Polymerized Network-Based Artificial Peroxisome Reprogramming Macrophages for Photoacoustic Imaging-Guided Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Artificial peroxisomes (AP) with enzyme-mimetic catalytic activity and recruitment ability have drawn a great deal of attention in fabricating protocell systems for scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), modulating the inflammatory microenvironment, and reprogramming macrophages, which is of great potential in treating inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Herein, a macrophage membrane-cloaked Cu-coordinated polyphthalocyanine-based AP (CuAP) is prepared with a macrocyclic conjugated polymerized network and embedded Cu-single atomic active center, which mimics the catalytic activity and coordination environment of natural superoxide dismutase and catalase, possesses the inflammatory recruitment ability of macrophages, and performs photoacoustic imaging (PAI)-guided treatment. The results of both in vitro cellular and in vivo animal experiments demonstrated that the CuAP under ultrasound and microbubbles could efficiently scavenge excess ROS in cells and tissues, modulate microenvironmental inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α, and arginase-1, and reprogram macrophages by polarization of M1 (proinflammatory phenotype) to M2 (anti-inflammatory phenotype). We believe this study offers a proof of concept for engineering multifaceted AP and a promising approach for a PAI-guided treatment platform for RA.

Microwave pretreatment effects on the aroma precursors, sensory characteristics and flavor profiles of fragrant rapeseed oil.

Microwave technology offers a rapid and uniform heating method. This study investigated how microwave pretreatment affects the aroma precursors and flavor of fragrant rapeseed oils (FROs). Microwave pretreatment led to decreased levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, sugars, protein-bound amino acids, and glucosinolates. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we identified 66 volatile compounds in the oil samples. Among these, based on odor activity values (OAV ≥ 1), we found 9 aldehydes, 1 ketone, 6 pyrazines, 1 isothiocyanate, and 7 nitriles as the key aroma-active compounds, contributing fatty-like, nutty-like, and pungent-like odors, respectively. The electronic nose results highlighted W5S and W1W as primary sensors for determining the flavor profiles of FROs. Notably, aroma-active pyrazines exhibited strong negative correlations with sucrose, cysteine, lysine, and isoleucine. This research provides essential insights for enhancing the aroma of FROs.

Significance of the total renal chronicity score in predicting renal outcome in PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R)-associated membranous nephropathy accounts for the majority of membranous nephropathy; however, few studies have determined the prognostic impact and clinical application of renal pathologic change on this disease. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 262 patients with PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy was conducted. The total renal chronicity score calculated according to the degree of glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, and arteriosclerosis was applied to evaluate renal chronicity. Baseline bias was adjusted by inverse probability weight when assessing the prognostic impact of chronicity, and multiple parameters were used to evaluate the application value of renal chronicity. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 24.5 months, renal outcome (kidney function deterioration and/or end-stage kidney disease) was observed in 22 (8.40%) patients. Not only did a higher total renal chronicity score independently predict renal outcome [odds ratio (OR): 1.562, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.073-2.273, P = 0.020], but non-minimal chronicity was also an independent risk factor for renal outcome (OR: 3.170, 95% CI 1.040-9.659, P = 0.042). Moreover, the membranous nephropathy risk classification in the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline integrated with non-minimal chronicity showed improvements in categorical net reclassification (0.174, 95% CI 0.012-0.335, P = 0.035), continuous net reclassification (0.462, 95% CI 0.087-0.838, P = 0.016), and integrated discrimination (0.019, 95% CI 0.003-0.035, P = 0.020) compared to the original classification. CONCLUSIONS: Renal chronicity is closely associated with renal outcomes in PLA2R-associated membranous nephropathy, and combining the KDIGO risk classification with chronicity scores may provide a more accurate prognostic prediction.

TP63 truncating mutation causes increased cell apoptosis and premature ovarian insufficiency by enhanced transcriptional activation of CLCA2.

