Recent Advances in Catalyst Design and Performance Optimization of Nanostructured Cathode Materials in Zinc-Air Batteries.

This review focuses on the advanced design and optimization of nanostructured zinc-air batteries (ZABs), with the aim of boosting their energy storage and conversion capabilities. The findings show that ZABs favor porous nanostructures owing to their large surface area, and this enhances the battery capacity, catalytic activity, and life cycle. In addition, the nanomaterials improve the electrical conductivity, ion transport, and overall battery stability, which crucially reduces dendrite growth on the zinc anodes and improves cycle life and energy efficiency. To obtain a superior performance, the importance of controlling the operational conditions and using custom nanostructural designs, optimal electrode materials, and carefully adjusted electrolytes is highlighted. In conclusion, porous nanostructures and nanoscale materials significantly boost the energy density, longevity, and efficiency of Zn-air batteries. It is suggested that future research should focus on the fundamental design principles of these materials to further enhance the battery performance and drive sustainable energy solutions.

Simultaneous detection of multiple aging characteristic components in oil-paper insulation using sensitive Raman technology and microfluidics.

The aging characteristic components of oil-paper insulation reflect the aging status of the power equipment. In this study, we designed a novel microfluidic chip capable of automatic and rapid extraction of aging components from insulating oil. Combined with Raman spectroscopy technology, it enables simultaneous detection of various aging components. By optimizing the microfluidic chip structural and adopting an optical window encapsulation, it eliminates interference from the Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Measurements and analyses were carried out on multiple oil samples containing three aging products (furfural, acetone, and methanol). The results indicate that this novel microfluidic chip facilitates simultaneous detection of multiple components, significantly improving the detection sensitivity of complex oil. The detection limits for furfural, acetone, and methanol in insulating oil are 0.43 mg/L, 1.04 mg/L, and 2.31 mg/L, respectively. This provides a new approach for the online detection of oil-paper insulation equipment.

Recent impacts of water management on dryland's salinization and degradation neutralization.

Reducing soil salinization of croplands with optimized irrigation and water management is essential to achieve land degradation neutralization (LDN). The effectiveness and sustainability of various irrigation and water management measures to reduce basin-scale salinization remain uncertain. Here we used remote sensing to estimate the soil salinity of arid croplands from 1984 to 2021. We then use Bayesian network analysis to compare the spatial-temporal response of salinity to water management, including various irrigation and drainage methods, in ten large arid river basins: Nile, Tigris-Euphrates, Indus, Tarim, Amu, Ili, Syr, Junggar, Colorado, and San Joaquin. In basins at more advanced phases of development, managers implemented drip and groundwater irrigation and thus effectively controlled salinity by lowering groundwater levels. For the remaining basins using conventional flood irrigation, economic development and policies are crucial for establishing a virtuous circle of "improving irrigation systems, reducing salinity, and increasing agricultural incomes" which is necessary to achieve LDN.

Monitoring of carbon-water fluxes at Eurasian meteorological stations using random forest and remote sensing.

Simulating the carbon-water fluxes at more widely distributed meteorological stations based on the sparsely and unevenly distributed eddy covariance flux stations is needed to accurately understand the carbon-water cycle of terrestrial ecosystems. We established a new framework consisting of machine learning, determination coefficient (R2), Euclidean distance, and remote sensing (RS), to simulate the daily net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) and water flux (WF) of the Eurasian meteorological stations using a random forest model or/and RS. The daily NEE and WF datasets with RS-based information (NEE-RS and WF-RS) for 3774 and 4427 meteorological stations during 2002-2020 were produced, respectively. And the daily NEE and WF datasets without RS-based information (NEE-WRS and WF-WRS) for 4667 and 6763 meteorological stations during 1983-2018 were generated, respectively. For each meteorological station, the carbon-water fluxes meet accuracy requirements and have quasi-observational properties. These four carbon-water flux datasets have great potential to improve the assessments of the ecosystem carbon-water dynamics.

Effects of land clearing for agriculture on soil organic carbon stocks in drylands: A meta-analysis.

