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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of chrysophanol, a phytochemical derived from Radix et Rhizoma Rhei on HepG2 liver cancer cells. METHODS: HepG2 cell line was treated with different concentrations chrysophanol (0-100 µmol/L) for 24 h. The cell counting kit 8 assay was employed to assess cell viability. Intracellular calcium levels were examined using Fluo-4 AM and Mag-fluo-4 AM staining, followed by flow cytometry analysis. Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured with JC-1 assay kit. Additionally, the expressions of key proteins such as p-JNK, Bax, cytochrome c (Cyt C), cleaved caspase-3 (cCaspase-3), and caspase-8 were analyzed by Western blot. The inhibitory effects of chrysophanol on the invasion of cells were determined using a Transwell assay. Analysis of invasiveness was conducted by wound healing assay. RESULTS: Chrysophanol significantly reduced the proliferation of HepG2 liver cancer cells by affecting intracellular calcium distribution, diminishing mitochondrial membrane potential, and enhancing the expressions of p-JNK, Bax, Cyt C, cCaspase-3, and caspase-8 in the groups treated with 75 or 100 µmol/L chrysophanol compared to the control group (P<0.05). Additionally, 75 and 100 µmol/L chrysophanol exhibited inhibitory effects on cell migration and wound healing. CONCLUSION: Chrysophanol demonstrates potential against HepG2 liver cancer cells, suggesting its potential use as a therapeutic agent for liver cancer treatment.
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A visible-light-initiated energy-transfer enabled radical cyclization for the divergent synthesis of polycyclic γ-sultine derivatives has been developed. The reaction provides an alternative and expeditious access to benzofused γ-sultine frameworks, the analogues of γ-lactones and γ-sultones, and features good functional group compatibility, mild reaction conditions and excellent diastereoselectivity. The robustness and application potential of this method have also been successfully displayed by two gram-scale reactions and the synthesis of polycyclic sultones. Mechanistic studies indicated the transformations through a possible energy-transfer enabled intramolecular radical homolytic substitution or hydrogen atom transfer process mainly.
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Highly constrained bicyclic scaffolds are ubiquitous and attracting increasing interest in pharmaceutical and biotechnology discoveries owing to the enhanced activities. Herein, we report a protocol to access highly substituted constrained bicycloalkanes from readily accessible α-silyl alcohols and olefins through a bibase-promoted Brook rearrangement/radical-polar crossover cyclization (RPCC) process. Of note, the practical procedure features broad substrate scope and good group tolerance under mild and operationally simple conditions, using an inexpensive organic photocatalyst. Gram-scale preparation and diverse synthetic transformations demonstrate opportunities to rapidly construct molecular complexity. Mechanistic studies have indicated that the transformation involves a bibase-promoted radical transfer rearrangement addition/radical-polar crossover cyclization relay sequence, which differs from traditional solitary RPCC reactions.
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Phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) was initially recognized as a significant regulator of cancer suppression and could impede cancer cell survival, proliferation, and energy metabolism. PTEN is highly expressed in neurons and performs crucial functions in neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and neuronal survival. Disruption of PTEN activity may also result in abnormal neuronal function and is associated with various neurological disorders, including stroke, seizures, and autism. Although several studies have shown that PTEN is involved in the development and degenerative processes of the nervous system, there is still a lack of in-depth studies that summarize and analyse patterns of cooperation between authors, institutions, countries, and journals, as well as research hotspots and trends in this important field. To identify and further visualize the cooperation and comprehend the development and trends of PTEN in the nervous system, especially in neural development and neurological diseases, we used a bibliometric analysis to identify relevant publications on this topic. We first found that the number of publications displayed a growing trend with time, but this was not stable. Universities, institutions, and authors from the United States are leading in this area of research. In addition, many cutting-edge research results have been discovered, such as key regulatory molecules and cellular mechanisms of PTEN in the nervous system, which may provide novel intervention targets and precise therapeutic strategies for related pathological injuries and diseases. Finally, the literature published within the last 5 years is discussed to identify future research trends regarding PTEN in the nervous system. Taken together, our findings, analysed using bibliometrics, may reflect research hotspots and trends, providing a reference for studying PTEN in the nervous system, especially in neural development and neurological diseases. These findings can assist new researchers in developing their research interests and gaining basic information. Moreover, our findings also may provide precise clinical guidelines and strategies for treating nervous system injuries and diseases caused by PTEN dysfunction.