BACKGROUND: Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a severe disorder leading to female infertility. Genetic mutations are important factors causing POI. TP63-truncating mutation has been reported to cause POI by increasing germ cell apoptosis, however what factors mediate this apoptosis remains unclear. METHODS: Ninety-three patients with POI were recruited from Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed for each patient. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm potential causative genetic variants. A minigene assay was performed to determine splicing effects of TP63 variants. A TP63-truncating plasmid was constructed. Real-time quantitative PCR, western blot analyses, dual luciferase reporter assays, immunofluorescence staining, and cell apoptosis assays were used to study the underlying mechanism of a TP63-truncating mutation causing POI. RESULTS: By WES of 93 sporadic patients with POI, we found a 14-bp deletion covering the splice site in the TP63 gene. A minigene assay demonstrated that the 14-bp deletion variant led to exon 13 skipping during TP63 mRNA splicing, resulting in the generation of a truncated TP63 protein (TP63-mut). Overexpression of TP63-mut accelerated cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, the TP63-mut protein could bind to the promoter region of CLCA2 and activate the transcription of CLCA2 several times compared to that of the TP63 wild-type protein. Silencing CLCA2 using a specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) or inhibiting the Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) pathway using the KU55933 inhibitor attenuated cell apoptosis caused by TP63-mut protein expression. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed a crucial role for CLCA2 in mediating apoptosis in POI pathogenesis, and suggested that CLCA2 is a potential therapeutic target for POI.

Transformation of A1/A2 Astrocytes Participates in Brain Ischemic Tolerance Induced by Cerebral Ischemic Preconditioning via Inhibiting NDRG2.

Cerebral ischemic preconditioning (CIP) has been shown to improve brain ischemic tolerance against subsequent lethal ischemia. Reactive astrocytes play important roles in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Recent studies have shown that reactive astrocytes can be polarized into neurotoxic A1 phenotype (C3d) and neuroprotective A2 phenotype (S100A10). However, their role in CIP remains unclear. Here, we focused on the role of N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2) in regulating the transformation of A1/A2 astrocytes and promoting to brain ischemic tolerance induced by CIP. A Sprague Dawley rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) was used. Rats were divided into the following six groups: (1) sham group; (2) CIP group: left middle cerebral artery was blocked for 10 min; (3) MCAO/R group: left middle cerebral artery was blocked for 90 min; (4) CIP + MCAO/R group: CIP was performed 72 h before MCAO/R; (5) AAV-NDRG2 + CIP + MCAO/R group: adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying NDRG2 was administered 14 days before CIP + MCAO/R; (6) AAV-Ctrl + CIP + MCAO/R group: empty control group. The rats were subjected to neurological evaluation 24 h after the above treatments, and then were sacrificed for 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetraolium chloride staining, thionin staining, immunofluorescence and western blot analysis. In CIP + MCAO/R group, the neurological deficit scores decreased, infarct volume reduced, and neuronal density increased compared with MCAO/R group. Notably, CIP significantly increased S100A10 expression and the number of S100A10+/GFAP+ cells, and also increased NDRG2 expression. MCAO/R significantly decreased S100A10 expression and the number of S100A10+/GFAP+ cells yet increased C3d expression and the number of C3d+/GFAP+ cells and NDRG2 expression, and these trends were reversed by CIP + MCAO/R. Furthermore, over-expression of NDRG2 before CIP + MCAO/R, the C3d expression and the number of C3d+/GFAP+ cells increased, while S100A10 expression and the number of S100A10+/GFAP+ cells decreased. Meanwhile, over-expression of NDRG2 blocked the CIP-induced brain ischemic tolerance. Taken together, these results suggest that CIP exerts neuroprotective effects against ischemic injury by suppressing A1 astrocyte polarization and promoting A2 astrocyte polarization via inhibiting NDRG2 expression.

Ultrasound-based detection of inflammatory changes for early diagnosis and risk model construction of psoriatic arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is the most prevalent coexisting condition associated with psoriasis. Early-stage PsA patients always present unspecific and subtle clinical manifestations causing delayed diagnosis and leading to unfavorable health outcomes. The application of ultrasound enables precise identification of inflammatory changes in musculoskeletal structures. Hence, we constructed ultrasound models to aid early diagnosis of PsA. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in the Department of Dermatology at West China Hospital (October 2018-April 2021). All participants underwent thorough ultrasound examinations. Participants were classified into the under 45 group (18 ≤ age ≤ 45) and over 45 group (age > 45) and then randomly grouped into derivation and test cohort (7:3). Univariable logistic regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and multivariable logistic regression visualized by nomogram were conducted in order. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC), calibration curve, decision curve analysis (DCA), and clinical impact curve analysis (CICA) were performed for model verification. RESULTS: A total of 1256 participants were included, with 767 participants in the under 45 group and 489 in the over 45 group. Eleven and sixteen independent ultrasonic variables were finally selected to construct the under 45 and over 45 model with the area under the ROC of 0.83 (95%CI: 0.78-0.87) and 0.83 (95%CI: 0.78-0.88) in derivation cohort, respectively. The DCA and CICA analyses showed good clinical utility of the two models. CONCLUSION: The implementation of the ultrasound models could streamline the diagnostic process for PsA in psoriasis patients, leading to expedited evaluations while maintaining diagnostic accuracy.

