Paeonol represses A549 cell glycolytic reprogramming and proliferation by decreasing m6A modification of Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase.

Aberrant glycolytic reprogramming is involved in lung cancer progression by promoting the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer cells. Paeonol, as a traditional Chinese medicine, plays a critical role in multiple cancer cell proliferation and inflammation. Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACADM) is involved in the development of metabolic diseases. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is important for the regulation of messenger RNA stability, splicing, and translation. Here, we investigated whether paeonol regulates the proliferation and glycolytic reprogramming via ACADM with m6A modification in A549 cells (human non-small cell lung cancer cells). Cell counting kit 8, 5-Bromo-2-deoxyuridine, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation, flow cytometry analysis, western blotting and seahorse XFe24 extracellular flux analyzer assays showed that paeonol had a significant inhibitory effect against A549 cell proliferation and glycolysis. Mechanistically, ACADM was a functional target of paeonol. We also showed that the m6A reader YTH domain containing 1 plays an important role in m6A-modified ACADM expression, which is negatively regulated by paeonol, and is involved in A549 cell proliferation and glycolytic reprogramming. These results indicated the central function of paeonol in regulating A549 cell glycolytic reprogramming and proliferation via m6A modification of ACADM.

Regular Tai Chi Practice Is Associated With Improved Memory as Well as Structural and Functional Alterations of the Hippocampus in the Elderly.

OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed at comparing the effects of Tai Chi (a motor-cognitive exercise) with walking (an exercise without cognitive demands) on cognitive performance, brain structure, and brain function in the elderly. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 42 healthy elderly women within two groups: Tai Chi (n = 20; mean age = 62.90 ± 2.38 years) and brisk walking exercise (n = 22; mean age = 63.27 ± 3.58 years). All the participants underwent a cognitive assessment via the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and brain structural and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) assessments. RESULTS: Episodic memory in the Tai Chi group was superior to that of the walking group. Higher gray matter density in the inferior and medial temporal regions (including the hippocampus) and higher ReHo in temporal regions (specifically the fusiform gyrus and hippocampus) were found in the Tai Chi group. Significant partial correlations were found between the gray matter density of the left hippocampus and episodic memory in the whole sample. Significant partial correlations were observed between the ReHo in left hippocampus, left parahippocampal, left fusiform, and delayed memory task, which was observed among all subjects. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that long-term Tai Chi practice may improve memory performance via remodeling the structure and function of the hippocampus.

Outstanding Performance of Magnetically Separable Sulfureted MoO3/Fe-Ti Spinel for Gaseous Hg0 Recovery from Smelting Flue Gas: Mechanism and Adsorption Kinetics.

To replace the hazardous and complicated Boliden-Norzink technology, the technology of Hg0 recovery from smelting flue gas by a magnetic and reproducible sulfureted MoO3/Fe-Ti spinel was employed to keep the produced H2SO4 free of Hg. The sulfureted MoO3/Fe-Ti spinel showed excellent performance in capturing gaseous Hg0, with an average adsorption rate of 93.3 µg g-1 min-1 and an adsorption capacity of 66.3 mg g-1 at 60 °C, which were much better than those of most of the other reported sorbents. Meanwhile, the sulfureted MoO3/Fe-Ti spinel exhibited excellent superparamagnetism and magnetization of 19.9 emu g-1, which ensured that it could easily be magnetically separated without a specialized precipitator or the molding of pulverous sorbents to monolithic sorbents. To investigate the promotion mechanism of MoO3 loading on Hg0 adsorption onto the sulfureted Fe-Ti spinel, the Hg0 adsorption kinetic parameters of the sulfureted MoO3/Fe-Ti spinel and sulfureted Fe-Ti spinel, resulting from the fitting of the adsorption breakthrough curves based on the kinetic model, were compared. The promotion of MoO3 loading was attributed to the remarkable increase in the adsorption sites on the sulfureted Fe-Ti spinel for Hg0 physical adsorption, which was mainly related to the formation of the MoS3 layer.

Tai Chi Training Evokes Significant Changes in Brain White Matter Network in Older Women.

Background: Cognitive decline is age relevant and it can start as early as middle age. The decline becomes more obvious among older adults, which is highly associated with increased risk of developing dementia (e.g., Alzheimer's disease). White matter damage was found to be related to cognitive decline through aging. The purpose of the current study was to compare the effects of Tai Chi (TC) versus walking on the brain white matter network among Chinese elderly women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted where 42 healthy elderly women were included. Tai Chi practitioners (20 females, average age: 62.9 ± 2.38 years, education level 9.05 ± 1.8 years) and the matched walking participants (22 females, average age: 63.27 ± 3.58 years, educational level: 8.86 ± 2.74 years) underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) scans. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and graph theory were employed to study the data, construct the white matter matrix, and compare the brain network attributes between the two groups. Results: Results from graph-based analyses showed that the small-world attributes were higher for the TC group than for the walking group (p < 0.05, Cohen's d = 1.534). Some effects were significant (p < 0.001) with very large effect sizes. Meanwhile, the aggregation coefficient and local efficiency attributes were also higher for the TC group than for the walking group (p > 0.05). However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in node attributes and edge analysis. Conclusion: Regular TC training is more conducive to optimize the brain functioning and networking of the elderly. The results of the current study help to identify the mechanisms underlying the cognitive protective effects of TC.

