A PTER-dependent pathway of taurine metabolism linked to energy balance.

Taurine is a conditionally essential micronutrient and one of the most abundant amino acids in humans1-3. In endogenous taurine metabolism, dedicated enzymes are involved in biosynthesis of taurine from cysteine as well as the downstream derivatization of taurine into secondary taurine metabolites4,5. One such taurine metabolite is N-acetyltaurine6. Levels of N-acetyltaurine are dynamically regulated by diverse physiologic perturbations that alter taurine and/or acetate flux, including endurance exercise7, nutritional taurine supplementation8, and alcohol consumption6,9. While taurine N-acetyltransferase activity has been previously detected in mammalian cells6,7, the molecular identity of this enzyme, and the physiologic relevance of N-acetyltaurine, have remained unknown. Here we show that the orphan body mass index-associated enzyme PTER (phosphotriesterase-related)10 is the principal mammalian taurine N-acetyltransferase/hydrolase. In vitro, recombinant PTER catalyzes bidirectional taurine N-acetylation with free acetate as well as the reverse N-acetyltaurine hydrolysis reaction. Genetic ablation of PTER in mice results in complete loss of tissue taurine N-acetyltransferase/hydrolysis activities and systemic elevation of N-acetyltaurine levels. Upon stimuli that increase taurine levels, PTER-KO mice exhibit lower body weight, reduced adiposity, and improved glucose homeostasis. These phenotypes are recapitulated by administration of N-acetyltaurine to wild-type mice. Lastly, the anorexigenic and anti-obesity effects of N-acetyltaurine require functional GFRAL receptors. Together, these data uncover enzymatic control of a previously enigmatic pathway of secondary taurine metabolism linked to energy balance.

[Mechanism of Kuntai Capsules in treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome rat models based on AGE-RAGE signal pathway].

This study aims to investigate the impact of Kuntai Capsules(KTC) on polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS) rat models and explore the underlying mechanism. Fifty female SD rats were randomly divided into five groups(10 rats in each group), including control group, model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose KTC group. Except for the control group, the other groups were injected with dehydroepiandrosterone(DHEA) combined with a high-fat diet(HFD) to induce the PCOS rat model for 28 days. 0.315, 0.63, and 1.26 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) KTC was dissolved in the same amount of normal saline and given to low-, medium-, and high-dose KTC groups by gavage. Both control group and model group were given the same amount of normal saline for 15 days. After administration, fasting blood glucose(FBG) was measured by a glucose meter. Fasting insulin(FINS), luteinizing hormone(LH), testosterone(T), and follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and LH/FSH ratio and insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR) were calculated. The pathological morphology of ovarian tissue was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The expression levels of collagen α type Ⅲ 1 chain(COL3A1), apoptotic factors Bax, and Bcl-2 were detected using Western blot and immunofluorescence. The mRNA expressions of COL3A1, Bax, and Bcl-2 in ovarian tissue were performed by real-time PCR(RT-PCR). The results show that compared with the control group, the body weight, serum levels of FBG, FINS, LH, T, LH/FSH, and HOMA-IR are higher in model group(P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the level of FSH is lower(P<0.05). In model group, a large number of white blood cells are found in the vaginal exfoliated cells, mainly in the interictal phase. There are more cystic prominences on the surface of the ovary. The thickness of the granular cell layer is reduced, and oocytes are absent. COL3A1 and Bax protein expression levels are increased(P<0.01), while Bcl-2 protein expression levels are decreased(P<0.05) in the ovarian tissue COL3A1 and Bax mRNA expression levels are increased in ovarian tissue(P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the body weight, FBG, FINS, LH, T, LH/FSH, and HOMA-IR in low-, medium-, and high-dose KTC groups are decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the levels of FSH in medium-, and high-dose KTC groups are increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01). Low-, medium-, and high-dose KTC groups gradually show a stable interictal phase. The surface of the ovary is smooth. Oocytes and mature follicles can be seen in ovarian tissue, and the thickness of the granular cell layer is increased. The expression level of COL3A1 protein decreases in low-and medium-dose KTC groups(P<0.05 or P<0.01), and that of Bax protein decreases in low-dose KTC group(P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the expression level of Bcl-2 protein increases in low-dose KTC group(P<0.01). The expression levels of COL3A1 and Bax mRNA decreased in the low-dose KTC group(P<0.05), while the expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA increased(P<0.05). In summary, KTC can inhibit ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis and reduce follicular atresia by regulating the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. It can promote insulin secretion, reduce blood sugar and body weight, restore serum hormone levels, improve symptoms of PCOS, alleviate morphological damage of the ovary, and restore ovarian function, which is of great value in the treatment of PCOS.