NRF2 is essential for iron-overload stimulated osteoclast differentiation through regulation of redox and iron homeostasis.

Iron overload enhances osteoclastic bone resorption and induces osteoporosis. Excess iron is highly toxic. The modulation of redox and iron homeostasis is critical for osteoclast differentiation under iron-overload condition. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a transcription factor that regulates the cellular defense against oxidative stress and iron overload through the expression of genes involved in anti-oxidative processes and iron metabolism. Our studies demonstrated that NRF2 activation was suppressed during osteoclast differentiation. Under iron-overload condition, NRF2 and its mediated antioxidant and iron metabolism genes were activated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), which enhanced antioxidant capability. NRF2 mediated the upregulation of iron exporter ferroportin 1 (FPN1) and iron storage protein ferritin, contributing to decreased levels of intracellular iron. Nfe2l2 knockout induced oxidative stress and promoted osteoclast differentiation under normal condition, but induced ferroptosis under iron-overload condition. Nfe2l2 knockout alleviated iron overload induced bone loss by inhibiting osteoclast differentiation. Our results suggest that NRF2 activation is essential for osteoclast differentiation by enhancing antioxidant capability and reducing intracellular iron under iron-overload condition. Targeting NRF2 to induce ferroptosis could be a potential therapy for the treatment of iron-overload induced osteoporosis.

Association between endometriosis and metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional study based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis has been reported to be associated with metabolism-related diseases, such as hypercholesterolemia and diabetes, while no studies have reported the association between endometriosis and metabolic syndrome. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the association between endometriosis and metabolic syndrome. Also, the association between endometriosis and single metabolic syndrome indicator was explored. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). A total of 2389 participants were finally included for analysis, with 2212 in the non-endometriosis group and 177 in the endometriosis group. Association between endometriosis and metabolic syndrome was explored using multivariate logistic regression analysis, with results shown as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Association between endometriosis and single metabolic syndrome indicator was explored using multivariate liner regression analysis. RESULTS: After adjusting age, race, education level, family poverty to income ratio (PIR), smoking, age at menarche, gravidity, menopause, female hormones use, and dyslipidemia drug use, endometriosis was associated with the higher odds of metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.01-2.35). Further adjusting hysterectomy or oophorectomy, we found the similar association despite no statistical significance (OR = 1.47, 95%CI: 0.96-2.25). Moreover, we found endometriosis was associated with the high level of triglyceride (TG) (ß = 0.38, 95%CI: 0.06-0.70). CONCLUSIONS: Our study found the association between endometriosis and metabolic conditions, indicating that metabolic conditions of endometriosis women should be focused, and monitoring the blood lipid levels may be significant in decreasing the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Shear wave elastography-based skin assessment system for systemic sclerosis: a supplement or alternative to conventional ultrasound?

Background: Although shear wave elastography (SWE) has been found to have the potential to evaluate skin lesions in systemic sclerosis (SSc), current research fails to answer the following questions: (I) can high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) and SWE at multiple sites throughout the body distinguish SSc subtypes; (II) is HFUS and SWE at every site equally affected by clinical characteristics; and (III) is SWE a supplement or a choice to HFUS. This prospective study aimed to compare the value of SWE-based skin stiffness and HFUS-based skin thickness in distinguishing different SSc subtypes, verify the influence of clinical features on SWE and HFUS, and provide a basis for the screening of the optimal evaluation sites and indicators in the future. Methods: Forty-nine limited and 51 diffuse SSc patients were included in this study. Their skin was assessed at 17 sites by palpation using the modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS), skin thickness measured by HFUS, and skin stiffness by SWE. Clinical features, including age, sex, body mass index, and disease duration, were collected. Results: The diffuse SSc patients had higher skin stiffness at most sites (P<0.05), except for the finger, foot, and forehead, and a thicker skin layer at most sites (P<0.05), except for the finger. The area under the curve (AUC) of HFUS, SWE, and the combination of the two in distinguishing diffused and limited SSc were 0.866, 0.921, and 0.973, respectively. The differences were statistically significant (combination vs. SWE, P=0.002, combination vs. HFUS, P=0.021). Longer disease duration was associated with a thinner skin layer at the forearm, arm, chest wall, abdominal wall, and thigh in limited SSc, including the leg in diffused SSc. SWE was less affected by clinical features than HFUS. SWE could achieve greater discrimination between different mRSSs at multiple sites, such as fingers and arms, than HFUS. Conclusion: For the assessment of SSc skin, SWE has several advantages over HFUS, including less influence by clinical features and greater sensitivity to discriminate different mRSSs. SWE has the potential to become a primary imaging assessment tool as well as HFUS.

