Oroxin A from Oroxylum indicum improves disordered lipid metabolism by inhibiting SREBPs in oleic acid-induced HepG2 cells and high-fat diet-fed non-insulin-resistant rats.

Background: Lipid metabolism disorders have become a major global public health issue. Due to the complexity of these diseases, additional research and drugs are needed. Oroxin A, the major component of Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz (Bignoniaceae), can improve the lipid profiles of diabetic and insulin-resistant (IR) rats. Because insulin resistance is strongly correlated with lipid metabolism, improving insulin resistance may also constitute an effective strategy for improving lipid metabolism. Thus, additional research on the efficacy and mechanism of oroxin An under non-IR conditions is needed. Methods: In this study, we established lipid metabolism disorder model rats by high-fat diet feeding and fatty HepG2 cell lines by treatment with oleic acid and evaluated the therapeutic effect and mechanism of oroxin A in vitro and in vivo through biochemical indicator analysis, pathological staining, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence staining. Results: Oroxin A improved disordered lipid metabolism under non-IR conditions, improved the plasma and hepatic lipid profiles, and enhanced the lipid-lowering action of atorvastatin. Additionally, oroxin A reduced the total triglyceride (TG) levels by inhibiting sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) expression and reducing the expression of acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthase (FASN) in vivo and in vitro. Oroxin A also reduced the total cholesterol (TC) levels by inhibiting SREBP2 expression and reducing HMGCR expression in vivo and in vitro. In addition, oroxin A bound to low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and increased AMPK phosphorylation. Conclusions: Our results suggested that oroxin A may modulate the nuclear transcriptional activity of SREBPs by binding to LDLR proteins and increasing AMPK phosphorylation. Oroxin A may thus reduce lipid synthesis and could be used for the treatment and prevention of lipid metabolism disorders.

The circadian rhythm: A new target of natural products that can protect against diseases of the metabolic system, cardiovascular system, and nervous system.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of metabolic system, cardiovascular system, and nervous system diseases remains to be explored. In the internal environment of organisms, the metabolism of substances such as carbohydrates, lipids and proteins (including biohormones and enzymes) exhibit a certain circadian rhythm to maintain the energy supply and material cycle needed for the normal activities of organisms. As a key factor for the health of organisms, the circadian rhythm can be disrupted by pathological conditions, and this disruption accelerates the progression of diseases and results in a vicious cycle. The current treatments targeting the circadian rhythm for the treatment of metabolic system, cardiovascular system, and nervous system diseases have certain limitations, and the identification of safer and more effective circadian rhythm regulators is needed. AIM OF THE REVIEW: To systematically assess the possibility of using the biological clock as a natural product target for disease intervention, this work reviews a range of evidence on the potential effectiveness of natural products targeting the circadian rhythm to protect against diseases of the metabolic system, cardiovascular system, and nervous system. This manuscript focuses on how natural products restore normal function by affecting the amplitude of the expression of circadian factors, sleep/wake cycles and the structure of the gut microbiota. KEY SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS OF THE REVIEW: This work proposes that the circadian rhythm, which is regulated by the amplitude of the expression of circadian rhythm-related factors and the sleep/wake cycle, is crucial for diseases of the metabolic system, cardiovascular system and nervous system and is a new target for slowing the progression of diseases through the use of natural products. This manuscript provides a reference for the molecular modeling of natural products that target the circadian rhythm and provides a new perspective for the time-targeted action of drugs.

Chromium iodate: the structure and origin of optical second harmonic generation.

Iodate crystal materials are some of the important candidates for mid-infrared nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals. Almost all the structures and NLO properties of monometallic iodates have been studied, except for a few difficult to synthesize crystalline phases. In this work, crystalline Cr(IO3)3 was synthesized and its optical properties were studied. Cr(IO3)3 has a strong powder second-harmonic generation (SHG) effect (1.3 × AgGaS2) and a large birefringence (0.24) at 2100 nm. Theoretical calculations indicate that the 3d orbital of Cr3+ is strongly involved in the SHG process, and the contribution of the metal cation centered unit CrO6 to the SHG response is much greater than that of the non-metal cation centered unit IO3. This study provides a new case among the few NLO materials in which the SHG response is dominated by metal cation centered groups.