Biotransformation of Bioactive Metabolites in Cassiae Semen by Endogenous Enzymes and Probiotics.

The present study evaluated the potential of endogenous enzymes and probiotics in transforming bioactive metabolites to reduce the purgative effect and improve the functional activity of Cassiae Semen and verified and revealed the biotransformation effect of endogenous enzymes. Although probiotics, especially Lactobacillus rhamnosus, exerted the transformation effect, the endogenous enzymes proved to be more effective in transforming the components of Cassiae Semen. After biotransformation by endogenous enzymes for 12 h, the levels of six anthraquinones in Cassiae Semen increased by at least 2.98-fold, and free anthraquinones, total phenolics, and antioxidant activity also showed significant improvement, accompanied by an 82.2% reduction in combined anthraquinones responsible for the purgative effect of Cassiae Semen. Further metabolomic analysis revealed that the biotransformation effect of endogenous enzymes on the bioactive metabolites of Cassiae Semen was complex and diverse, and the biotransformation of quinones and flavonoids was particularly prominent and occurred by three primary mechanisms, hydrolyzation, methylation, and dimerization, might under the action of glycosyl hydrolases, SAM-dependent methyltransferases, and CYP450s. Accordingly, biotransformation by endogenous enzymes emerges as a mild, economical, food safety risk-free, and effective strategy to modify Cassiae Semen into an excellent functional food.

In vitro digestion and fecal fermentation of selenocompounds: impact on gut microbiota, antioxidant activity, and short-chain fatty acids.

Selenium bioavailability is critically influenced by gut microbiota, yet the interaction dynamics with selenocompounds remain unexplored. Our study found that L-Selenomethionine (SeMet) and Se-(Methyl)seleno-L-cysteine (MeSeCys) maintained stability during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. In contrast, Selenite and L-Selenocystine (SeCys2) were degraded by approximately 13% and 35%. Intriguingly, gut microflora transformed MeSeCys, SeCys2, and Selenite into SeMet. Moreover, when SeCys2 and Selenite incubated with gut microbiota, they produced red selenium nanoparticles with diameters ranging between 100 and 400 nm and boosted glutathione peroxidase activity. These changes were positively associated with an increased relative abundance of unclassified_g__Blautia (Family Lachnospiraceae), Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG-003 (Family Erysipelatoclostridiaceae), and uncultured_bacterium_g__Subdoligranulum (Family Ruminococcaceae). Our findings implied that differential microbial sensitivities to selenocompounds, potentially attributable to their distinct mechanisms governing selenium uptake, storage, utilization, and excretion.

Hypericum perforatum L. protects against renal function decline in ovariectomy rat model by regulating expressions of NOS3 and AKT1 in AGE-RAGE pathway.