Antioxidant properties of lipid concomitants in edible oils: A review.

Edible oils are indispensable for human life, providing energy and necessary fatty acids. Nevertheless, they are vulnerable to oxidation via a number of different mechanisms. Essential nutrients deteriorate as well as toxic substances are produced when edible oils are oxidized; thus, they should be retarded wherever possible. Lipid concomitants have a strong antioxidant capacity and are a large class of biologically active chemical substances in edible oils. They have shown remarkable antioxidant properties and were documented to improve the quality of edible oils in varied ways. An overview of the antioxidant properties of the polar, non-polar, and amphiphilic lipid concomitants present in edible oils is provided in this review. Interactions among various lipid concomitants and the probable mechanisms are also elucidated. This review may provide a theoretical basis and practical reference for food industry practitioners and researchers to understand the underlying cause of variations in the quality of edible oils.

Imaging diagnostic features of intracranial primary extranodal Rosai-Dorfman disease: Two case reports and literature review.

In this report, we describe 2 cases of rare intracranial extranodal Rosai-Dorfman disease. The occurrence of this type of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis in the central nervous system is infrequent, with less than 5% of cases. The first patient was a 35-year-old male who presented with recurring headaches, and the second patient was a 50-year-old male who reported sudden onset of dizziness and vomiting. Computed tomography scans were performed in both cases, but magnetic resonance imaging played a crucial role in the characterization of the lesions and their locations in the thalamus, third ventricle, lateral ventricles, and cerebellopontine angle area. The final diagnosis was confirmed through pathological examination and immunohistochemistry following brain tumor resection. These cases underscore the significance of magnetic resonance imaging in the early diagnosis of intracranial extranodal Rosai-Dorfman disease.

Screening for urinary markers predicting hematopoietic stem cell injury induced by busulfan using genetically diverse mice.

BACKGROUND: Busulfan (BU) is an alkylating agent used as a conditioning agent prior to hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation as it is known to be cytotoxic to host hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. The susceptibility of HSCs to BU injury plays an important role in the myeloablative efficacy of BU. Different susceptibilities were demonstrated in genetically diverse (GD) mice in our preliminary research. METHODS: Three strains of GD mice with different susceptibilities to BU-induced HSC injury were used for screening biological markers of HSC injury susceptibility in urine. The urine proteins were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to screen for differentially expressed proteins. Screening for possible biomarkers based on differences in protein expression abundance was validated using enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). RESULTS: Functional analysis showed that the differential proteins were all involved in a series of biological pathways related to cellular senescence, apoptosis, and angiogenesis; whereas the differential proteins of the high-susceptible strain were enriched for the regulation of bone marrow microenvironment pathways, those of low-susceptible strain were enriched for the proapoptotic effect of GTPase pathways. Based on protein abundance differences, several urinary proteins that may be indicative of susceptibility were screened, and ELISA validation results showed that angiotensin-converting enzyme may be a potential biomarker predicting HSC susceptibility for BU conditioning. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that urinary protein levels can reflect differences in susceptibility to BU-induced HSC injury. Using GD mice to construct genetic difference models will provide preclinical data for screening BU-related biological markers.

Rutaecarpine attenuates high glucose-induced damage in AC16 cardiomyocytes by suppressing the MAPK pathway.

