Wood-Structured Nanomaterials as Highly Efficient, Self-Standing Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting.

Electrocatalytic water splitting (EWS) driven by renewable energy is widely considered an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach for generating hydrogen (H2), an ideal energy carrier for the future. However, the efficiency and economic viability of large-scale water electrolysis depend on electrocatalysts that can efficiently accelerate the electrochemical reactions taking place at the two electrodes. Wood-derived nanomaterials are well-suited for serving as EWS catalysts because of their hierarchically porous structure with high surface area and low tortuosity, compositional tunability, cost-effectiveness, and self-standing integral electrode configuration. Here, recent advancements in the design and synthesis of wood-structured nanomaterials serving as advanced electrocatalysts for water splitting are summarized. First, the design principles and corresponding strategies toward highly effective wood-structured electrocatalysts (WSECs) are emphasized. Then, a comprehensive overview of current findings on WSECs, encompassing diverse structural designs and functionalities such as supported-metal nanoparticles (NPs), single-atom catalysts (SACs), metal compounds, and heterostructured electrocatalysts based on engineered wood hosts are presented. Subsequently, the application of these WSECs in various aspects of water splitting, including the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), overall water splitting (OWS), and hybrid water electrolysis (HWE) are explored. Finally, the prospects, challenges, and opportunities associated with the broad application of WSECs are briefly discussed. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ongoing developments in water-splitting catalysts, along with outlining design principles for the future development of WSECs.

Hydrazone-Linked Covalent Organic Frameworks.

Hydrazone-linked covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with structural flexibility, heteroatomic sites, post-modification ability and high hydrolytic stability have attracted great attention from scientific community. Hydrazone-linked COFs, as a subclass of Schiff-base COFs, was firstly reported in 2011 by Yaghi's group and later witnessed prosperous development in various aspects. Their adjustable structures, precise pore channels and plentiful heteroatomic sites of hydrazone-linked structures possess much potential in diverse applications, for example, adsorption/separation, chemical sensing, catalysis and energy storage, etc. Up to date, the systematic reviews about the reported hydrazone-linked COFs are still rare. Therefore, in this review, we will summarize their preparation methods, characteristics and related applications, and discuss the opportunity or challenge of hydrazone-linked COFs. We hope this review could provide new insights about hydrazone-linked COFs for exploring more appealing functions or applications.

Zigzag Hopping Site Embedded Covalent Organic Frameworks Coating for Zn Anode.

Precise design and tuning of Zn hopping/transfer sites with deeper understanding of the dendrite-formation mechanism is vital in artificial anode protective coating for aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs). Here, we probe into the role of anode-coating interfaces by designing a series of anhydride-based covalent organic frameworks (i.e., PI-DP-COF and PI-DT-COF) with specifically designed zigzag hopping sites and zincophilic anhydride groups that can serve as desired platforms to investigate the related Zn2+ hopping/transfer behaviours as well as the interfacial interaction. Combining theoretical calculations with experiments, the ABC stacking models of these COFs endow the structures with specific zigzag sites along the 1D channel that can accelerate Zn2+ transfer kinetics, lower surface-energy, homogenize ion-distribution or electric-filed. Attributed to these superiorities, thus-obtained optimal PI-DT-COF cells offer excellent cycling lifespan in both symmetric-cell (2000 cycles at 60 mA cm-2) and full-cell (1600 cycles at 2 A g-1), outperforming almost all the reported porous crystalline materials.