BACKGROUND: Hypericum perforatum L. (HPL) is a potential traditional Chinese medicine. It could promotes menopausal 'kidney-yin deficiency syndrome' that characterized by renal function decline. However, its potential pharmacological effect and mechanism remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether HPL can improve menopausal renal function decline and to explore its mechanism of action. METHODS: The mainly ingredients of HPL were identified using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS approach, and the potential therapeutic targets of HPL for renal function decline were chose via network pharmacology technique. The key therapeutic metabolites were selected through non-targeted metabolomic and chemometric methods. Then, the network were constructed and the key targets and metabolites were screened. At last, the validation experiments and mechanism exploring were adopted by using Immunofluorescence, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real-time PCR (RT-PCR), and western blotting assays. RESULTS: mainly ingredients of HPL were identified and determined 17 compounds and 29 targets were chose as mainly active compounds and potential therapeutic targets. Based on OVX induced renal decline rat model, after chemometric analysis, 59 endo-metabolites were selected as key therapeutic metabolites, and AGE-RAGE signal pathway in diabetes complications was enriched as the key pathway. By constructing a "disease-component-target" network, Hyperoside, Quercetrin, and quinic were selected as the key therapeutic compounds, and the AKT1 and NOS3 were selected as the key therapeutic targets. The results of ELISA, RT-PCR and western blot experiments indicated that HPL could rescue the abnormal expressions both of AKT1 and NOS3, as well as their related metabolites distortion. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that HPL regulated expression of AKT1 and NOS3 through modulating AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in OVX stimulated rats` renal dysfunction, implicating the potential values of HPL in menopause syndromes therapy.

1,25(OH)2D3 alleviates oxidative stress and inflammation through up-regulating HMGCS2 in DSS-induced colitis.

BACKGROUND: Previous study found that supplements with active vitamin D3 alleviated experimental colitis. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible role of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2), a ketone synthase, on vitamin D3 protecting against experimental colitis. METHODS: HMGCS2 and vitamin D receptor (VDR) were measured in UC patients. The effects of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and exogenous 1,25(OH)2D3 supplementation on experimental colitis were investigated in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-treated mice. DSS-induced oxidative stress and inflammation were analyzed in HT-29 cells. HMGCS2 was detected in 1,25(OH)2D3-pretreated HT-29 cells and mouse intestines. HMGCS2 was silenced to investigate the role of HMGCS2 in 1,25(OH)2D3 protecting against experimental colitis. RESULTS: Intestinal HMGCS2 downregulation was positively correlated with VDR reduction in UC patients. The in vivo experiments showed that VDD exacerbated DSS-induced colitis. By contrast, 1,25(OH)2D3 supplementation ameliorated DSS-induced colon damage, oxidative stress and inflammation. HMGCS2 was up-regulated after 1,25(OH)2D3 supplementation both in vivo and in vitro. Transfection with HMGCS2-siRNA inhibited antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 in DSS-treated HT-29 cells. CONCLUSION: 1,25(OH)2D3 supplementation up-regulates HMGCS2, which is responsible for 1,25(OH)2D3-mediated protection against oxidative stress and inflammation in DSS-induced colitis. These findings provide a potential therapeutic strategy for alleviating colitis-associated oxidative stress and inflammation.