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a common diabetic complication, resulting in heart failure. Rutaecarpine is an active compound with cardiovascular protective effects. However, the function of rutaecarpine in diabetic cardiomyopathy is largely unknown. The aim of this research was to study the effect and action mechanism of rutaecarpine in high glucose (HG)-induced cardiomyocyte damage. The overlapping genes of diabetic cardiomyopathy and rutaecarpine were analyzed according to GeneCards, DisGeNet, and SwissTargetPrediction. Cell damage was investigated by determining apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response in HG-stimulated AC16 cells. The expression of proteins involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling was measured using Western blotting. Totally seven overlapping genes of diabetic cardiomyopathy and rutaecarpine were screened out and predicted to be associated with the MAPK signaling. Rutaecarpine protected against HG-induced cardiomyocyte damage by enhancing cell viability and reducing cell apoptosis, caspase-3 activity, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Rutaecarpine mitigated HG-induced oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes through decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and malondialdehyde (MDA) level and elevating superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) level. Rutaecarpine alleviated HG-induced inflammatory response via reducing the level of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-8. Moreover, rutaecarpine inhibited HG-induced activation of the MAPK pathway. Treatment with MAPK signaling agonist reversed the suppressive effect of rutaecarpine on HG-induced damage. In conclusion, rutaecarpine alleviated HG-induced cardiomyocyte damage through decreasing apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response by inactivating the MAPK pathway.

Dyslipidemia in the First 100 days and the Association with Acute Graft-versus-host Disease after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Single-center Retrospective Study in China.

Dyslipidemia is a common complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The interaction between post-transplant hyperlipidemia and acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is uncertain. In this study, we performed a retrospective study to explore the relationship between dyslipidemia and aGVHD and the potential mechanism of aGVHD on dyslipidemia in 147 recipients who underwent allo-HSCT. The lipid profiles, transplantation details, and other laboratory data of the subjects were collected in the first 100 days post-transplantation. Our results indicated 63 patients with new-onset hypertriglyceridemia and 39 patients with new-onset hypercholesterolemia. A total of 57 (38.8%) patients developed aGVHD after transplantation. In a multifactorial analysis, aGVHD was an independent factor in the development of dyslipidemia in recipients (P < 0.05). After transplantation, the median LDL-C level of patients with aGVHD was 3.04 mmol/L (standard deviation value (SD): 1.36 mmol/L, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.62, 3.45 mmol/L), and the LDL-C level in patients without aGVHD was 2.51 mmol/L (SD: 1.38 mmol/L, CI: 2.67, 3.40 mmol/L) (P < 0.05). Female recipients had higher lipid levels than males (P < 0.05). LDL levels (≥ 3.4 mmol/L) post-transplant were an independent risk factor for the development of aGVHD (OR = 0.311, P < 0.05). In conclusion, larger sample studies are anticipated to confirm our preliminary result, and an accurate mechanism between lipid metabolism and aGVHD needs to be determined in the future.

Paxillin is a potential prognostic biomarker associated with immune cell infiltration in ovarian cancer.

Objective: To investigate the expression, prognosis, and underlying mechanism of Paxillin (PXN) in ovarian cancer. Materials and methods: By comprehensive use of various bioinformatics tools, we analyzed the expression of PXN and its prognostic value in ovarian cancer. Then, the enrichment analyses were conducted to determine the possible regulatory pathways PXN involved in ovarian cancer. Finally, the associations of PXN expression with immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints were analyzed. Results: PXN was highly expressed in ovarian cancer and its expression could independently predict the overall survival of ovarian cancer patients. More importantly, PXN had a superior ability in predicting long-term survival than age and tumor residual disease in ovarian cancer patients. In addition, PXN was positively related to adherens junction and tight junction pathways. Significant negative relationships between PXN expression and immune infiltrates were observed, however, PXN was positively connected with immune checkpoint (VSIR) in ovarian cancer. Conclusions: PXN serves as a reliable prognostic biomarker and may be a potent therapeutic target for ovarian cancer. Moreover, high PXN expression may affect ovarian cancer progression via positive regulation of metastasis-related pathways.

