Covalent Organic Frameworks for Separator Modification of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are regarded as one of the promising energy storage systems. However, rapid capacity attenuation caused by shuttle effect of soluble polysulfides is major challenge in practical application. The separator modification is regarded as one countermeasure besides the construction of sulfur host materials. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are one type of outstanding candidates for suppressing shuttle effect of polysulfides. Herein, recent advances of COFs in the application as commercial separator modifiers are summarized. COFs serve as ionic sieves, the importance of porous size and surface environments in inhibiting soluble polysulfides shuttling and promoting lithium ions conduction is highlighted. The superiority of charge-neutral COFs, ionic COFs, and the composites of COFs with conductive materials for improving reversible capacity and cycling stability is demonstrated. Some new strategies for the design of COF-based separator modifiers are proposed to achieving high energy density. The review provides new perspectives for future development of high-performance Li-S batteries.

Mechanisms exploration of terrestrosin D on pulmonary fibrosis based on plasma metabolomics and network pharmacology.

Terrestrosin D (TED) is the active ingredient of Tribulus terrestris L., which is used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulations and has a wide range of pharmacological activities. A previous study showed that TED alleviated bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in mice. However, the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect of TED are still unclear and need further investigation. In this study, we evaluated the effect of TED in a mice of BLM-induced PF in terms of histopathological and biochemical indices. UHPLC-MS-based plasma metabolomics combined with network pharmacology was used to explore the pathological basis of PF and the mechanism of action of TED. Histological and biochemical analyses showed that TED mitigated inflammatory injury in the lungs, especially at the dosage of 20 mg/kg. Furthermore, BLM changed the plasma metabolite profile in the mice, which was reversed by TED via regulation of amino acid and lipid metabolism. Subsequently, a biomarkers-targets-disease network was constructed, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 were identified as the putative therapeutic targets of TED. Both factors were quantitatively analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Taken together, the combination of UHPLC-MS-based metabolomics and network pharmacology can unveil the mechanisms of diseases and drug action.

Tandem mass tag-based proteomics analysis reveals the effects of Guri Gumu-13 pill on drug-induced liver injury.

The incidence of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is second only to viral hepatitis and steatohepatitis in China, and DILI has become a serious public health problem that cannot be ignored. Guri Gumu-13 pill (GRGM) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which has a protective effect on liver diseases. However, the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of GRGM for DILI are still vague. In this study, the protective effect of GRGM on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced DILI was investigated based on the proteomics clues. The effects of GRGM on APAP-induced DILI in rats were studied using tandem mass tag (TMT)-based quantitative proteomics technology. Besides, western blotting was exerted to verify related proteins. Using the TMT-based quantitative proteomics approach, 237 proteins were identified as regulated in APAP-induced DILI and 58 proteins were regulated by GRGM. The 17 overlapping differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, and 7 proteins were inversely regulated. Enrichment analysis of KEGG indicated that metabolic pathways, linoleic acid metabolism, and retinol metabolism might be affected in DILI. Next, Cyp2c11, Aldh1a1, and Fads2 were verified with molecular biotechnology. GRGM exerts therapeutic effects through multi-pathways regulation in the treatment of DILI. This work may provide proteomics clues for the continuation of research on DILI treatment with GRGM.