Paeonol alleviates ulcerative colitis in mice by increasing short-chain fatty acids derived from Clostridium butyricum.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that repairing the damaged intestinal epithelial barrier and restoring its function is the key to solving the problem of prolonged ulcerative colitis. Previous studies have shown that paeonol (pae) can alleviate colitis by down-regulating inflammatory pathways. In addition, pae also has a certain effect on regulating intestinal flora. However, it remains unclear whether pae can play a role in repairing the intestinal barrier and whether there is a relationship between the therapeutic effect and the gut microbiota. PURPOSES: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of pae on intestinal barrier repair in UC mice and how the gut microbiota plays a part in it. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The therapeutic effect of pae was evaluated in a 3% DSS-induced UC mouse model. The role of pae in repairing the intestinal barrier was evaluated by detecting colonic cupped cells by Alcian blue staining, the expression of colonic epithelial tight junction protein by immunofluorescence and western blot, and the proportion of IL-22+ILC3 cells in the lamina propria lymphocytes by flow cytometry. Subsequently, 16S rRNA sequencing was used to observe the changes in intestinal flora, GC-MS was used to detect the level of SCFAs, and qPCR was used to identify the abundance of Clostridium butyricum in the intestine to evaluate the effect of pae on the gut microbiota. The antibiotic-mediated depletion of the gut flora was then used to verify that pae depends on C. butyricum to play a healing role. Finally, non-targeted metabolomics was employed to investigate the potential pathways of pae regulating C. butyricum. RESULTS: Pae could improve intestinal microecological imbalance and promote the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Most importantly, we identified C. butyricum as a key bacterium responsible for the intestinal barrier repair effect of pae in UC mice. Eradication of intestinal flora by antibiotics abolished the repair of the intestinal barrier and the promotion of SCFAs production by pae, while C. butyricum colonization could restore the therapeutic effects of pae in UC mice, which further confirmed that C. butyricum was indeed the "driver bacterium" of pae in UC treatment. Untargeted metabolomics showed that pae regulated some amino acid metabolism and 2-Oxocarboxylic acid metabolism in C. butyricum. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the restoration of the impaired intestinal barrier by pae to alleviate colitis is associated with increased C. butyricum and SCFAs production, which may be a promising strategy for the treatment of UC.

Vasoprotective Effects of Hyperoside against Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rats: Activation of Large-Conductance Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels.

Hyperoside (Hyp), a kind of Chinese herbal medicine, exerts multiple therapeutic effects on many diseases. However, the role and mechanisms of Hyp in vascular pathophysiology in ischemic stroke need to be further established. The study aimed to investigate the role of (large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+) BK channels on the vasoprotection of Hyp against cerebral ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. The concentration gradient of Hyp was pretreated in both the middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion model and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model of primary vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in rats. A series of indicators were detected, including neurological deficit score, infarct volume, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), cerebral blood flow (CBF), cell viability, membrane potential, and BK channels α- and ß1-subunits expression. The results showed that Hyp significantly reduced infarct volume and ameliorated neurological dysfunction in I/R-injured rats. Besides, the effects of I/R-induced reduction of BK channels α- and ß1-subunits expression were significantly reversed by Hyp in endothelial-denudated cerebral basilar arteries. Furthermore, the protective effect against I/R-induced increases of MDA and reduction of SOD as well as CBF induced by Hyp was significantly reversed by iberiotoxin (IbTX). In OGD/R-injured VSMCs, downregulated cellular viability and BK channels ß1-subunits expression were remarkably reversed by Hyp. However, neither OGD/R nor Hyp affected BK channels α-subunits expression, and Hyp failed to induced hyperpolarization of VSMCs. Moreover, the protective effect against OGD/R-induced reduction of cell viability and SOD level and increases of MDA production induced by Hyp was significantly reversed by IbTX in VSMCs. The study indicates that Hyp has the therapeutic potential to improve vascular outcomes, and the mechanism is associated with suppressing oxidative stress and improving CBF through upregulating BK channels.

Gate-Tunable Renormalization of Spin-Correlated Flat-Band States and Bandgap in a 2D Magnetic Insulator.

Emergent quantum phenomena in two-dimensional van der Waal (vdW) magnets are largely governed by the interplay between exchange and Coulomb interactions. The ability to precisely tune the Coulomb interaction enables the control of spin-correlated flat-band states, band gap, and unconventional magnetism in such strongly correlated materials. Here, we demonstrate a gate-tunable renormalization of spin-correlated flat-band states and bandgap in magnetic chromium tribromide (CrBr3) monolayers grown on graphene. Our gate-dependent scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) studies reveal that the interflat-band spacing and bandgap of CrBr3 can be continuously tuned by 120 and 240 meV, respectively, via electrostatic injection of carriers into the hybrid CrBr3/graphene system. This can be attributed to the self-screening of CrBr3 arising from the gate-induced carriers injected into CrBr3, which dominates over the weakened remote screening of the graphene substrate due to the decreased carrier density in graphene. Precise tuning of the spin-correlated flat-band states and bandgap in 2D magnets via electrostatic modulation of Coulomb interactions not only provides effective strategies for optimizing the spin transport channels but also may exert a crucial influence on the exchange energy and spin-wave gap, which could raise the critical temperature for magnetic order.