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Understanding the composition of the bacterial community on the epidermis of wine grapes and in winery environments, as well as the response of grape epidermal bacteria to climatic factors, plays a significant role in ensuring grape health and promoting grape conversion into wine. This study utilized high-throughput sequencing to explore the composition of the bacterial community on the wine grape epidermis and representative wineries of three sub-regions of the Eastern Foothills of Helan Mountain, Ningxia. The results showed that the bacterial diversity and richness in the Yongning (YN) sub-region were the highest, with Qingtongxia (QTX) having the lowest levels of grape epidermal bacteria. The bacterial diversity and richness were the highest in Yinchuan (YC) and the lowest in YN in the winery environment (p < 0.05). The composition of dominant bacteria on the grape epidermis and in winery environments of the three sub-regions was not different at the phylum and genus level, but the levels of these dominant bacteria were different among the sub-regions. There was a correlation between grape epidermal bacteria and climatic factors. Approximately 93% of the bacterial genera on the grape epidermal genera in the three sub-regions are present in the winery environment and contain all the dominant bacterial genera on the epidermis.
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A thermoinduced radical homolytic substitution cyclization of alkenyl tethered sulfinate esters was displayed under mild metal-free conditions, enabling the functionalization of alkenes and leading to structurally diverse value-added sultine products. The process utilizes readily available substrates using inexpensive 5% benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as an initiator to generate functionalized sultines with broad functional group tolerance in medium to excellent yields in a highly atom-economical manner. In addition, the obtained sultines could be further readily functionalized toward valuable sultone frameworks in one pot. A thermo-catalytic radical chain process was proposed based on mechanistic studies.
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BACKGROUND: To assess the quality change of our single-center pediatric colonoscopy after applying bundle for bowel preparation and general anesthesia and centralize the procedure using terminal ileum (TI) intubation rate as the main indicator. METHODS: All elective colonoscopies performed for patients younger than 18 years old in MacKay Memorial Hospital from July 2015 through June 2020 (assigned to group 1, before bundle) and from August 2020 through July 2021 (assigned to group 2, after bundle) were retrospectively reviewed for demographic characteristics, indications, bowel preparation agent and cleansing level, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, maximum intestinal level reached, and cecal intubation and total procedure time. Statistical analysis was done using P value < 0.05 considered to be significant. RESULTS: Analysis included 45 and 32 colonoscopies in group 1 and 2, respectively. Bloody stool was the most frequent indication in both groups. Both TI intubation rate (42.2 % vs. 75.0 %, P = 0.004) and biopsy rate (45.0 % vs. 75.9 %, P = 0.01) increased significantly from group 1 to group 2. The narrower standard deviation of bowel preparation score (1.93 vs. 1.15) and total procedure time (37.71 vs. 22.29) in group 2 indicated a more stable quality, although the mean showed no difference. There was no statistical difference in age, gender, body weight, cecal intubation rate, or cecal intubation time. CONCLUSION: A higher TI intubation rate and biopsy rate indicated an improved quality of pediatric colonoscopy after applying bundle including bowel preparation and general anesthesia, with additional centralization.