Anhydrous Aluminum Iodate: Strong Second Harmonic Generation Effect Contributed by Unbonded and Antibonding Orbitals.

Exploring materials that balance the second harmonic generation (SHG) effect and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) is the frontier of nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal research at present. In this work, the NLO property of anhydrous aluminum iodate is extensively explored and discussed first. It exhibits a strong SHG intensity of 18.3 × KH2PO4 (KDP) and a high-powder LIDT of 1.4 × KDP at 1064 nm. Combining experimental and theoretical studies at the atomic level and electronic levels, it is found that the cations in the structure are replaced by cations with small radius and high valence, enabling the production of materials with large SHG responses. Unbonded and antibonding orbitals play a crucial positive role in the SHG response of the structure, whereas bonding orbitals produce a large negative contribution. This provides a scarce example of materials in which bonding orbitals make significant negative contributions.

Effects of plant natural products on metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and the underlying mechanisms: a narrative review with a focus on the modulation of the gut microbiota.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a chronic liver disease characterized by the excessive accumulation of fat in hepatocytes. However, due to the complex pathogenesis of MAFLD, there are no officially approved drugs for treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find safe and effective anti-MAFLD drugs. Recently, the relationship between the gut microbiota and MAFLD has been widely recognized, and treating MAFLD by regulating the gut microbiota may be a new therapeutic strategy. Natural products, especially plant natural products, have attracted much attention in the treatment of MAFLD due to their multiple targets and pathways and few side effects. Moreover, the structure and function of the gut microbiota can be influenced by exposure to plant natural products. However, the effects of plant natural products on MAFLD through targeting of the gut microbiota and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Based on the above information and to address the potential therapeutic role of plant natural products in MAFLD, we systematically summarize the effects and mechanisms of action of plant natural products in the prevention and treatment of MAFLD through targeting of the gut microbiota. This narrative review provides feasible ideas for further exploration of safer and more effective natural drugs for the prevention and treatment of MAFLD.

Attenuating effect of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. seed oil on progression of MAFLD.

Introduction: Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a common chronic metabolic disease that seriously threatens human health. The pharmacological activity of unsaturated fatty acid-rich vegetable oil interventions in the treatment of MAFLD has been demonstrated. This study evaluated the pharmacological activity of Polygala tenuifolia Willd, which contains high levels of 2-acetyl-1,3-diacyl-sn-glycerols (sn-2-acTAGs). Methods: In this study, a mouse model was established by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD, 31% lard oil diet), and the treatment group was fed a P. tenuifolia seed oil (PWSO) treatment diet (17% lard oil and 14% PWSO diet). The pharmacological activity and mechanism of PWSO were investigated by total cho-lesterol (TC) measurement, triglyceride (TG) measurement and histopathological observation, and the sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP1), SREBP2 and NF-κB signaling pathways were evaluated by immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses. Results: PWSO attenuated the increases in plasma TC and TG levels. Furthermore, PWSO reduced the hepatic levels of TC and TG, ameliorating hepatic lipid accumulation. PWSO treatment effectively improves the level of hepatitic inflammation, such as reducing IL-6 levels and TNF-α level. Discussion: PWSO treatment inactivated SREBP1 and SREBP2, which are involved in lipogenesis, to attenuate hepatic lipid accumulation and mitigate the inflammatory response induced via the NF-κB signaling pathway. This study demonstrated that PWSO can be used as a relatively potent dietary supplement to inhibit the occurrence and development of MAFLD.

Immunization with a heat-killed prm1 deletion strain protects the host from Cryptococcus neoformans infection.