Clinical evidence of three traditional Chinese medicine drugs and three herbal formulas for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread worldwide. Integrated Chinese and Western medicine have had some successes in treating COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of three traditional Chinese medicine drugs and three herbal formulas (3-drugs-3-formulas) in patients with COVID-19. SEARCH STRATEGY: Relevant studies were identified from 12 electronic databases searched from their establishment to April 7, 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs and cohort studies that evaluated the effects of 3-drugs-3-formulas for COVID-19. The treatment group was treated with one of the 3-drugs-3-formulas plus conventional treatment. The control group was treated with conventional treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Two evaluators screened and selected literature independently, then extracted basic information and assessed risk of bias. The treatment outcome measures were duration of main symptoms, hospitalization time, aggravation rate and mortality. RevMan 5.4 was used to analyze the pooled results reported as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for continuous data and risk ratio (RR) with 95% CI for dichotomous data. RESULTS: Forty-one studies with a total of 13,260 participants were identified. Our analysis suggests that compared with conventional treatment, the combination of 3-drugs-3-formulas might shorten duration of fever (MD = -1.39; 95% CI: -2.19 to -0.59; P < 0.05), cough (MD = -1.57; 95% CI: -2.16 to -0.98; P < 0.05) and fatigue (MD = -1.36; 95% CI: -2.21 to -0.51; P < 0.05), decrease length of hospital stay (MD = -2.62; 95% CI -3.52 to -1.72; P < 0.05), the time for nucleic acid conversion (MD = -2.92; 95% CI: -4.26 to -1.59; P < 0.05), aggravation rate (RR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.64; P < 0.05) and mortality (RR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.62; P < 0.05), and increase the recovery rate of chest computerized tomography manifestations (RR = 1.22; 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.3; P < 0.05) and total effectiveness (RR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.42; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The 3-drugs-3-formulas can play an active role in treating all stages of COVID-19. No severe adverse events related to 3-drugs-3-formulas were observed. Hence, 3-drugs-3-formulas combined with conventional therapies have effective therapeutic value for COVID-19 patients. Further long-term high-quality studies are essential to demonstrate the clinical benefits of each formula. Please cite this article as: You LZ, Dai QQ, Zhong XY, Yu DD, Cui HR, Kong YF, Zhao MZ, Zhang XY, Xu QQ, Guan ZY, Wei XX, Zhang XC, Han SJ, Liu WJ, Chen Z, Zhang XY, Zhao C, Jin YH, Shang HC. Clinical evidence of three traditional Chinese medicine drugs and three herbal formulas for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the Chinese population. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(5): 441-454.

Serum vitamin D levels and Sjogren's syndrome: bi-directional Mendelian randomization analysis.

BACKGROUND: Based on the results of existing observational studies, it can be found that the association between serum vitamin D levels and the risk of Sjogren's syndrome (SS) in humans is still controversial. Based on this situation, this study aimed to assess the causal relationship between serum vitamin D levels and SS by using the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach. METHODS: In this study, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary statistics on serum vitamin D levels [sample size = 417,580 (UK Biobank)] and SS [sample size = 416,757 (cases = 2495, controls = 414,262) (FinnGen)] were used. The bi-directional MR analysis was then used to assess possible causal relationships. The major analysis method of MR was performed using inverse-variance weighted (IVW), supplemented by MR-Egger and the weighted median approaches. In addition, sensitivity analyses were used to ensure the stability of the results, including Cochran's Q test, MR-PRESSO, MR-Egger intercept test, and the leave-one-out test. RESULTS: The MR suggested that no significant causal effects of serum 25(OH)D levels on SS risks were observed [odds ratio (OR) = 0.9824; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.7130 to 1.3538; P = 0.9137]. Similarly, no evidence supported the causal effects of SS on serum vitamin D levels (ß: 0.0076, 95% CI: - 0.0031 to 0.0183; P = 0.1640). CONCLUSION: This study found no obvious evidence that serum vitamin D level is causally associated with SS risks or vice versa. We call for larger sample size studies to further unravel the potential causal relationship and the exact mechanism.