Characteristics of recurrent acute urinary retention in BPH patients in the United States: Retrospective analysis of US-based insurance claims database.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study is to analyze characteristics of recurrent acute urinary retention (AUR) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), utilizing a population based data set. Also, we sought to report on how AUR was treated, specifically regarding the need and length of catheterization and types of procedures utilized for mitigation. MATERIALS & METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study was performed using Optum's deidentified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database. We compared two groups, BPH patients with AUR (n = 180,737) and BPH patients without AUR (n = 1,139,760) from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2017. Also, we analyzed the factors affecting the development of multiple episodes of AUR through age-adjusted multivariate analysis. RESULTS: In contrast to the 47.7% of patients who had a single AUR episode, 33.5% of AUR patients developed 3 or more subsequent episodes of retention. For age matched patients, the risks of additional episodes of retention increase significantly with older age, Caucasian race, diabetes, neurologic conditions, or low income. Overall, the rate of BPH surgery in AUR patients over the study period decreased and the most common procedure was transurethral resection of the prostate. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for multiple episodes of AUR included age (60 and older), Caucasian race, lower income socioeconomic status, diabetes, and neurological disorders. Patients with a high probability of developing recurrent episodes of AUR are recommended to receive preemptive BPH medication before such AUR occurrences. Also, more expeditious surgical treatment should be considered rather than temporary catheterization when AUR occurs.

Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks Derived Co9 S8 /Nitrogen-Doped Hollow Porous Carbon Spheres as Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries.

The development of nonprecious metal-based electrocatalysts with remarkable catalytic activity and long-cycling lifespan toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and evolution reaction (OER) is especially important for rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, monodispersed Co9 S8 nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped hierarchically porous hollow carbon spheres (Co9 S8 NPs/NHCS) are synthesized through a template-assisted strategy followed by a co-assembly, thermal annealing, and sulfurization process. Benefiting from larger specific surface area, hierarchically porous hollow structure, and carbon nanotubes self-growth, the obtained Co9 S8 NPs/NHCS-0.5 electrocatalyst exhibits decent performance for ORR (E1/2 =0.85 V) and OER (E10 =1.55 V). A rechargeable ZAB assembled using the Co9 S8 NPs/NHCS-0.5 as air cathode delivers a maximum power density of 116 mW cm-2 , high open circuit voltage of 1.47 V, and good durability (no obvious voltage decay after 1200 cycles (200 hours)). Such a hierarchically porous hollow structure of Co9 S8 NPs/NHCS-0.5 provides a confined space shell and an interconnected hollow core to achieve outstanding bifunctional catalytic activity and cycling stability, which surpass the benchmark Pt/C-RuO2 .

A Miniature Eight-Port Antenna Array Based on Split-Ring Resonators for 5G Sub-6 GHz Handset Applications.

In this article, a miniature eight-port multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array is proposed for fifth-generation (5G) sub-6 GHz handset applications. The individual antenna element comprises a radiator shaped like the Chinese character "" (phonetically represented as "Wang") and three split-ring resonators (SRR) on the metal frame. The size of the individual antenna element is only 6.8 × 7 × 1 mm3 (47.6 mm3). The proposed antenna element has a -10 dB impedance bandwidth of 1.7 GHz (from 3.3 GHz to 5 GHz) that can cover 5G New Radio (NR) sub-6 GHz bands N77 (3.3-4.2 GHz), N78 (3.3-3.8 GHz), and N79 (4.4-5 GHz). The evolution design, the current distribution, the effects of single-handed holding, and the analysis of the parameters are deduced to study the approach used to design the featured antenna. The measured total efficiencies are from 40% to 80%, the isolation is better than 12 dB, the calculated envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) is less than 0.12, and the calculated channel capacity (CC) ranges from 35 to 38 bps/Hz. The presented antenna array is a good alternative to 5G mobile handsets with wideband operation, a metal frame, and minimized spacing.

Identifying Cancer Driver Pathways Based on the Mouth Brooding Fish Algorithm.

Identifying the driver genes of cancer progression is of great significance in improving our understanding of the causes of cancer and promoting the development of personalized treatment. In this paper, we identify the driver genes at the pathway level via an existing intelligent optimization algorithm, named the Mouth Brooding Fish (MBF) algorithm. Many methods based on the maximum weight submatrix model to identify driver pathways attach equal importance to coverage and exclusivity and assign them equal weight, but those methods ignore the impact of mutational heterogeneity. Here, we use principal component analysis (PCA) to incorporate covariate data to reduce the complexity of the algorithm and construct a maximum weight submatrix model considering different weights of coverage and exclusivity. Using this strategy, the unfavorable effect of mutational heterogeneity is overcome to some extent. Data involving lung adenocarcinoma and glioblastoma multiforme were tested with this method and the results compared with the MDPFinder, Dendrix, and Mutex methods. When the driver pathway size was 10, the recognition accuracy of the MBF method reached 80% in both datasets, and the weight values of the submatrix were 1.7 and 1.89, respectively, which are better than those of the compared methods. At the same time, in the signal pathway enrichment analysis, the important role of the driver genes identified by our MBF method in the cancer signaling pathway is revealed, and the validity of these driver genes is demonstrated from the perspective of their biological effects.