Systemic infection with Cryptococcus neoformans, a dangerous and contagious pathogen found throughout the world, frequently results in lethal cryptococcal pneumonia and meningoencephalitis, and no effective treatments and vaccination of cryptococcosis are available. Here, we describe Prm1, a novel regulator of C. neoformans virulence. C. neoformans prm1Δ cells exhibit extreme sensitivity to various environmental stress conditions. Furthermore, prm1Δ cells show deficiencies in the biosynthesis of chitosan and mannoprotein, which in turn result in impairment of cell wall integrity. Treatment of mice with heat-killed prm1Δ cells was found to facilitate the host immunological defence against infection with wild-type C. neoformans. Further investigation demonstrated that prm1Δ cells strongly promote pulmonary production of interferon-γ, leading to activation of macrophage M1 differentiation and inhibition of M2 polarization. Therefore, our findings suggest that C. neoformans Prm1 may be a viable target for the development of anti-cryptococcosis medications and, cells lacking Prm1 represent a promising candidate for a vaccine.

The impact of microbially modified metabolites associated with obesity and bariatric surgery on antitumor immunity.

Obesity is strongly associated with the occurrence and development of many types of cancers. Patients with obesity and cancer present with features of a disordered gut microbiota and metabolism, which may inhibit the physiological immune response to tumors and possibly damage immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. In recent years, bariatric surgery has become increasingly common and is recognized as an effective strategy for long-term weight loss; furthermore, bariatric surgery can induce favorable changes in the gut microbiota. Some studies have found that microbial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), inosine bile acids and spermidine, play an important role in anticancer immunity. In this review, we describe the changes in microbial metabolites initiated by bariatric surgery and discuss the effects of these metabolites on anticancer immunity. This review attempts to clarify the relationship between alterations in microbial metabolites due to bariatric surgery and the effectiveness of cancer treatment. Furthermore, this review seeks to provide strategies for the development of microbial metabolites mimicking the benefits of bariatric surgery with the aim of improving therapeutic outcomes in cancer patients who have not received bariatric surgery.

Naringenin Ameliorates Hyperuricemia by Regulating Renal Uric Acid Excretion via the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway and Renal Inflammation through the NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

Hyperuricemia characterized by high serum levels of uric acid (UA, >6.8 mg/dL) is regarded as a common chronic metabolic disease. When used as a food supplement, naringenin might have various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, free-radical-scavenging, and inflammation-suppressing activities. However, the effects of naringenin on hyperuricemia and renal inflammation and the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Here, we comprehensively examined the effects of naringenin on hyperuricemia and the attenuation of renal impairment. Mice were injected with 250 mg/kg of potassium oxonate (PO) and given 5% fructose water to induce hyperuricemia. The pharmacological effects of naringenin (10 and 50 mg/kg) and benzbromarone (positive control group, 20 mg/kg) on hyperuricemic mice were evaluated in vivo. The disordered expression of urate transporters in HK-2 cells was stimulated by 8 mg/dL UA, which was used to determine the mechanisms underlying the effects of naringenin in vitro. Naringenin markedly reduced the serum UA level in a dose-dependent manner and improved renal dysfunction. Moreover, the increased elimination of UA in urine showed that the effects of naringenin were associated with the regulation of renal excretion. Further examination indicated that naringenin reduced the expression of GLUT9 by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and reinforced the expression of ABCG2 by increasing the abundance of PDZK1 in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, sirius red staining and western blotting indicated that naringenin plays a protective role in renal injury by suppressing increases in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and TNF-α, which contribute to the inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro. Naringenin supplementation might be a potential therapeutic strategy to ameliorate hyperuricemia by promoting UA excretion in the kidney and attenuating the inflammatory response by decreasing the release of inflammatory cytokines. This study shows that naringenin could be used as a functional food or dietary supplement for hyperuricemia prevention and treatment.