[Inhibitory effect of three strains of biocontrol microbes on pathogens causing rhizome rot of Polygonatum cyrtonema].

Rhizome rot is one of the main disease in the cultivation of Polygonatum cyrtonema, and it is also a global disease which seriously occurs on the perennial medicinal plants such as Panax notoginseng and P. ginseng. There is no effective control method at present. To identify the effects of three biocontrol microbes(Penicillium oxalicum QZ8, Trichoderma asperellum QZ2, and Brevibacillus amyloliquefaciens WK1) on the pathogens causing rhizome rot of P. cyrtonema, this study verified six suspected pathogens for their pathogenicity on P. cyrtonema. The result showed that Fusarium sp. HJ4, Colletotrichum sp. HJ4-1, and Phomopsis sp. HJ15 were the pathogens of rhizome rot of P. cyrtonema, and it was found for the first time that Phomopsis sp. could cause rhizome rot P. cyrtonema. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of biocontrol microbes and their secondary metabolites on three pathogens were determined by confrontation culture. The results showed that the three tested biocontrol microbes significantly inhibited the growth of three pathogens. Moreover, the secondary metabolites of T. asperellum QZ2 and B. amyloliquefaciens WK1 showed significant inhibition against the three pathogens(P<0.05), and the effect of B. amyloliquefaciens WK1 sterile filtrate was significantly higher than that of high tempe-rature sterilized filtrate(P<0.05). B. amyloliquefaciens WK1 produced antibacterial metabolites to inhibit the growth of pathogens, and the growth inhibition rate of its sterile filtrate against three pathogens ranged from 87.84% to 93.14%. T. asperellum QZ2 inhibited the growth of pathogens through competition and antagonism, and P. oxalicum QZ8 exerted the inhibitory effect through competition. The research provides new ideas for the prevention and treatment of rhizome rot of P. cyrtonema and provides a basis for the di-sease control in other crops.

A tumor-targetable NIR probe with photoaffinity crosslinking characteristics for enhanced imaging-guided cancer phototherapy.

Spatiotemporally manipulating the in situ immobilization of theranostic agents within cancer cells to improve their bioavailability is highly significant yet challenging in tumor diagnosis and treatment. Herein, as a proof-of concept, we for the first time report a tumor-targetable near-infrared (NIR) probe DACF with photoaffinity crosslinking characteristics for enhanced tumor imaging and therapeutic applications. This probe possesses great tumor-targeting capability, intensive NIR/photoacoustic (PA) signals, and a predominant photothermal effect, allowing for sensitive imaging and effective photothermal therapy (PTT) of tumors. Most notably, upon 405 nm laser illumination, DACF could be covalently immobilized within tumor cells through a photocrosslinking reaction between photolabile diazirine groups and surrounding biomolecules resulting in enhanced tumor accumulation and prolonged retention simultaneously, which significantly facilitates the imaging and PTT efficacy of tumor in vivo. We therefore believe that our current approach would provide a new insight for achieving precise cancer theranostics.

Relationship between Dining Place, Iodine Source, and Iodine Nutrition in School-Age Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in China.