Integrated Micro Space Electrostatic Field in Aqueous Zn-Ion Battery: Scalable Electrospray Fabrication of Porous Crystalline Anode Coating.

The inhomogeneous consumption of anions and direct contact between electrolyte and anode during the Zn-deposition process generate Zn-dendrites and side reactions that can aggravate the space-charge effect to hinder the practical implementation of zinc-metal batteries (ZMBs). Herein, electrospray has been applied for the scalable fabrication (>10 000 cm2 in a batch-experiment) of hetero-metallic cluster covalent-organic-frameworks (MCOF-Ti6 Cu3 ) nanosheet-coating (MNC) with integrated micro space electrostatic field for ZMBs anode protection. The MNC@Zn symmetric cell presents ultralow overpotential (≈72.8 mV) over 10 000 cycles at 1 mAh cm-2 with 20 mA cm-2 , which is superior to bare Zn and state-of-the-art porous crystalline materials. Theoretical calculations reveal that MNC with integrated micro space electrostatic field can facilitate the deposition-kinetic and homogenize the electric field of anode to significantly promote the lifespan of ZMBs.

Sonic hedgehog promotes synovial inflammation and articular damage through p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in experimental arthritis.

Activated fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) play a pivotal role in synovial inflammation and joint destruction of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The mechanisms by which sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling promotes RA FLS-mediated chronic inflammation and tissue damage are not fully understood. The present study aims to determine the role of SHH signaling in the pathogenesis of RA and to explore the potential mechanism(s). We found that the components of SHH signaling were highly expressed in FLS and synovial tissue from patients with RA and in the joint tissue of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice. Overexpression of SHH aggravated the synovial inflammation and joint destruction of CIA and exacerbated cartilage degradation in the cartilage and RA FLS-engrafted severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) model. Conversely, inhibition of SHH signaling significantly alleviated arthritis severity and reduced cartilage destruction caused by the invasion of RA FLS in vivo. Moreover, we found that p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade was regulated by SHH signaling in RA FLS and the level of phospho-p38 in the joint tissue of CIA was decreased after blockade of SHH signaling. Inhibition of p38 MAPK abolished the effect of SHH overexpression on synovial inflammation and articular destruction of CIA and suppressed the aggressive properties of RA FLS, which were promoted by SHH agonist. In conclusion, our study suggests that SHH signaling aggravates synovial inflammation and joint destruction of experimental arthritis and promotes the abnormal behavior of RA FLS in a p38-dependent manner. SHH-p38 MAPK signaling could be a potential target for the treatment of RA.

Highly stable and recoverable humidity sensor using fluorescent quantum dot film.

Fluorescent sensors are resistant to electromagnetic interference and are electrically insulated, allowing for highly accurate measurements. Quantum dots (QDs) serve as outstanding sensing materials owing to the unique optical properties such as tunable photoluminescence (PL), excellent visible light activity, and high chemical and physical stability. In this paper, we develop an optical humidity sensor based on a QDs nanocomposite film. The film is made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), SiO2 microsphere (SM), and QDs through the layer-by-layer self-assembly method. The mechanism of humidity detection is moisture-induced quenching of the QDs fluorescence intensity. The results reveal that our sensor shows a good linear response to relative humidity in the range of 5% to 97%, a fast response-recovery time of 25 s and 20 s, and good repeatability for more than 50 cycles as well as high stability for over 180 days. Possessing the remarkable property, optical humidity sensors are envisaged for great potential applications in environmental monitoring.

Alnustone inhibits the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma via ROS- mediated PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K axis.