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Solar-driven water evaporation can alleviate the severe water scarcity situation in a nonpolluting and sustainable manner. Although the design of integrated three-dimensional (3D) solar evaporators has been proven to be effective in achieving ultrahigh evaporation rates and energy efficiency, their scalable application is still hindered by complex manufacturing processes and poor portability. Herein, we report a highly portable shape-memory 3D solar evaporator by depositing MXene on low-cost lignin-cellulosic sponges for freshwater production. When not in use, the 3D evaporator can be compressed into a thin film with up to 89.3% volume reduction, ensuring minimal space occupation and high portability. When needed, due to the shape-memory effect, the 3D structure can be rapidly restored by swelling the compressed film in water, resulting in an efficient 3D solar evaporator. This 3D evaporator exhibits not only a high evaporation rate of 2.48 kg m-2 h-1 under 1 sun illumination but also excellent long-term stability and recyclability. In addition, the 3D evaporator itself can serve as a water reservoir without requiring a continuous water supply during evaporation, showing remarkable application flexibility. This work opens a new perspective for manufacturing highly portable and efficient 3D solar evaporators and may facilitate their progress from the laboratory to commercial applications.
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With economic development, the health of river ecosystems is becoming severely threatened because of the increasing effects of human activities on river ecosystems. Here, 101 sites along regional river systems in Beijing rivers were investigated from autumn 2020 to summer 2021. A total of 34 metrics, including aquatic organisms, hydrology, water quality, and habitat, were calculated to be the candidate indicators. Principal component and correlation analyses were used to select the core metrics from the candidate indicators, and the weight of each core metric was estimated using the entropy method. The integrated index of stream ecological health was constructed to assess the health condition of the Beijing rivers. The results of the PCA and correlation analyses revealed that eleven metrics were selected as the core metrics to construct the integrated index of stream ecological health, including water temperature, flow velocity, BOD5, NH4+-N, Cu, the density of phytoplankton and zooplankton, the Shannon-Wiener diversity index of macroinvertebrates and fish, the BMWP index, and the qualitative habitat evaluation index. According to the health assessment results, 4.95% of the sampling sites were healthy, 23.76% were subhealthy, and 71.29% were in a fair or below healthy state. The river health status showed strong spatial heterogeneity, and the river health statuses in the northern and western regions were relatively good, whereas the river health status in the central and southeastern regions were relatively poor. The results of four aspects stream ecosystem assessment showed that the overall water quality of the rivers was "subhealthy" and the aquatic organisms and habitat were "general poor," but the hydrology was "poor." The evaluation results of five water systems demonstrated that the Chaobai River had the best health status, followed by that of the Yongding River, Daqing River, and Jiyun River, and the Beiyun River had the worst health status. Maintaining river ecological baseflow, ensuring river system connectivity, and improving and restoring the river habitat environment are the key aspects of river ecological restoration and protection in Beijing in the future.
Subject(s)
Ecosystem , Rivers , Animals , Humans , Beijing , China , Water Quality , Environmental MonitoringABSTRACT
This study investigated the drug delivery performance of oral co-loaded puerarin(PUE) and daidzein(DAZ) mixed micelles(PUE/DAZ-FS/PMMs) from the perspectives of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and tissue distribution. The changes in PUE plasma concentration in rats were evaluated based on PUE suspension, single drug-loaded micelles(PUE-FS/PMMs), and co-loaded micelles(PUE/DAZ-FS/PMMs). Spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR) were used to monitor systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure for 10 weeks after administration by tail volume manometry. The content of PUE in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain, and testes was determined using LC-MS/MS. The results showed that compared with PUE suspension and PUE-FS/PMMs, PUE/DAZ-FS/PMMs significantly increased C_(max) in rats(P<0.01) and had a relative bioavailability of 122%. The C_(max), AUC_(0-t), AUC_(0-∞), t_(1/2), and MRT of PUE/DAZ-FS/PMMs were 1.77, 1.22, 1.22, 1.17, and 1.13 times higher than those of PUE suspension, and 1.76, 1.16, 1.08, 0.84, and 0.78 times higher than those of PUE-FS/PMMs, respectively. Compared with the model control group, PUE/DAZ-FS/PMMs significantly reduced systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure in SHR rats(P<0.05). The antihypertensive effect of PUE/DAZ-FS/PMMs was greater than that of PUE suspension, and even greater than that of PUE-FS/PMMs at high doses. Additionally, the distribution of PMMs in various tissues showed dose dependency. The distribution of PMMs in the kidney and liver, which are metabolically related tissues, was lower than that in the suspension group, while the distribution in the brain was higher than that in the conventional dose group. In conclusion, PUE/DAZ-FS/PMMs not only improved the bioavailability of PUE and synergistically enhanced its therapeutic effect but also prolonged the elimination of the drug to some extent. Furthermore, the micelles facilitated drug penetration through the blood-brain barrier. This study provides a foundation for the development of co-loaded mixed micelles containing homologous components.