Objective: This study assesses the impact of iodine-rich processed foods and dining places on the iodine nutritional status of children. Methods: School-aged children (SAC) in seven provinces in China were selected by school-based multi-stage sampling. Urinary iodine, salt iodine, and thyroid volume (TVOL) were determined. Questionnaires were used to investigate dining places and iodine-rich processed foods. The water iodine was from the 2017 national survey. Multi-factor regression analysis was used to find correlations between variables. Results: Children ate 78.7% of their meals at home, 15.1% at school canteens, and 6.1% at other places. The percentage of daily iodine intake from water, iodized salt, iodine-rich processed foods, and cooked food were 1.0%, 79.2%, 1.5%, and 18.4%, respectively. The salt iodine was correlated with the urinary iodine and TVOL, respectively (r = 0.999 and -0.997, P < 0.05). The iodine intake in processed foods was weakly correlated with the TVOL (r = 0.080, P < 0.01). Non-iodized salt used in processed foods or diets when eating out had less effect on children's iodine nutrition status. Conclusion: Iodized salt remains the primary source of daily iodine intake of SAC, and processed food has less effect on iodine nutrition. Therefore, for children, iodized salt should be a compulsory supplement in their routine diet.

Mechanism of mercapto-modified palygorskite in reducing soil Cd activity.

Mercapto-modified palygorskite (MP) is an efficient novel amendment with superior ability to decrease soil Cd bioavailability, but the unclear immobilization mechanism has become the bottleneck of its performance improvement and precise application. In order to clarify the Cd reducing mechanism of MP, long-term and short-term soil incubation with three types of soils (paddy soil, alluvial soil and yellow mountain soil) and sorption verification experiments were conducted to investigate the dynamic process of soil labile Cd impacted by MP and the synergetic effects on labile Fe, Mn, S and dissolved organic carbon via in-situ diffusive gradients in thin-films and soil solution sampling techniques. MP with four dosages rapidly and continuously decreased soil labile Cd contents by 14.50 % ∼ 89.16 % in long-term incubation, meanwhile low-dosage MP reduced soil labile Fe and Mn contents, but high-dosage MP increased their contents. With MP dosages increased, the effects of Fe-Mn oxides on soil labile Cd content gradually weakened. MP effectively promoted the reduction of Fe adsorbed by clay minerals and enhanced their ability to adsorb Cd. Short-term incubation showed that MP could decline soil labile Cd by 7.17 % ∼ 44.74 %, especially at the dosage 0.4 %. MP was a reduction catalyst to facilitate Fe reduction, which profited for clay minerals adsorbing Cd. The sorption experiments indicated that 0.30 % MP could adsorb 73.34 % Cd2+, promote the release of Fe2+ from the soil, and stimulate the ability of clay minerals to adsorb Cd. The results revealed that MP decreased soil labile Cd content within 2 d, and MP made soil Cd activity change out of the influence of soil Fe/Mn redox system. The mechanism will be beneficial for the large-scale application of MP in safe utilization of Cd contaminated soil.

Creating Highly Active Iron Sites in Electrochemical N2 Reduction by Fabricating Strongly-Coupled Interfaces.

Electrochemical Nc reduction has been regarded as one of the most promising approaches to producing ammonia under mild conditions, but there are remaining pressing challenges in improving the reaction rate and efficiency. Herein, an unconventional galvanic replacement reaction is reported to fabricate a unique hierarchical structure composed of Fe3 O4 -CeO2 bimetallic nanotubes covered by Fe2 O3 ultrathin nanosheets. Control experiments reveal that CeO2 species play the essential role of stabilizer for Fe2+ cations. Compared with bare CeO2 and Fe2 O3 nanotubes, the as-obtained Fe2 O3 /Fe3 O4 -CeO2 possesses a remarkably enhanced NH3 yield rate (30.9 µg h-1 mgcat -1 ) and Faradaic efficiency (26.3%). The enhancement can be attributed to the hierarchical feature that makes electrodes more easily to contact with electrolytes. More importantly, as verified by density functional theory calculations, the generation of Fe2 O3 -Fe3 O4 heterogeneous junctions can efficiently optimize the reaction pathways, and the energy barrier of the potential determining step (the *N2 hydrogenates into *N*NH) is significantly decreased.

Wogonin regulates colonocyte metabolism via PPARγ to inhibit Enterobacteriaceae against dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice.