New insight into the management of renal excretion and hyperuricemia: Potential therapeutic strategies with natural bioactive compounds.

Hyperuricemia is the result of increased production and/or underexcretion of uric acid. Hyperuricemia has been epidemiologically associated with multiple comorbidities, including metabolic syndrome, gout with long-term systemic inflammation, chronic kidney disease, urolithiasis, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, dyslipidemia, diabetes/insulin resistance and increased oxidative stress. Dysregulation of xanthine oxidoreductase (XOD), the enzyme that catalyzes uric acid biosynthesis primarily in the liver, and urate transporters that reabsorb urate in the renal proximal tubules (URAT1, GLUT9, OAT4 and OAT10) and secrete urate (ABCG2, OAT1, OAT3, NPT1, and NPT4) in the renal tubules and intestine, is a major cause of hyperuricemia, along with variations in the genes encoding these proteins. The first-line therapeutic drugs used to lower serum uric acid levels include XOD inhibitors that limit uric acid biosynthesis and uricosurics that decrease urate reabsorption in the renal proximal tubules and increase urate excretion into the urine and intestine via urate transporters. However, long-term use of high doses of these drugs induces acute kidney disease, chronic kidney disease and liver toxicity. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new nephroprotective drugs with improved safety profiles and tolerance. The current systematic review summarizes the characteristics of major urate transporters, the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of hyperuricemia, and the regulation of uric acid biosynthesis and transport. Most importantly, this review highlights the potential mechanisms of action of some naturally occurring bioactive compounds with antihyperuricemic and nephroprotective potential isolated from various medicinal plants.

Microstructure evolution, IMC growth, and microhardness of Cu, Ni, Ag-microalloyed Sn-5Sb/Cu solder joints under isothermal aging.

In this work, various Cu, Ni, Ag-microalloyed Sn-5Sb/Cu joints, ordinary Sn-5Sb/Cu joints, and low-melting-point Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305)/Cu (used for comparison) were prepared, focusing on the influence of Cu, Ni, and Ag on the microstructure evolution, interfacial IMC growth, and microhardness of Sn-5Sb/Cu joint under long-time isothermal aging process. Results showed that the microstructure of microalloyed joints consisted of ß-Sn matrix, SbSn, and (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 and Ag3Sn compounds. (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 compounds generated a coarsening effect in the aging microalloyed joints, yet its coarsening speed is significantly lower than the ordinary Sn-5Sb/Cu. Meanwhile, the total IMC layer thickness increased with the rising aging time. A single fine dendritic (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 IMC at the interface of microalloyed joint was observed and evolved into a larger scallop or layer-like duplex IMCs ((Cu, Ni)6Sn5 + Cu3Sn) after the aging. Considering the combined effect of Cu, Ni, and Ag, the microalloyed joints exhibited the improved microstructure relative to ordinary counterparts and low-melting-point SAC305 materials, significantly inhibiting the interfacial IMC growth, especially Cu3Sn. The Cu3Sn IMC thickness and diffusion coefficient in the Sn-5Sb-0.5Cu-0.1Ni-0.5Ag/Cu joint were 0.71-2.81 µm and 0.96 × 10-6 µm·s-2, respectively. Besides, the precipitation strengthening mechanism triggered by the microalloyed elements was extremely obvious and the soldering and aging joints revealed superior microhardness values of 20-35 HV. This could effectively improve the application range of Sn-5Sb-based materials in higher-temperature package conditions such as third-generation semiconductors.

The mechanism for enhanced oxidation degradation of dioxin-like PCBs (PCB-77) in the atmosphere by the solvation effect.

