Targeting macrophage polarization as a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic osteoarthropathy characterized by the progressive degeneration of articular cartilage and synovial inflammation. Early OA clinical treatments involve intra-articular injection of glucocorticoids, oral acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are used for anti-inflammation and pain relief. However, long-term use of these agents will lead to inevitable side effects, even aggravate cartilage loss. At present, there are no disease-modifying OA drugs (DMOADs) yet approved by regulatory agencies. Polarization regulation of synovial macrophages is a new target for OA treatment. Inhibiting M1 polarization and promoting M2 polarization of synovial macrophages can alleviate synovial inflammation, relieve joint pain and inhibit articular cartilage degradation, which is a promising strategy for OA treatment. In this study, we describe the molecular mechanisms of macrophage polarization and its key role in the development of OA. Subsequently, we summarize the latest progress of strategies for OA treatment through macrophage reprogramming, including small molecule compounds (conventional western medicine and synthetic compounds, monomer compounds of traditional Chinese medicine), biomacromolecules, metal/metal oxides, cells, and cell derivatives, and interprets the molecular mechanisms, hoping to provide some information for DMOADs development.

An aptasensor for cadmium ions detection based on PEI-MoS2@Au NPs 3D flower-like nanocomposites and Thi-PtPd NPs core-shell sphere.

A novel ultrasensitive electrochemical aptasensor was proposed for quantitative detection of Cd2+. To this end, flower-like polyethyleneimine-functionalized molybdenum disulfide-supported gold nanoparticles (PEI-MoS2 NFs@Au NPs) were used as substrates for the modification of bare gold electrodes (AuE). PEI-MoS2 NFs@Au NPs not only possessed excellent biocompatibility and large specific surface area to enhance the cDNA loading capacity, but also possessed good conductivity to accelerate the electron transfer rate. Furthermore, the preparation of dendritic platinum-palladium nanoparticles (PtPd NPs) can effectively load Cd2+-aptamer. Thionine and aptamers were loaded onto PtPd NPs to construct Thi-PtPd NPs-aptamer signal probes. The signal probes were captured by the cDNA immobilized on the electrode via base-pairing rule, and the signal of Thi was detected by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). In the presence of Cd2+, aptamer-cDNA unwinded, and the combination of aptamer and Cd2+ caused the signal probes to fall off the electrode and the electrical signal decreases. Under optimal conditions, the proposed aptasensor exhibited a linear relationship between the logarithm of Cd2+ concentration and the current response over a wide range of 1 × 10-3 nM to 1 × 102 nM, with a detection limit of 2.34 × 10-4 nM. At the same time, the aptasensor was used to detect Cd2+ in tap water with satisfactory results. In addition, it has good reproducibility, selectivity and stability, and has broad application prospects in heavy metal analysis.

Electrochemical aptasensor based on the target-induced strand displacement strategy-driven for T-2 toxin detection.

Herein, an aptasensor based on target-induced strand displacement (TISD) strategy was developed for sensitive detection of T-2 toxin. Gold nanoparticles@ aminated manganese dioxide (AuNPs@NH2-MnO2) exhibited excellent electrical conductivity and provided more binding sites for aptamer (Apt). Besides, polyethyleneimine-reduced graphene oxide/gold­platinum core-shell nanorods composites (PEI-rGO/Pt@Au NRs) were used to be carriers for signaling tags, as their sufficiently large specific surface area improved the loading capacity for signal molecules. In the presence of T-2, the Apt sequence was more inclined to form an Apt-T-2 complex, and the cDNA was displaced from the Apt-cDNA duplex, while the signal tag was released, resulting in a weakened MB signal, differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used to record the signal change. Under optimal conditions, the signal response of the constructed electrochemical aptasensor exhibited a good linear relationship with the concentration of T-2. The detection limit was 8.74 × 10-7 ng mL-1over a wide range of concentration from 5 × 10-6 ng mL-1 to 5 ng mL-1. Furthermore, the proposed aptasensor had excellent specificity, good stability and can be well applied to the detection of real samples. It provided a new avenue for the research and development of sensitive aptasensors in food detection and analysis.

Enhanced biomass and cadmium accumulation by three cadmium-tolerant plant species following cold plasma seed treatment.

Cold plasma seed treatment can promote plant growth and enhance the resistance of agricultural crops to adverse stress. However, the effects of plasma seed treatment on the growth and phytoextraction response of plants to cadmium (Cd) remain poorly documented. Here, we have investigated the feasibility of using plasma seed treatment to enhance the biomass and Cd accumulation of three Cd-tolerant species, namely Bidens pilosa L, Solanum nigrum L. and Trifolium repens L, under different plasma treatment conditions. Possible enhancement mechanisms are also proposed according to the levels of organic acids in the roots and the Cd fractions in rhizosphere soil following different plasma treatment conditions. The optimum plasma power was 100 W (B. pilosa) or 500 W (S. nigrum and T. repens). The optimum plasma exposure time for all three species was 60 s. Plasma seed treatment under the optimum treatment conditions enhanced plant dry biomass by ~17.3-45.0% and Cd accumulation by 8.8-54.4% across all three species compared to the controls. Furthermore, the phytoremediation efficiencies, bioaccumulation factors and transfer factors of the three species also increased significantly after seed plasma treatment. The promotion of plasma treatment on the biomass and Cd accumulation of three species might be due to increased exudation of organic acids from the roots into the rhizosphere soil, thus increasing the concentrations of acid-soluble Cd to form Cd-organic acid complexes that facilitated the uptake and translocation of Cd by the plants. Results of this study revealed that cold plasma seed treatment is an environmentally friendly, economical and efficient means to develop the application of phytoremediation for Cd-contaminated soils.