To investigate the potential effects and mechanism of wogonin on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, 70 male mice were administered wogonin (12.5, 25, 50 mg·kg-1 ·d-1 , i.g.) for 10 days, meanwhile, in order to induce colitis, the mice were free to drink 3% DSS for 6 days. We found that wogonin could obviously ameliorate DSS-induced colitis, including preventing colon shortening and inhibiting pathological damage. In addition, wogonin could increase the expression of PPARγ, which not only restores intestinal epithelial hypoxia but also inhibits iNOS protein to reduce intestinal nitrite levels. All these effects facilitated a reduction in the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae in DSS-induced colitis mice. Therefore, compared with the DSS group, the number of Enterobacteriaceae in the intestinal flora was significantly reduced after administration of wogonin or rosiglitazone by 16s rDNA technology. We also verified that wogonin could promote the expression of PPARγ mRNA and protein in Caco-2 cells, and this effect disappeared when PPARγ signal was inhibited. In conclusion, our study suggested that wogonin can activate the PPARγ signal of the Intestinal epithelium to ameliorate the Intestinal inflammation caused by Enterobacteriaceae bacteria expansion.

Astaxanthin Attenuates Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis with Downregulation of Osteoprotegerin in Ovariectomized Mice Fed Choline-Deficient High-Fat Diet.

BACKGROUND: Postmenopausal estrogen decline increases the risk of developing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and it might accelerate progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate a novel therapy for postmenopausal women who are diagnosed with NASH. METHODS: Seven-week-old female C57BL/6 J mice were divided into three experimental groups as follows: (1) sham operation (SHAM group), (2) ovariectomy (OVX group), and (3) ovariectomy + 0.02% astaxanthin (OVX + ASTX group). These three groups of mice were fed a choline-deficient high-fat (CDHF) diet for 8 weeks. Blood serum and liver tissues were collected to examine liver injury, histological changes, and hepatic genes associated with NASH. An in vitro study was performed with the hepatic stellate cell line LX-2. RESULTS: The administration of ASTX significantly improved pathological NASH with suppressed steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis, in comparison with those in the OVX-induced estrogen deficiency group. As a result, liver injury was also attenuated with reduced levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase. In addition, our study found that ASTX supplementation decreased hepatic osteoprotegerin (OPG) in vivo, a possible factor that contributes to NASH development. In vitro, this study further confirmed that ASTX has an inhibitory effect on the secretion of OPG in LX-2 human hepatic stellate cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that ASTX alleviates CDHF-OVX-induced pathohistological NASH with downregulated OPG, possibly via suppression of the transforming growth factor beta pathway. ASTX could has promise for use in postmenopausal women diagnosed with NASH.

Protection of Vitamin C on Oxidative Damage Caused by Long-Term Excess Iodine Exposure in Wistar Rats.

Vitamin C was reported to be able to protect against oxidative damage due to its reducibility. 120 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 × 2 groups, including normal iodine (NI), high iodine (HI), low vitamin C (HI + LC), and high vitamin C (HI + HC); potassium iodide (KI) and potassium iodate (KIO3) were commonly used as additives for iodized salt, so every group was also divided into KI and KIO3 groups. After 6 months' feed, the activities of antioxidant enzymes and Lipid Peroxide (MDA) content in serum, liver, kidney, brain, thyroid and lens were determined. In serum, for males, long-term excess iodine intake caused oxidative damage; in the liver, male rats in the HI + LC group had the highest MDA content, which showed that low-dose vitamin C might promote oxidative damage; in kidneys, the MDA content in the HI and HI + LC groups of females was higher; in the brain, high-dose vitamin C could increase the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), which was decreased by high iodine intake, and it also decreased MDA content; in the thyroid, for KIO3, the activity of SOD in the HI group was lower than NI and HI + LC; in the lens, the MDA content in females was lower than males. Long-term excess iodine exposure caused oxidative damage and showed sex difference, and vitamin C had a protective effect on it, especially for high-dose vitamin C.