Agricultural activities have been expanding globally with the pressure to provide food security to the earth's growing population. These agricultural activities have profoundly impacted soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in global drylands. However, the effects of clearing natural ecosystems for cropland (CNEC) on SOC are uncertain. To improve our understanding of carbon emissions and sequestration under different land uses, it is necessary to characterize the response patterns of SOC stocks to different types of CNEC. We conducted a meta-analysis with mixed-effect model based on 873 paired observations of SOC in croplands and adjacent natural ecosystems from 159 individual studies in global drylands. Our results indicate that CNEC significantly (p < .05) affects SOC stocks, resulting from a combination of natural land clearing, cropland management practices (fertilizer application, crop species, cultivation duration) and the significant negative effects of initial SOC stocks. Increases in SOC stocks (in 1 m depth) were found in croplands which previously natural land (deserts and shrublands) had low SOC stocks, and the increases were 278.86% (95% confidence interval, 196.43%-361.29%) and 45.38% (26.53%-62.23%), respectively. In contrast, SOC stocks (in 1 m depth) decreased by 24.11% (18.38%-29.85%) and 10.70% (1.80%-19.59%) in clearing forests and grasslands for cropland, respectively. We also established the general response curves of SOC stocks change to increasing cultivation duration, which is crucial for accurately estimating regional carbon dynamics following CNEC. SOC stocks increased significantly (p < .05) with high long-term fertilizer consumption in cleared grasslands with low initial SOC stocks (about 27.2 Mg ha-1 ). The results derived from our meta-analysis could be used for refining the estimation of dryland carbon dynamics and developing SOC sequestration strategies to achieve the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Emergence of two AcrB substitutions conferring multidrug resistance to Salmonella spp.

AcrAB-TolC is a major tripartite multidrug efflux pump conferring resistance to a wide variety of compounds in Gram-negative pathogens. Many AcrB mutants have been constructed through site-directed mutagenesis to probe the mechanism of AcrB function in antibiotic resistance. However, much less is known about the actual drug resistance related mutants that naturally occur in clinically isolated pathogens. Here, we report two novel AcrB substitutions, M78I and P319L, in clinically isolated Salmonella strains with high-level ciprofloxacin resistance. Plasmids expressing the detected acrB mutations were constructed and introduced into SL1344△acrB Antimicrobial susceptibility assay showed that all AcrB M78I, AcrB P319L and AcrB M78I/319L conferred reduced susceptibilities to multiple substrates, including fluoroquinolones, erythromycin, tetracyclines, bile salts and dyes. Site-directed mutagenesis and MIC results revealed that increased hydrophobicity of M78I was one of the reasons why AcrB M78I had lower susceptibility to fluoroquinolones. Fluorescence labeling experiments suggested that the AcrB M78I substitution enhanced the binding of substrates to certain amino acid sites in the efflux pathway (e.g., site Q89, E673 and F617) and weakened the binding to other amino acids (e.g., S134 and N274). Structural modeling disclosed the increased flexibility of Leu was favorable for the functional rotation of AcrB compared to the original Pro. AcrA 319L makes the functional rotation of AcrB more flexible, this enables substrate efflux more efficiently. In order to understand the mechanism of AcrAB-TolC drug efflux well, interaction between AcrA and AcrB in the role of substrate efflux of AcrAB-TolC should be further investigated.

Net carbon flux from cropland changes in the Central Asian Aral Sea Basin.

The transboundary Aral Sea Basin (ASB) covers parts of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the central Asian portion of Kazakhstan (KAZ), Uzbekistan (UZB), Turkmenistan (TUK), Kyrgyzstan (KGZ), and Tajikistan (TAJ). During recent decades, the region has experienced widespread cropland changes and has therefore attracted attention. However, carbon flux caused by these changes, which is critical to understand the carbon cycle in the region and to develop strategies for carbon sequestration, has not been quantified. We applied the Bookkeeping Model to analyze carbon flux caused by cropland changes. We found that the cropland area expanded from 1975 to 2019. Prior to 1990, the net increment in cropland area was 64.47 kha yr-1; this decreased to 11.02-18.69 kha yr-1 after the collapse of the USSR (1991). Grasslands and bare lands with low carbon density were the main types of land that were converted to cropland, accounting for approximately 70.3-99.29% of the land cleared for cropland. In terms of cropland loss, grassland accounted for more than 40.69% of the cropland converted to other land cover types, followed by artificial surfaces, which accounted for 25.84-45.16%. The expansion of cropland served as a carbon sink owing to the increase in irrigation and fertilization. The overall potential carbon emission was -89.38 ± 35.34 Tg C, and contributions of the five countries were as follows: TUR (-33.65 ± 6.30 Tg C), UZB (-29.23 ± 25.35 Tg C), KAZ (-12.76 ± 12.16 Tg C), TAJ (-11.11 ± 5.47 Tg C), KGZ (-2.63 ± 7.83 Tg C). The net carbon flux was -2.04 ± 0.23 Tg C yr-1 before 1990, and it decreased to -1.87 ± 1.03 Tg C yr-1 during the post-Soviet era. Finally, we state sustainable agricultural management is urgently needed to deal with the environmental problems of the Aral Sea, which have been primarily caused by cropland expansion.