Treatment of heavily polluted river water by tidal-operated biofilters with organic/inorganic media: Evaluation of performance and bacterial community.

In this study, biofilters (BFs) packed with inorganic (ceramsite and lava rock) and organic (fibrous carrier and biological ball) materials were applied in a tide-flow mode at three flooded/drained (F/D) time ratios (16/8 h, 12/12 h and 8/16 h) to treat heavily polluted river water. The results showed that higher ammonium and phosphorus removals were achieved with BFs filled with ceramsite (95-97% and 76-77%) and lava rock (87-92% and 84-94%), while fibrous carrier-packed BFs obtained better total nitrogen removal (37-44%). Moreover, the F/D time ratio of 16/8 h was slightly preferable for pollutant removal. High-throughput sequencing analysis illustrated that the relative abundance of potential denitrifiers that developed on organic media was much higher than those on inorganic substrates. The results indicated that the combination of inorganic materials and fibrous carriers as substrates could be an effective strategy for enhancing overall pollutant removal in BFs.

[Effects and mechanisms of Xiao-Ai-Ping injection on angiogenesis].

This study was designed to investigate the effect of Xiao-Ai-Ping injection on cancer angiogenesis. CCK8 assay and Brd U incorporation immunofluorescence assay were used to detect the effect of Xiao-Ai-Ping injection on HUVECs proliferation; wound healing assay and transwell assay were employed to test the effect of Xiao-Ai-Ping injection on HUVECs migration. The anti-angiogenic effect of Xiao-Ai-Ping injection was examined by tube formation assay, rat aortic ring assay and chicken chorioallantoic membrane(CAM) assay. ELISA assay was used to measure the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF); and the activation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2(VEGFR2) protein and its downstream signaling pathways were examined by Western blot. Our data demonstrated that Xiao-Ai-Ping injection inhibited HUVECs proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and the IC(50) (mg·m L(-1)) values for 24, 48 and 72 h were 48.7 ± 7.14, 29.1 ±2.25 and 22.0 ± 4.53, individually. Xiao-Ai-Ping injection inhibited HUVECs DNA synthesis and migration. Xiao-Ai-Ping injection suppressed HUVECs tube formation, and reduced microvessel sprouting from rat aortic rings and vessel growth in CAMs. Furthermore, Xiao-Ai-Ping injection attenuated the secretion of VEGF, and inhibited the expression of p-VEGFR2 and phosphorylation of protein kinase B(p-AKT). We conclude that Xiao-Ai-Ping injection inhibits angiogenesis by down-regulation of VEGF signaling and AKT pathway.

Reversible inhibitors of regulators of G-protein signaling identified in a high-throughput cell-based calcium signaling assay.

Regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins potently suppress G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signal transduction by accelerating GTP hydrolysis on activated heterotrimeric G-protein α subunits. RGS4 is enriched in the CNS and is proposed as a therapeutic target for treatment of neuropathological states including epilepsy and Parkinson's disease. Therefore, identification of novel RGS4 inhibitors is of interest. An HEK293-FlpIn cell-line stably expressing M3-muscarinic receptor with doxycycline-regulated RGS4 expression was employed to identify compounds that inhibit RGS4-mediated suppression of M3-muscarinic receptor signaling. Over 300,000 compounds were screened for an ability to enhance Gαq-mediated calcium signaling in the presence of RGS4. Compounds that modulated the calcium response in a counter-screen in the absence of RGS4 were not pursued. Of the 1365 RGS4-dependent primary screen hits, thirteen compounds directly target the RGS-G-protein interaction in purified systems. All thirteen compounds lose activity against an RGS4 mutant lacking cysteines, indicating that covalent modification of free thiol groups on RGS4 is a common mechanism. Four compounds produce >85% inhibition of RGS4-G-protein binding at 100µM, yet are >50% reversible within a ten-minute time frame. The four reversible compounds significantly alter the thermal melting temperature of RGS4, but not G-protein, indicating that inhibition is occurring through interaction with the RGS protein. The HEK cell-line employed for this study provides a powerful tool for efficiently identifying RGS-specific modulators within the context of a GPCR signaling pathway. As a result, several new reversible, cell-active RGS4 inhibitors have been identified for use in future biological studies.