The Clinical Characteristics of Psoriatic Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on the Psoriatic Arthritis Cohort of West China Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to describe the demographic, clinical, laboratory, and ultrasonic characteristics of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in the Psoriatic Arthritis cohort of West China Hospital. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we included patients diagnosed with PsA according to the Classification Criteria for Psoriatic Arthritis, collected their demographic information, medical histories, and treatments, evaluated all domains (skin and nail lesions, tenderness, swelling, enthesitis, dactylitis, and axial arthritis) related to PsA, and then performed descriptive statistical analyses of all data. RESULTS: A total of 275 patients with PsA were included in this study. The ratio of male to female patients was 2.16:1. Skin lesions preceded arthritis in 86.5% of these patients with PsA with a mean interval of 10.1 years. The metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints, proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints of fingers, and sacroiliac joints are the most commonly involved sites of tenderness, swelling, and the spine, respectively. Among all comorbidities, fatty liver has the highest incidence with 33.1%. Finally, we noted that the mean disease duration of PsA was 4.2 years, suggesting a delay in the diagnosis of PsA. CONCLUSION: Our study proposes that the prevalent population of PsA are male patients with psoriasis over 40 years of age who have a long disease course. For patients with PsA, MCP, PIP joints of fingers, and sacroiliac joints are the most frequently affected anatomical sites. With respect to comorbidities, the association between PsA and fatty liver and the underlying molecular mechanisms are worthy of further exploration.

Synthesized alkyl ferulates with different chain lengths inhibited the formation of lipid oxidation products in soybean oil during deep frying.

The hydrophilic nature of ferulic acid limits its applications under lipophilic conditions. This study set out to evaluate the antioxidant efficacy of alkyl ferulates with different chain lengths in soybean oil under frying conditions. Ferulic acid was esterified with four unbranched fatty alcohols (C4:0-C16:0), and tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) served as a standard for comparison. The antioxidant effect of alkyl ferulates increased with the alkyl chain length. The addition of antioxidants could inhibit increases in the levels of p-anisidine, total polar compounds, conjugated dienes, conjugated trienes, oxidized triglyceride monomers, triglyceride dimers, triglyceride oligomers, and glycerol core aldehydes efficiently, and the inhibitory effects of hexadecyl ferulate was the strongest. Moreover, hexadecyl ferulate and TBHQ exhibited better inhibitory effects on the generation of n-alkanals, (E)-2-alkenals, and 4-oxo-alkanals determined by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance than others. Hence, the long-chain alkyl ferulates meet the industrial demands for ideal antioxidants with strong antioxidant capacity at high temperatures.

Effects of multiple key factors on the performance of petroleum coke-based constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell.

In this study, two constructed wetland-microbial fuel cells (CW-MFC), including a closed-circuit system (CCW-MFC) and an open-circuit system (OCW-MFC) with petroleum coke as electrode and substrate, were constructed to explore the effect of multiple key factors on their operation performances. Compared to a traditional CW, the CCW-MFC system showed better performance, achieving an average removal efficiency of COD, NH4+-N, and TN of 94.49 ± 1.81%, 94.99 ± 4.81%, and 84.67 ± 5.6%, respectively, when the aeration rate, COD concentration, and hydraulic retention time were 0.4 L/min, 300 mg/L, and 3 days. The maximum output voltage (425.2 mV) of the CCW-MFC system was achieved when the aeration rate was 0.2 L/min. In addition, the CCW-MFC system showed a greater denitrification ability due to the higher abundance of Thiothrix that might attract other denitrifying bacteria, such as Methylotenera and Hyphomicrobium, to participate in the denitrifying process, indicating the quorum sensing could be stimulated within the denitrifying microbial community.

Artesunate inhibits osteoclast differentiation by inducing ferroptosis and prevents iron overload-induced bone loss.

Artemisinin compounds have been demonstrated to have anti-osteoporosis effects by inhibiting bone resorption. During osteoclast differentiation, osteoclasts take up a large amount of iron through transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) mediated endocytosis of transferrin (Tf). Since iron-dependent cleavage of endoperoxide bridge is of great importance for the antimalarial effects of artemisinin compounds, we raised a hypothesis that the cytotoxic effects of artemisinin compounds on osteoclasts were associated with enhanced iron uptake. In the present study, we found that Tf aggravated the inhibitory effects of artesunate (ART) on osteoclast viability and differentiation. ART induced the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) in a dose-dependent manner and led to the appearance of mitochondrial features of ferroptotic cells. TfR1 knockdown alleviated these cytotoxic effects of ART on osteoclasts. In addition, ART effectively prevented bone loss induced by iron overload. Our results indicate that ART inhibits iron-uptake stimulated osteoclast differentiation by inducing ferroptosis. Artemisinin compounds are potential drugs for treating iron overload-induced osteoporosis.