Spatiotemporal variations in aerosol optical depth and associated risks for populations in the arid region of Central Asia.

With the progress of urbanization, atmospheric pollution and physical health issues caused by the increase of aerosol optical depth (AOD) become more and more prominent. Hence, population exposure risk to AOD becomes a research hotspot. The arid Central Asia (ACA) has a generally high AOD and is a major source area for dust aerosols in the world. Only few studies have discussed population exposure risk to AOD in ACA. Based on multisource remote sensing data, and used population exposure risk model, this study evaluated population exposure risk to AOD in six ecological zones (Northern steppe region of ACA (NSCA), Aral Sea desert area (ASDA), Tianshan Mountains (TSMT), Junggar Basin desert area (JBDA), Tarim Basin desert area (TBDA) and Hexi corridor desert area (HCDA)). Generally, AOD in ACA was kept increasing from 2000 to 2015, and it increased mostly in HCDA and areas near the Aral Sea (p < 0.001). With respect to seasonal variations, the maximum AOD was observed in spring and autumn, and the minimum was in winter. Considering land use changes, AOD was mainly manifested by the reduction of water bodies and expansion of construction lands. This was the mostly significant in NSCA and ASDA (p < 0.01). The population exposure risk to AOD in ACA was increasing continuously from 2000 to 2015, and high-value regions (>9) concentrated in oases, specifically, in the Aral Sea basin and Tarim River basin.The Aral Sea basin became the major AOD source region in ACA due to the shrinking water area after unreasonable development and utilization of water resources. These further increase population exposure risk to AOD in the Aral Sea area. Hence, ecological restoration in terminal lakes of ACA will become the key to lower population exposure risk to AOD practically.

Microdroplet extraction assisted ultrasensitive Raman detection in complex oil.

The Raman detection of trace substances in complex oil is still a great challenge at present because of the strong disturbance of background activity and the suppression of intensity in spectra caused by complicated components. In this work, a simple and robust approach based on microdroplet liquid-liquid extraction for the real-time Raman spectroscopy monitoring of trace substances in complex oil is reported. Based on unbalanced chemical potentials between water and oil on a microfluidic chip, a target trace molecule is extracted from complex mineral oil to a water microdroplet. Benefiting from the real-time fluorescence intensities of fluorescein in a water microdroplet, the extraction performance is investigated and optimized. The optimal water microdroplet is implemented for the Raman detection of furfural in a complex mineral oil, a typical trace performance marker in electric power equipment, and this exhibits excellent sensitivity with a limit of detection (LOD) of 26 ppb. Compared to traditional detection technology for trace substances in complex oil (high performance liquid chromatography, HPLC), this method greatly simplified the process of measurement, reduced the volume of sample required, had a fast measurement time, and exhibited the prospect of real-time monitoring applications with high sensitivity, which not only promotes the development of oil quality but also enlarges existing knowledge related to using Raman spectroscopy in chem-/bio-sensing.

Full spectrum driven SCR removal of NO over hierarchical CeVO4/attapulgite nanocomposite with high resistance to SO2 and H2O.