Subject(s)
Isoflavones , Micelles , Rats , Animals , Tissue Distribution , Chromatography, Liquid , Tandem Mass Spectrometry , Rats, Inbred SHR , Isoflavones/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Carbon-phosphorus bond formation is significant in synthetic chemistry because phosphorus-containing compounds offer numerous indispensable biochemical roles. While there is a plethora of methods to access organophosphorus compounds, phosphonylations of readily accessible alkyl radicals to form aliphatic phosphonates are rare and not commonly used in synthesis. Herein, we introduce a novel phosphorus radical trap "BecaP" that enables facile and efficient phosphonylation of alkyl radicals under visible light photocatalytic conditions. Importantly, the ambiphilic nature of BecaP allows redox neutral reactions with both nucleophilic (activated by single-electron oxidation) and electrophilic (activated by single-electron reduction) alkyl radical precursors. Thus, a broad scope of feedstock alkyl potassium trifluoroborate salts and redox active carboxylate esters could be employed, with each class of substrate proceeding through a distinct mechanistic pathway. The mild conditions are applicable to the late-stage installation of phosphonate motifs into medicinal agents and natural products, which is showcased by the straightforward conversion of baclofen (muscle relaxant) to phaclofen (GABAB antagonist).
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Decarboxylative halogenation reactions of alkyl carboxylic acids are highly valuable reactions for the synthesis of structurally diverse alkyl halides. However, many reported protocols rely on stoichiometric strong oxidants or highly electrophilic halogenating agents. Herein, we describe visible-light photoredox-catalyzed decarboxylative halogenation reactions of N-hydroxyphthalimide-activated carboxylic acids that avoid stoichiometric oxidants and use inexpensive inorganic halide salts as the halogenating agents. Bromination with lithium bromide proceeds under simple, transition-metal-free conditions using an organic photoredox catalyst and no other additives, whereas dual photoredox-copper catalysis is required for chlorination with lithium chloride. The mild conditions display excellent functional-group tolerance, which is demonstrated through the transformation of a diverse range of structurally complex carboxylic acid containing natural products into the corresponding alkyl bromides and chlorides. In addition, we show the generality of the dual photoredox-copper-catalyzed decarboxylative functionalization with inorganic salts by extension to thiocyanation with potassium thiocyanide, which was applied to the synthesis of complex alkyl thiocyanates.
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The chemistry of cyclic sulfinic acid derivatives (sultines and cyclic sulfinamides) was underdeveloped for a long time due to their inaccessibility. Considering the importance of cyclic sulfinate esters and amides in the fields of chemistry, pharmaceutical science, and material science, synthesis strategies involving cyclic sulfinic acid derivatives have been paid more attention in recent years, and have been widely used in the synthesis of sulfur-containing compounds such as sulfoxides, sulfones, sulfinates and thioethers. Despite the impressive improvements that have been made in last twenty years with the new strategies, to date, no reviews have been published, to the best of our knowledge, dealing with the preparation of cyclic sulfinic acid derivatives. This review summarizes the latest advances in the development of new synthesis methods to access cyclic sulfinic acid derivatives in the last two decades. The synthetic strategies are reviewed by highlighting their product diversity, selectivity and applicability, and the mechanistic rationale is presented where possible. We wish to bring readers a comprehensive understanding of the state-of-play of cyclic sulfinic acid derivative formation and make a contribution to future research.