The reaction pathways of PCB-77 in the atmosphere with ·OH, O2, NO x , and 1O2 were inferred based on density functional theory calculations with the 6-31G* basis set. The structures the reactants, transition states, intermediates, and products were optimized. The energy barriers and reaction heats were obtained to determine the energetically favorable reaction pathways. To study the solvation effect, the energy barriers and reaction rates for PCB-77 with different polar and nonpolar solvents (cyclohexane, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, acetone, dichloromethane, ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile, dimethylsulfoxide, and water) were calculated. The results showed that ·OH preferentially added to the C5 atom of PCB-77, which has no Cl atom substituent, to generate the intermediate IM5. This intermediate subsequently reacted with O2 via pathway A to generate IM5a, with an energy barrier of 7.27 kcal/mol and total reaction rate of 8.45 × 10-8 cm3/molecule s. Pathway B involved direct dehydrogenation of IM5 to produce the OH-PCBs intermediate IM5b, with an energy barrier of 28.49 kcal/mol and total reaction rate of 1.15 × 10-5 cm3/molecule s. The most likely degradation pathway of PCB-77 in the atmosphere is pathway A to produce IM5a. The solvation effect results showed that cyclohexane, carbon tetrachloride, and benzene could reduce the reaction energy barrier of pathway A. Among these solvents, the solvation effect of benzene was the largest, and could reduce the total reaction energy barrier by 25%. Cyclohexane, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, dichloromethane, acetone, and ethanol could increase the total reaction rate of pathway A. The increase in the reaction rate of pathway A with benzene was 8%. The effect of solvents on oxidative degradation of PCB-77 in the atmosphere is important. Graphical abstract The reaction pathways of PCB-77 in the atmosphere with •OH, O2, NOx, and 1O2 were inferred based on density functional theory calculations with the 6-31G* basis set. Different polar and nonpolar solvents: cyclohexane, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, acetone, dichloromethane, ethanol, methanol, acetonitrile, dimethylsulfoxide, and water were selected to study the solvation effect on the favorable reaction pathways. The investigated results showed what kind of pathway was most likely to occur and the solvent effect on the reaction pathway.

Superparamagnetic MFe2O 4 (M = Ni, Co, Zn, Mn) nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, induction heating and cell viability studies for cancer hyperthermia applications.

Superparamagnetic nanoferrites are prepared by simple and one step refluxing in polyol synthesis. The ferrite nanoparticles prepared by this method exhibit particle sizes below 10 nm and high degree of crystallinity. These ferrite nanoparticles are compared by means of their magnetic properties, induction heating and cell viability studies for its application in magnetic fluid hyperthermia. Out of all studied nanoparticles in present work, only ZnFe2O4 and CoFe2O4 MNPs are able to produce threshold hyperthermia temperature. This rise in temperature is discussed in detail in view of their magneto-structural properties. Therefore ZnFe2O4 and CoFe2O4 MNPs with improved stability, magnetic induction heating and cell viability are suitable candidates for magnetic hyperthermia.

An electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin detection based on the recycling of exonuclease III and double-stranded DNA-templated copper nanoparticles assisted signal amplification.

In this paper, we report an improved electrochemical aptasensor based on exonuclease III and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA)-templated copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) assisted signal amplification. In this sensor, duplex DNA from the hybridization of ligated thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) subunits and probe DNA can act as an effective template for the formation of CuNPs on the electrode surface, so copper ions released from acid-dissolution of CuNPs may catalyze the oxidation of ο-phenylenediamine to produce an amplified electrochemical response. In the presence of thrombin, a short duplex domain with four complementary base pairs can be stabilized by the binding of TBA subunits with thrombin, in which TBA subunit 2 can be partially digested from 3' terminal with the cycle of exonuclease III, so the ligation of TBA subunits and the subsequent formation of CuNPs can be inhibited. By electrochemical characterization of dsDNA-templated CuNPs on the electrode surface, our aptasensor can display excellent performances for the detection of thrombin in a broad linear range from 100 fM to 1 nM with a low detection limit of 20.3 fM, which can also specially distinguish thrombin in both PBS and serum samples. Therefore, our aptasensor might have great potential for clinical diagnosis of biomarkers in the future.