Removal of hazardous NO at low temperature via photo-assisted selective catalytic reduction (photo-SCR) strategy is promising, however fully harvesting of solar energy and achieving high SO2/H2O tolerance still remain a challenge. Herein, the phosphoric acid modified natural attapulgite(P-ATP) was employed as a matrix to immobilize CeVO4 by microwave hydrothermal method. Results show that P-ATP provides abundant active sites facilitating the in situ grow of CeVO4 nanorods on its surface which hierarchically construct a dendritic-like photocatalyst. The near-infrared (NIR) light is upconverted to visible and UV light through CeVO4 which not only broaden the absorption range of solar light, but also build Z-scheme heterostructure with P-ATP enhancing the redox potential of charge carriers. The CeVO4/P-ATP nanocomposite can reach as high as 92 % for NO conversion under full-spectrum solar irradiation, while retaining nearly 60 % conversion under NIR light. Moreover, the catalyst exhibits outstanding tolerance with SO2 and H2O due to the presence of Ce species which can prevent NH3 from being sulfated, while ATP prevent catalyst from being corroded by H2O. This work may open up a new window for full-spectrum driven SCR of NO based on cost-effective mineral catalyst.

Application of Self-Assembled Raman Spectrum-Enhanced Substrate in Detection of Dissolved Furfural in Insulating Oil.

Accurate detection of dissolved aging features in transformer oil is the key to judging the aging degree of oil-paper insulation. In this work, in order to realize in situ detection of furfural dissolved in transformer oil, silver nanoparticles were self-assembled on the surface of gold film with P-aminophenylthiophenol (PATP) as a coupling agent. Rhodamine-6G (R6G) was used as the probe molecule to test the enhancement effect. By optimizing the molecular concentration, molecular deposition time, and silver sol deposition time of PATP, the nanoparticles were made more uniform and compact, and an enhanced substrate with rich hot spots was obtained. The optimum substrate was developed, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection of trace furfural dissolved in transformer oil was realized. The results showed that the substrate prepared under the conditions of 0.1 mol/L PATP, 5 hours deposition in PATP and 12 hours immersion in silver sol, had the best reinforcement effect (that is, uniform and compact particle arrangement and no particle clusters). By use of this substrate, the minimum detectable concentration of furfural in transformer oil was about 1.06 mg/L, which provides a new method for fast and nondestructive detection of transformer aging diagnosis.

PTBP3 contributes to the metastasis of gastric cancer by mediating CAV1 alternative splicing.

Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 3 (PTBP3) is an essential RNA-binding protein with roles in RNA splicing, 3' end processing and translation. Although increasing evidence implicates PTBP3 in several cancers, its role in gastric cancer metastasis remains poorly explored. In this study, we found that PTBP3 was upregulated in the gastric cancer tissues of patients with lymph node metastasis. Patients with high PTBP3 expression levels had significantly shorter survival than those with low PTBP3 expression. Overexpression/knockdown of PTBP3 expression had no effect on proliferation, whereas it regulated migration and invasion in vitro. In addition, when a mouse xenotransplant model of MKN45 was established, knockdown of PTBP3 in MKN45 cells caused the formation of tumours that were smaller in size than their counterparts, with suppression of tumour lymphangiogenesis and metastasis to regional lymph nodes. Furthermore, we identified caveolin 1 (CAV1) as a downstream target of PTBP3. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays indicated that PTBP3 interacted with the CU-rich region of the CAV1 gene to downregulate CAV1α expression. Knockdown of CAV1α abrogated the reduction of FAK and Src induced by PTBP3 knockdown. In summary, our findings provide experimental evidence that PTBP3 may function as a metastatic gene in gastric cancer by regulating CAV1 through alternative splicing.

Quantitative proteomic study of the plasma reveals acute phase response and LXR/RXR and FXR/RXR activation in the chronic unpredictable mild stress mouse model of depression.

Major depressive disorder is a severe neuropsychiatric disease that negatively impacts the quality of life of a large portion of the population. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying depression are still unclear. The pathogenesis of depression involves several brain regions. However, most previous studies have focused only on one specific brain region. Plasma and brain tissues exchange numerous components through the blood­brain barrier. Therefore, in the present study, plasma samples from control (CON) mice and mice subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) were used to investigate the molecular pathogenesis of depression, and the association between the peripheral circulation and the central nervous system. A total of 47 significant differentially expressed proteins were identified between the CUMS and CON group by an isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry approach. These 47 differentially expressed proteins were analyzed with ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software. This revealed that the acute phase response, LXR/RXR and FXR/RXR activation, the complement system and the intrinsic prothrombin activation pathway were significantly changed. Four of the significant differentially expressed proteins (lipopolysaccharide binding protein, fibrinogen ß chain, α­1 antitrypsin, and complement factor H) were validated by western blotting. the present findings provide a novel insight into the molecular pathogenesis of depression.

