/CH4 were 5.1 and 21.5, respectively, comparable to those many popular MOFs. The Qst values for C2H2, CO2, and CH4 at a near-zero loading in 1 were 43.1, 32.1, and 22.5 kJ mol-1, respectively. The practical separation performance for C2H2/CO2 mixtures was further confirmed by column breakthrough experiments.

[Effect of different parts of Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction against airway inflammation and analysis of effective components].

This study investigated the material basis and mechanism of Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction in the treatment of airway inflammation. The cigarette smoke combined with lipopolysaccharide(LPS) was used to induce an airway inflammation model in mice. The expression levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) and the phosphorylation levels of p38 and IκB in the lungs of mice were taken as indexes to screen the effective extracts by system solvent extraction from Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction(dichloromethane extract, ethyl acetate extract, n-butanol extract, etc.). Meanwhile, the human bronchial epithelial(16-HBE) cell model of cigarette smoke extract(CSE)-induced injury was established, and the mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and IL-8 and the phosphorylation levels of p38 and IκB proteins were also taken as indexes to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of different extracts of Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction. The results showed that Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction significantly antagonized airway inflammation in mice by down-regulating the expression levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in mice with airway inflammation and 16-HBE cells with CSE-induced injury and inhibiting the phosphorylation levels of p38 and IκB. The dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts of Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction showed significant anti-inflammatory effects, while such effects of other extracts were not prominent. Furthermore, the database of Pinelliae Rhizoma composition was constructed, and the components in effective extracts were analyzed by HPLC-TOF-MS and Nano-LC-MS/MS. As revealed by the results, the compositions of the two effective extracts were similar with 36 common components. They were combined and then divided into Pinelliae Rhizoma alkaloids(PTAs) and Pinelliae Rhizoma non-alkaloids(PTNAs) by 732 cation-exchange resin. Further in vitro investigation confirmed the significant anti-inflammatory effect of PTNAs, while such effect of PTAs was not manifest. The MS analysis showed 172 peptides and 7 organic acids in PTNAs. The peptide content in PTNAs was 63.5% measured by quantitative analysis of BCA assay, and the organic acid content was 9.92% by potentiometric titration method. The findings of this study suggested that Pinelliae Rhizoma Decoction could antagonize airway inflammation in mice by inhibiting phosphorylation of p38 and IκB and blocking the activation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways, and the effective components were related to the peptides and organic acids in PTNAs. The above results lay a foundation for the research on the mechanism and material basis of Pinelliae Rhizoma in antagonizing airway inflammation.

Interpenetration Symmetry Control Within Ultramicroporous Robust Boron Cluster Hybrid MOFs for Benchmark Purification of Acetylene from Carbon Dioxide.

The separation of C2 H2 /CO2 is an important process in industry but challenged by the trade-off of capacity and selectivity owning to their similar physical properties and identical kinetic molecular size. We report the first example of symmetrically interpenetrated dodecaborate pillared MOF, ZNU-1, for benchmark selective separation of C2 H2 from CO2 with a high C2 H2 capacity of 76.3 cm3 g-1 and record C2 H2 /CO2 selectivity of 56.6 (298 K, 1 bar) among all the robust porous materials without open metal sites. Single crystal structure analysis and modeling indicated that the interpenetration shifting from asymmetric to symmetric mode provided optimal pore chemistry with ideal synergistic "2+2" dihydrogen bonding sites for tight C2 H2 trapping. The exceptional separation performance was further evidenced by simulated and experimental breakthroughs with excellent recyclability and high productivity (2.4 mol kg-1 ) of 99.5 % purity C2 H2 during stepped desorption process.

[Effect of Pinelliae Rhizoma processed with lime and licorice on toxic lectin protein].

The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of lime and licorice processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma on its toxic lectin protein and clarify the scientific detoxification connotation of lime and licorice processing of Pinelliae Rhizoma. Western blot was used to semi-quantitatively analyze the contents of lectin in Pinelliae Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum. Raw products and lectin were treated by soaking in licorice juice, lime solution or mixture solution of these two to investigate the different processing time on the content of toxic lectin protein. SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the changes of lectin protein bands in the solution and precipitates before and after processing. MALDI-TOF technology was used to qualitatively analyze and compare the protein molecular weight before and after processing. The results showed that the contents of lectin in Pinelliae Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum were 5.01% and 0.04% respectively, indicating that processing could significantly reduce the content of active lectin in raw products. The results also showed that the content of lectin in raw drugs decreased significantly after soaking in lime solution for one day or in licorice juice for three day, and the effect was greatest in mixture solution. Qualitative analysis showed that after being treated by soaking in lime solution, the lectin protein was decomposed into small peptide segments, while after being treated by soaking in licorice juice, the lectin protein was denatured and precipitated. The structure of lectin protein in Pinelliae Rhizoma was broken after being processed with licorice juice and lime solution, which significantly reduced the content of toxic lectinprotein. This is one of the detoxification mechanisms of Pinelliae Rhizoma processing.

Rational Design of Microporous MOFs with Anionic Boron Cluster Functionality and Cooperative Dihydrogen Binding Sites for Highly Selective Capture of Acetylene.