Antidiabetic effects of a lipophilic extract obtained from flowers of Wisteria sinensis by activating Akt/GLUT4 and Akt/GSK3ß.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is primarily caused by insulin resistance (IR) in insulin-sensitive tissues, including liver, white adipose tissues (WAT), and skeletal muscles. Discovering nutritious foods with antidiabetic effects is of great significance. Numerous published reports indicated that protein kinase B (Akt) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) play crucial roles in ameliorating IR and diabetic symptoms. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, antidiabetic effects and the potential mechanism of action of WS-PE (a lipophilic extract from edible flowers of Wisteria sinensis) were explored with L6 cells in vitro and in high-fat diet (HFD) + Streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice in vivo. DESIGN: In vivo, HFD + STZ-induced diabetic mice were used as diabetic models to investigate the potential antidiabetic and antidyslipidemic activities. In vitro, a novel GLUT4 translocation assay system was established to evaluate the potential effects of WS-PE on GLUT4 translocation. Western blot analysis was adopted to investigate the molecular mechanisms of WS-PE both in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: vitro, WS-PE increased glucose uptake by stimulating GLUT4 expression and translocation, which were regulated by Akt phosphorylation. In vivo, the WS-PE treatment ameliorated the hyperglycemia, IR, and dyslipidemia and reversed hepatic steatosis and pancreatic damage in diabetic mice. The WS-PE treatment increased GLUT4 expression by Akt activation in WAT and skeletal muscle. Akt activation stimulated GSK3ß phosphorylation in liver and skeletal muscles, indicating that WS-PE showed regulatory effects on glycogen synthesis in liver and skeletal muscles. CONCLUSION: These in vitro and in vivo results indicated that the WS-PE treatment exerted antidiabetic effects by activating Akt/GLUT4 and Akt/GSK3ß.

Coupling between Nitrogen Fixation and Tetrachlorobiphenyl Dechlorination in a Rhizobium-Legume Symbiosis.

Legume-rhizobium symbioses have the potential to remediate soils contaminated with chlorinated organic compounds. Here, the model symbiosis between Medicago sativa and Sinorhizobium meliloti was used to explore the relationships between symbiotic nitrogen fixation and transformation of tetrachlorobiphenyl PCB 77 within this association. 45-day-old seedlings in vermiculite were pretreated with 5 mg L-1 PCB 77 for 5 days. In PCB-supplemented nodules, addition of the nitrogenase enhancer molybdate significantly stimulated dechlorination by 7.2-fold and reduced tissue accumulation of PCB 77 (roots by 96% and nodules by 93%). Conversely, dechlorination decreased in plants exposed to a nitrogenase inhibitor (nitrate) or harboring nitrogenase-deficient symbionts (nifA mutant) by 29% and 72%, respectively. A range of dechlorinated products (biphenyl, methylbiphenyls, hydroxylbiphenyls, and trichlorobiphenyl derivatives) were detected within nodules and roots under nitrogen-fixing conditions. Levels of nitrogenase-derived hydrogen and leghemoglobin expression correlated positively with nodular dechlorination rates, suggesting a more reducing environment promotes PCB dechlorination. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that symbiotic nitrogen fixation acts as a driving force for tetrachlorobiphenyl dechlorination. In turn, this opens new possibilities for using rhizobia to enhance phytoremediation of halogenated organic compounds.

Effects of cadmium on uptake and translocation of nutrient elements in different welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L.) cultivars.

The concentration of nutrient elements is an important quality characteristic of vegetables, and the variation in accumulation among cultivars can provide clues about the mechanism of low accumulation of heavy metals. Pot-culture experiments were arranged under four cadmium (Cd) treatments (CK, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0mg/kg) to explore influences of Cd on the accumulation of nutrient elements in 25 welsh onion cultivars. There were significant positive correlations (p<0.05) between Cd and nutrient elements in the pseudostems and leaves. There were also significant positive correlations in nutrient elements (p<0.05) among cultivars, which might be disturbed under high Cd treatments, especially for P, Fe and Mn. Our results suggested that there is a synergistic effect on the accumulation between Cd and nutrient elements, and within nutrient elements among cultivars. In addition the uptake and translocation process of Cd was closely related to Mn in welsh onion.