Charge Transfer Effect on Raman and Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Furfural Molecules.

The detection of furfural in transformer oil through surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is one of the most promising online monitoring techniques in the process of transformer aging. In this work, the Raman of individual furfural molecules and SERS of furfural-Mx (M = Ag, Au, Cu) complexes are investigated through density functional theory (DFT). In the Raman spectrum of individual furfural molecules, the vibration mode of each Raman peak is figured out, and the deviation from experimental data is analyzed by surface charge distribution. In the SERS of furfural-Mx complexes, the influence of atom number and species on SERS chemical enhancement factors (EFs) are studied, and are further analyzed by charge transfer effect. Our studies strengthen the understanding of charge transfer effect in the SERS of furfural molecules, which is important in the online monitoring of the transformer aging process through SERS.

Endoplasmic reticulum-targeting photosensitizer Hypericin confers chemo-sensitization towards oxaliplatin through inducing pro-death autophagy.

Hypericin is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-located photosensitizer, which causes oxidative damage to ER during photodynamic therapy (PDT). Hypericin-mediated PDT (HY-PDT) has been confirmed to enhance chemo-sensitivity of oxaliplatin (L-OHP) in colon cancer cells. The present study reveals that autophagy plays a key role in chemosensitization during HY-PDT. We proved pro-death autophagy was required for sensitization and HY-PDT/L-OHP antitumor synergism. High dosage of HY-PDT induced autophagic cell death; while low dose of HY-PDT predominantly triggered protective autophagy and promoted cell proliferation. Low dose of HY-PDT reduced the cytotoxicity of L-OHP in oxaliplatin-resistant colon cancer cells. Different level of autophagy therefore contributed to the opposite effect of HY-PDT on cell fate and chemo-sensitivity. Furthermore, we revealed the role of CHOP as a regulator connecting pro-survival and pro-death autophagy under ER damage. High dose of HY-PDT induced massive ROS generation and severe ER stress, which then led to induction of CHOP. CHOP thereby activated CHOP/TRIB3/Akt/mTOR cascade and triggered autophagic cell death. Additionally, when apoptotic pathway was blocked, cells treated with high dose of HY-PDT preferentially underwent death through autophagic pathway. On the other hand, suppression of autophagy made cells more vulnerable to apoptosis under low dose of HY-PDT. These results provided new evidences for the clinical application of ER-targeting PDT in modifying chemosensitivity of colorectal cancer therapy.

Inhibition of polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 3 induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and enhances the cytotoxicity of 5- fluorouracil in gastric cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Human polypyrimidine tract binding protein 3 (PTBP3) was first discovered in 1999 and has been well characterised as a differentiation regulator. However, its role in human cancer has rarely been reported. Our previous study revealed increased PTBP3 protein level in gastric cancer tissues. Downregulation of PTBP3 suppressed the proliferation and differentiation of gastric cancer cells in vivo. METHODS: PTBP3 mRNA levels in human gastric cancer and adjuvant non-tumour tissues were detected. Apoptosis and 5-FU effect were determined in PTBP3-silenced gastric cancer cells. Underlying molecular mechanisms were investigated. RESULTS: MRNA expression of PTBP3 was upregulated in gastric cancer tissues, especially in those at an advanced stage. PTBP3 silencing led to apoptosis, under which modulation of PTB and thereby switch of Bcl-x pre-mRNA splicing pattern might be an important mechanism. Further research found that inhibition of PTBP3 expression enhanced the chemosensitivity of gastric cancer cells towards 5-FU treatment. This was mediated by reduced expression of histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), which further inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt and the expression of thymidylate synthase (TYMS), the critical determinant of 5-FU cytotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: PTBP3 might serve as a biomarker of gastric cancer or potential target for anti-cancer therapy.