Separation of acetylene (C2 H2 ) from carbon dioxide (CO2 ) or ethylene (C2 H4 ) is important in industry but limited by the low capacity and selectivity owing to their similar molecular sizes and physical properties. Herein, we report two novel dodecaborate-hybrid metal-organic frameworks, MB12 H12 (dpb)2 (termed as BSF-3 and BSF-3-Co for M=Cu and Co), for highly selective capture of C2 H2 . The high C2 H2 capacity and remarkable C2 H2 /CO2 selectivity resulted from the unique anionic boron cluster functionality as well as the suitable pore size with cooperative proton-hydride dihydrogen bonding sites (B-Hδ- ⋅⋅⋅Hδ+ -C≡C-Hδ+ ⋅⋅⋅Hδ- -B). This new type of C2 H2 -specific functional sites represents a fresh paradigm distinct from those in previous leading materials based on open metal sites, strong electrostatics, or hydrogen bonding.

Neuroprotective Effect of Dichloromethane Extraction From Piper nigrum L. and Piper longum L. on Permanent Focal Cerebral Ischemia Injury in Rats.

BACKGROUND: Piper nigrum L. and Piper longum L. consist a classic formula in traditional Chinese Hui medicine and are widely used in treatment of stroke. To examine the therapeutic effect of neuron injury after apoplexy, we used a permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion model in rats to investigate the effects of dichloromethane fraction (DF) of Piper nigrum L. and Piper longum L. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After subjecting the rats to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion, DF (100 and 200 mg/kg) were administered for 14 days. Neurological deficits and the degree of cerebral tissue injury was detected by 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium Chloride Staining Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Nissl staining. Postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), synapsin-I (syn-I), and α-synuclein (α-syn) were stained by immunohistochemistry. PSD-95, Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II), phosphorylated CaMK II (p-CaMK II), CaM, N-methyl D-aspartate receptor subtype 2B (NR2B) expression were detected by Western blot. Meanwhile, phytochemical profile of DF was determined through ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS). RESULTS: DF alleviated neurological deficits and markedly prevented ischemia-induced cellular damage. Immunohistochemical micrographs revealed that PSD-95 and syn-I proteins increased, and α-syn presented reduced expression in brain samples from the sham group. Western blot analyses revealed that the model group exhibited a noticeable reduction in PSD-95, p-CaMK II, CaM, and NR2B. The DF-treated model group exhibited increased PSD-95, p-CaMK II, CaM, and NR2B. UPLC-Q-TOF/MS analysis revealed eight main components of DF, of which piperine accounted for the largest proportion.

[Effect of processing on toxic components lectin from four kinds of Araceae toxic medicines].

The study aimed to investigate the effect of processing on lectin protein in four toxic Chinese medicines tubers of Pinellia ternata,P. pedatisecta,Arisema heterophyllum and Typhonium giganteum. Western blot was used to semi-quantitatively analyze the content of lectin in the four kinds of toxic Chinese medicines and their different processed products. Raw products and lectin were treated by heating or soaking in ginger juice or alum solution. The effects of different excipients and the heating methods on lectin proteins were investigated. The results showed that the content of lectin in raw products of P. pedatisecta,P. ternata,A. heterophyllum,and T. giganteum were 7. 3%,4. 9%,2. 7%,2. 3%,respectively. And the content of lectin in Pinelliae Rhizoma praeparatum cum alumine was 0. 027%. Lectin was not detected in the Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum cum Zingibere et Alumine,Arisaematis Rhizma Praeparatum and Typhonii Rhizoma Praeparatum,which indicated that processing could significantly reduce the content of active lectin in raw products. The results also showed that with the prolongation of soaking and heating time,the content of lectin in raw products decreased gradually,while the content was almost unchanged when soaked in ginger juice alone. The effects of different excipients and heating on lectin were the same as those on raw products. Therefore,the method with alum soaking and heating can reduce the content of active lectin,which is the key to reduce the toxicity of toxic Chinese medicines. In this paper,Western blot was used to study the content of toxic protein in Araceae toxic Chinese medicines as an evaluation method of the processing degree.

A Microporous Metal-Organic Framework Supramolecularly Assembled from a CuII Dodecaborate Cluster Complex for Selective Gas Separation.

A novel 3D metal-organic framework BSF-1 based on the closo-dodecaborate cluster [B12 H12 ]2- was readily prepared at room temperature by supramolecular assembly of CuB12 H12 and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)acetylene. The permanent microporous structure was studied by X-ray crystallography, powder X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and gas sorption. The experimental and theoretical study of the gas sorption behavior of BSF-1 for N2 , C2 H2 , C2 H4 , CO2 , C3 H8 , C2 H6 , and CH4 indicated excellent separation selectivities for C3 H8 /CH4 , C2 H6 /CH4 , and C2 H2 /CH4 as well as moderately high separation selectivities for C2 H2 /C2 H4 , C2 H2 /CO2 , and CO2 /CH4 . Moreover, the practical separation performance of C3 H8 /CH4 and C2 H6 /CH4 was confirmed by dynamic breakthrough experiments. The good cyclability and high water/thermal stability render it suitable for real industrial applications.

Fusing Carborane Carboxylic Acids with Alkynes: 3D Analogues of Isocoumarins via Regioselective B-H Activation.

An iridium-catalyzed alkenylation/annulation sequence between monocarba-closo-dodecaborate carboxylic acids and diarylacetylenes is reported. Regioselective activation of the B2 position, followed by B-C bond formation and ring closure, affords 3D bora-analogues of isocoumarins. The reaction tolerates a variety of functional groups on the aromatic rings and can be extended to B12-substituted derivatives. Furthermore, subsequent alkenylation of the B4 vertex has been achieved in high yields.