Alnustone, a diarylheptane compound, exhibits potent growth inhibition against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) BEL-7402 cells. However, the underlying mechanisms associated with its anticancer activity remain unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the anticancer effect of alnustone against several human cancers focused on HCC and the possible associated mechanisms. The results showed that alnustone significantly inhibited the growth of several cancer cells by CCK-8 assay. Alnustone markedly induced apoptosis and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in BEL-7402 and HepG2 cells. Alnustone inhibited the expression of proteins related to apoptosis and PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathways and generated ROS production in BEL-7402 and HepG2 cells. Moreover, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC, a ROS inhibitor) could significantly reverse the effects of alnustone on the growth inhibition of BEL-7402 and HepG2 cells and the expression of proteins related to apoptosis and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, alnustone significantly inhibited tumor growth of HepG2 xenografts, obviously induced apoptosis in the tumor tissues and improved the pathological condition of liver tissues of mice in vivo. The study provides evidence that alnustone is effective against HCC via ROS-mediated PI3K/Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway and the compound has the potential to be developed as a novel anticancer agent for the treatment of HCC clinically.

A Compact Ultra-Thin 4 × 4 Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Antenna.

This article reported a compact ultra-thin tightly arranged 4 × 4 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna pair (AP) functioning in the fifth-generation (5G) n78 band (3.4-3.6 GHz) for the ultra-thin 5G mobile handset. Two APs were printed on the center of two sideboards. A T-shaped open-ended slot was utilized in the grounding plane to improve the port impedance matching and attenuate the reciprocal magnetic coupling. A minimized total volume of 145 × 75 × 5 mm3 was obtained, and the area of each radiating unit was only 8.5 × 4.2 mm2 (0.1λ0 × 0.05λ0, λ0 is the free-space wavelength at the frequency of 3.5 GHz). By placing two radiating elements in an exceeding closed (1 mm or 0.01167λ0) distance, the designed AP precisely resonated at 3.5 GHz, and an acceptable measured isolation performance superior to 17 dB was attained. A prototype of this presented APs system was printed and tested, and remarkable consistency was observed between the simulated and measured curves. Numerous indicators were computed to assess its MIMO performance, such as Envelope Correlation Efficiency (ECC), Diversity Gain (DG), Total Active Reflection Coefficient (TARC), and Multiplexing Efficiency (ME).

Photothermal microfluidic-assisted self-cleaning effect for a highly reusable SERS sensor.

The synergistic integration of optofluidic and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing is a new analytical technique that provides a number of unique characteristics for enhancing the sensing performance and simplifying the design of microsystems. Here, we propose a reusable optofluidic SERS sensor by integrating Au nanoisland substrate (AuNIS)-coated fiber into a microfluidic chip. Through both systematic experimental and theoretical analysis, the sensor enables efficient self-cleaning based on its optical-to-heat-hydrodynamic energy conversion property. Besides, the sensor exhibits the instrument detection limit down to 10-13mol/L and enhancement factor of 106 for Rhodamine 6G. Our optofluidic SERS sensor with such a photothermal microfluidic-assisted self-cleaning method has the advantages of portability, simple operation, and high cleaning efficiency, which will provide a new, to the best of our knowledge, concept and approach for cost-effective and reusable sensors.

Mycobacterium vaccae nebulization protects Balb/c mice against bronchial asthma through neural mechanisms.

OBJECTIVES: Bronchial asthma can be effectively controlled but not be cured, its etiology and pathogenesis are still unclear, and there are no effective preventive measures. The key characteristic of asthma is chronic airway inflammation, and recent research has found that airway neurogenic inflammation plays an important role in asthma. We previously found that Mycobacterium vaccae nebulization protects against asthma. Therefore, this objective of this study is to explore the effect of M. vaccae nebulization on asthmatic neural mechanisms. METHODS: A total 18 of female Balb/c mice were randomized into normal, asthma control, and M. vaccae nebulization (Neb.group) groups, and mice in the Neb.group were nebulized with M. vaccae one month before the asthmatic model was established. Then, 1 month later, the mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin. Twenty-four hours after the last challenge, mouse airway responsiveness; pulmonary brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), neurofilament-medium length (NF-M, using NF09 antibody), and acetylcholine expression; and nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA level were determined. RESULTS: We found that the BDNF, NF09, acetylcholine expression, and NGF mRNA level were decreased in the Neb.group compared with levels in the asthma control group. CONCLUSION: M. vaccae nebulization may protected in Balb/c mice against bronchial asthma through neural mechanisms.