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Background: Skin regeneration is a challenging issue worldwide. Increasing research has highlighted the role of immune cells in healing and the underlying regulatory mechanism. The purpose of this study was to identify the hotspots and trends in skin regeneration and inflammation research through bibliometrics and to provide insights into the future development of fundamental research and disease treatment. Methods: Publications were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection on March 1, 2022. Articles and reviews published in English from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2022, were selected, and statistical analyses of countries, institutions, authors, references, and keywords were performed using VOSviewer 1.6.18 and CiteSpace 5.8. Results: A total of 3,894 articles and reviews were selected. The number of publications on skin inflammation and regeneration showed an increasing trend over time. Additionally, authors and institutions in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and China appeared to be at the forefront of research in the field of skin inflammation and regeneration. Werner Sabine published some of the most cited papers. Wound Repair and Regeneration was the most productive journal, while Journal of Investigative Dermatology was the most cited journal. Angiogenesis, diamonds, collagen, cytokine, and keratinocytes were the five most commonly used keywords. Conclusion: The number of publications on skin inflammation and regeneration show an increasing trend. Moreover, a series of advanced technologies and treatments for skin regeneration, such as exosomes, hydrogels, and wound dressings, are emerging, which will provide precise information for the treatment of skin wounds. This study can enhance our understanding of current hotspots and future trends in skin inflammation and regeneration research, as well as provide guidelines for fundamental research and clinical treatment.
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OBJECTIVES: To study the association of ventricular septal defect (VSD) with rare variations in the promoter region of HAND2 gene, as well as related molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 349 children with VSD and 345 healthy controls. The target fragments were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced to identify the rare variation sites in the promoter region of the HAND2 gene. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to perform a functional analysis of the variation sites. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to investigate related molecular mechanisms. TRANSFAC and JASPAR databases were used to predict transcription factors. RESULTS: Sequencing revealed that three variation sites (g.173530852A>G, g.173531173A>G, and g.173531213C>G) were only observed in the promoter region of the HAND2 gene in 10 children with VSD, among whom 4 children had only one variation site. The dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that g.173531213C>G reduced the transcriptional activity of the HAND2 gene promoter. EMSA and transcription factor prediction revealed that g.173531213C>G created a binding site for transcription factor. CONCLUSIONS: The rare variation, g.173531213C>G, in the promoter region of the HAND2 gene participates in the development and progression of VSD possibly by affecting the binding of transcription factors.
Subject(s)
Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular , Child , Humans , Base Sequence , Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular/genetics , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Promoter Regions, Genetic , Transcription Factors/geneticsABSTRACT
Gaucher's disease is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease. Due to the decrease or lack of glucocerebrosidase (GBA) activity in lysosome caused by the mutation of GBA gene, its substrate glucocerebroside is detained in lysosome, resulting in clinical manifestations of liver, spleen, kidney, bone, hematopoietic system and even nervous system involvement. Here, we report a case of elderly patient presenting marked multiple bone destruction, with childhood medical history of splenectomy and "osteomyelitis". The patient has a significantly enlarged liver, accompanied by anemia, thrombocytopenia and osteopenia. Laboratory studies show this patient has low blood GBA activity and high glucosyl sphingosine level and increased chitotriosidase activity. Genetic testing revealed a homozygous missense variant NM_001005741.2 c.770A>G (p.Asp257Gly) in the patient's GBA gene. After 6 months of enzyme replacement therapy, the patient's platelets returned to normal, anemia improved, and liver volume decreased. Further detections show that the mother and brothers of the patient have heterozygous mutations at this locus, which is consistent with Mendelian inheritance law. Although this variant has not been reported in literatures or database, both clinical manifestations, characteristics of enzymology and biomarkers, and the effect of enzyme replacement therapy support the diagnosis of Gaucher's disease. The Asp257Gly variant is therefore assessed as a clinical pathogenic variant. This study expands the spectrum of the GBA gene variants. The diagnosis and treatment process of this case also provide reference for the early identification, diagnosis and early treatment of this kind of patients.
Subject(s)
Gaucher Disease , Aged , Child , Humans , Male , Gaucher Disease/genetics , Gaucher Disease/diagnosis , Gaucher Disease/drug therapy , Glucosylceramidase/genetics , Liver , Mutation , Mutation, MissenseABSTRACT
Background: Glaucoma is the first irreversible and second blindness disease, which is characterized by the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and degeneration of the optic nerve. Previous works have indicated that apoptosis is the main reason for RGC death in glaucoma. Although many studies have investigated the mechanism of apoptosis and different strategies targeting apoptosis to protect the RGCs and finally recover the impaired vision in the glaucoma. However, the global trend and hotspots of apoptosis in glaucoma have not been well illustrated and discussed. Methods: Documents were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection on November 2, 2022. We selected articles and reviews published in English from January 1, 1999 to November 1, 2022 to perform visual analysis and statistical analysis of countries, institutions, authors, references and keywords by VOSviewer 1.6.18 and CiteSpace 5.8. Results: The publications about apoptosis in glaucoma show an increasing trend over time. Besides, the authors, institutions in the US and China published the most numbers of articles with the highest citation, which may be leading the research in the field of apoptosis in glaucoma. Last, series of advanced research results, technology and treatment for glaucoma, such as the discovery of key regulatory mechanisms on RGC apoptosis are emerging and will provide precise strategies for the treatment of glaucoma. Conclusion: This research will broaden our comprehension about the role of apoptosis in the process of glaucoma, and provide guidelines for us in basic research and disease treatment in the further.
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Despite the significance of sultines in synthesis, medicine, and materials science, the chemistry of sultines has remained unexplored due to their inaccessibility. Herein, we demonstrate the development of a photoredox-catalyzed multifluoromethyl radical addition/SO2 incorporation/polar cyclization cascade approach to multifluoromethylated γ-sultines. The reactions proceed by single electron transfer induced multifluoromethyl radical addition to an alkene followed by SO2 incorporation, and single-electron reduction for polar 5-exo-tet cyclization. Key to the success of the protocol is the use of easily oxidizable multifluoroalkanesulfinates as bifunctional reagents. The reactions proceed with excellent functional-group tolerance to deliver γ-sultines in moderate to excellent yields.
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Heterotopic pancreas (HP) is defined as pancreatic tissue lacking vascular or anatomic connection with the normal pancreas. Surgical resection is often indicated for symptomatic gastric HP. However, intraoperative identification of gastric HP is often difficult during laparoscopic surgery. Herein, we describe a patient with gastric HP, which was marked with SPOT® dye (GI Supply, Camp Hill, PA, USA). The dye was seen clearly laparoscopically facilitating total excision of the lesion. The final pathology report confirmed the presence of heterotopic pancreatic tissue including pancreatic acini, small pancreatic ducts tissue with islets of Langerhans in the deep gastric submucosal area. There were no postoperative complications, and the patient was symptom-free. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first case report in the literature in which endoscopic tattooing of gastric HP before laparoscopic resection was performed. This method of localization was simple and reliable in children.
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Parkinson's disease is a health-threatening neurodegenerative disease of the elderly with clinical manifestations of motor and non-motor deficits such as tremor palsy and loss of smell. Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) is the pathological basis of PD, it can abnormally aggregate into insoluble forms such as oligomers, fibrils, and plaques, causing degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra in the patient's brain and the formation of Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neuritis (LN) inclusions. As a result, achieving α-Syn aggregate detection in the early stages of PD can effectively stop or delay the progression of the disease. In this paper, we provide a brief overview and analysis of the molecular structures and α-Syn in vivo and in vitro detection methods, such as mass spectrometry, antigen-antibody recognition, electrochemical sensors, and imaging techniques, intending to provide more technological support for detecting α-Syn early in the disease and intervening in the progression of Parkinson's disease.