Ultra-thick electrodes based on activated wood-carbon towards high-performance quasi-solid-state supercapacitors.

Wood carbon (WC)-derived thick electrode design has recently received increasing interest because of its high energy density at the device level. Herein, a facile, low-cost, and efficient strategy by surface engineering to synthesize ultrathick electrodes of quasi-solid-state symmetric supercapacitors (SSCs) based on activated wood-carbon (AWC) monoliths is presented. The AWC as a freestanding ultrathick electrode shows an impressive areal capacitance of 6.85 F cm-2 at 1 mA cm-2 and 4.55 F cm-2 at 20 mA cm-2. Furthermore, a quasi-solid-state SSC assembled by two identical AWC monoliths delivers an excellent energy density of 0.23 mW h cm-2 (4.59 W h kg-1 and 0.77 W h L-1) at 500 mW cm-2 (9.9 mW kg-1 and 2500 W L-1) while maintaining a capacitance retention of 86% after 10 000 cycles. The remarkable electrochemical performance is associated with the structural integrity of natural wood, the introduction of oxygen-containing functional groups, and the ultrathick electrode design, which significantly enhance electroactive material loading and device integration.

Adsorption Behavior of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons on Zn-Based Coordination Cluster Zn5: Competition, Synergy, and Mechanism.

In this work, adsorption behaviors of pyrene (PYR), fluoranthene (FLT), phenanthrene (PHE), and fluorene (FLU) on the coordination cluster [Zn5(H2Ln)6](NO3)4]·8H2O·2CH3OH (Zn5) were studied. The adsorption mechanism and spectrum analyses revealed that the synergistic effect of hydrophobic interaction, π-π stacking, and N-H···π interaction played a crucial role during the adsorption process. The maximum adsorption capacities of PYR, FLT, PHE, and FLU were 406.4, 399.7, 153.7, and 114.3 mg g-1, respectively, resulting from the Langmuir isotherm model. Quick removal of PYR and FLT was found in kinetic experiments with the adsorption equilibrium being reached within 1 min. Competitive adsorption indicated that the adsorption sites for PYR, FLT, PHE, and FLU on Zn5 were identical, and synergistic effects also existed in the adsorption process. Therefore, Zn5 has the potential to be used as an adsorbent in the field of wastewater treatment.

miR-7-5p acts as a tumor suppressor in bladder cancer by regulating the hedgehog pathway factor Gli3.

Although important progresses have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer (BCa), the overall survival for patients with advanced BCa remains poor. It is necessary to uncover the molecular mechanism underlying the initiation and progression of bladder cancer. According to previous reports, mircoRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate tumorigenesis by targeting their downstream mRNAs. This study aims to explore and analyze a novel miRNA-mRNA axis which can regulate the progression of bladder cancer. Based on the microarray analysis, 182 mRNAs were found to be upregulated in BCa tissues. Gene oncology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that these upregulated mRNAs are related with hedgehog pathway. Gli3, an important factor of hedgehog pathway, belongs to these 182 upregulated mRNAs. Therefore, Gli3 was chosen to do further study. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that highly expressed Gli3 predicted unfavorable prognosis for patients with BCa. Results of functional experiments indicated the inhibitory effects of silenced Gli3 on cell proliferation, migration and EMT progress. Mechanically, Gli3 was the target mRNA of miR-7-5p in BCa cells. Finally, rescue assays were performed to validate the specific function of miR-7-5p/Gli3 axis in BCa progression. According to all data, we concluded that miR-7-5p acts as a tumor suppressor in BCa by downregulating Gli3.

[Association between SCN1A rs3812718 polymorphism and generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between SCN1A rs3812718 polymorphism and generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+), and to provide potential molecular targets for the diagnosis and treatment of GEFS+. METHODS: The iPLEX technique in the MassARRAY system was used to determine SCN1A rs3812718 polymorphism, genotype frequency, and allele frequency in 50 patients with GEFS+ and 50 healthy controls. RESULTS: As for the frequencies of CC, CT, and TT genotypes in SCN1A rs3812718, there was a significant difference in the frequency of TT genotype between the GEFS+ group and the control group (P<0.05). There was also a significant difference in the frequency of T allele between the two groups (P<0.05). Compared with those carrying CC genotype or C allele, the individuals with CT genotype , TT genotype or T allele had a higher risk of developing GEFS+ (CT/CC: OR=4.05, 95%CI: 1.04-15.69; TT/CC: OR=30.60, 95%CI: 6.46-144.85; T/C: OR=4.64, 95%CI: 2.54-8.48). CONCLUSIONS: SCN1A rs3812718 polymorphism is a risk factor for GEFS+, and the population carrying T allele may have an increased risk of GEFS.

Long non-coding RNA CCAT2 promotes cell proliferation and invasion through regulating Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common urologic malignancy. Long non-coding RNA colon cancer-associated transcript 2 (CCAT2) has been suggested as serving pivotal roles in tumorigenesis. However, the clinical significance and biological role of CCAT2 in ccRCC remains elusive. The purpose of this study is to identify the function of CCAT2 in ccRCC and its possible molecular mechanism. Expression of CCAT2 was analyzed in 61 ccRCC tissues and two ccRCC cell lines (786-O and ACHN) by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The functional roles of CCAT2 in ccRCC were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, colony formation assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometric analysis. The influence of CCAT2 on tumorigenesis was monitored by in vivo mice xenograft model. The activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway was evaluated by the TOP/FOP Wnt luciferase reporter assay and western blot assay. CCAT2 expression was markedly higher in ccRCC cell lines and tissues, being positively associated with tumor size and tumor stage in ccRCC patients. Patients with higher CCAT2 expression had a markedly poorer overall survival than did patients with low CCAT2 expression. Knocking down CCAT2 expression led to reduced cell proliferation and increased apoptosis of ccRCC cells in vitro as well as the activation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, and CCAT2 overexpression remarkably enhanced these oncogenic properties. In vivo mice xenograft model also showed that knocking CCAT2 expression inhibited the growth of ccRCC xenografts. In conclusion, these results indicated that CCAT2 may play a critical role in ccRCC progression and will be further considered as a biomarker for predicting the survival of ccRCC patients and a potential therapeutic target for ccRCC intervention.

Sonic hedgehog signalling pathway regulates apoptosis through Smo protein in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of smoothened protein (Smo), a sonic hedgehog (Shh) signalling component, in synovium of RA and its role in the survival and apoptosis of endothelial cells. METHODS: The expression of Smo pxrotein in RA synovial tissue was examined by immunohistochemistry. Real-time PCR and western blotting techniques were employed to measure the expression of Shh signalling components in EA.hy926 endothelial cells exposed to TNF-α in the presence or absence of cyclopamine (a Smo-specific antagonist). Lastly, the effect of cyclopamine and Smo small interfering RNA on apoptosis induced by TNF-α and actinomycin D (ActD) was determined. RESULTS: We found that Smo was highly expressed in synovial tissues of RA, especially in endothelial cells, compared with the trauma group. TNF-α significantly increased the expression of Shh signalling components in EA.hy926 endothelial cells, while cyclopamine decreased the expression of Shh signalling components. EA.hy926 endothelial cells treated with various concentrations of cyclopamine (2-8 µmol/l) showed a significant decrease in cell viability and cell survival rate, and an increase in the rate of cell apoptosis compared with endothelial cells treated with TNF-α and ActD (P < 0.05). EA.hy926 endothelial cells transfected with Smo-siRNA also showed a lower cell survival rate and higher apoptotic rate, compared with cells in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The Shh signalling pathway plays a role in regulating endothelial cell apoptosis in a Smo-dependent manner.