Quantitative proteomics analysis of the liver reveals immune regulation and lipid metabolism dysregulation in a mouse model of depression.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent and debilitating mental illness with substantial impairments in quality of life and functioning. However, the pathophysiology of major depression remains poorly understood. Combining the brain and body should provide a comprehensive understanding of the etiology of MDD. As the largest internal organ of the human body, the liver has an important function, yet no proteomic study has assessed liver protein expression in a preclinical model of depression. Using the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse model of depression, differential protein expression between CUMS and control (CON) mice was examined in the liver proteome using isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. More than 4000 proteins were identified and 66 most significantly differentiated proteins were used for further bioinformatic analysis. According to the ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA), we found that proteins related to the inflammation response, immune regulation, lipid metabolism and NFκB signaling network were altered by CUMS. Moreover, four proteins closely associated with these processes, hemopexin, haptoglobin, cytochrome P450 2A4 (CYP2A4) and bile salt sulfotransferase 1 (SULT2A1), were validated by western blotting. In conclusion, we report, for the first time, the liver protein expression profile in the CUMS mouse model of depression. Our findings provide novel insight (liver-brain axis) into the multifaceted mechanisms of major depressive disorder.

Hypothalamic Proteomic Analysis Reveals Dysregulation of Glutamate Balance and Energy Metabolism in a Mouse Model of Chronic Mild Stress-Induced Depression.

Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity is observed in many patients suffering from depression. However, the mechanism underlying the dysfunction of the HPA axis is not well understood. Moreover, dysfunction of the hypothalamus, the key brain region of the HPA axis, has not been well-explored. The aim of our study was to examine possible alterations in hypothalamus protein expression in a model of depression using proteomic analysis. In order to achieve this aim, mice were exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), as the paradigm results in hyperactivity of the HPA axis. Differential protein expression between the hypothalamic proteomes of CUMS and control mice was then assessed through two-dimensional electrophoresis followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-tandem mass spectrometry. Thirty-seven proteins with a threshold of a 1.5-fold change and a p value ≤0.05 were identified as being differentially expressed between CUMS and control mice, and were quantified for bioinformatics analysis. Glycometabolism, citrate cycle (TCA cycle) and oxidation respiratory chain were found to have changed significantly. Glial fibrillary acidic protein and glutamine synthetase were further validated by Western Blot. Our results demonstrated that CUMS mice exhibited a dramatic protein change both in glutamate metabolism and energy mobilization, which may shed some light on the role of the hypothalamus in the pathology of stress-induced depression.

Proteomic analysis reveals energy metabolic dysfunction and neurogenesis in the prefrontal cortex of a lipopolysaccharide-induced mouse model of depression.

Substantial evidence from previous studies has suggested an association between major depressive disorder (MDD) and inflammation, and previous studies have associated prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction with MDD. Systemic administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide has been used to study inflammation-associated behavioral changes in rodents. However, proteomic studies investigating PFC protein expression in an LPS-induced mouse model of depression have yet to be conducted. Using two-dimensional electrophoresis coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-tandem mass spectrometry, PFC proteomes were comparatively assessed in LPS-induced acute inflammation reaction mice, LPS-induced depressive-like behavior mice (Dep), and control mice. A total of 26 differentially expressed proteins were identified, two of which were selected for western blot analysis, the results of which revealed a significant increase in the expression levels of creatine kinase B and dihydropyrimidinase-like 3 in Dep mice, suggesting that changes in energy metabolism and neuro-genesis occur in the PFC of Dep mice. Further investigation on these processes and on the proteins of the PFC are required in order to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanism underlying MDD.

Enhancement of oxaliplatin sensitivity in human colorectal cancer by hypericin mediated photodynamic therapy via ROS-related mechanism.

The resistance to oxaliplatin (L-OHP) is a major obstacle to ideal therapeutic outcomes in colorectal cancer. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) induces tumor damage through photosensitizer-mediated oxidative cytotoxicity. Hypericin is a well-studied photosensitizer. In this study, we explored the role of hypericin-mediated PDT (HY-PDT) in sensitizing human colorectal cancer cells towards L-OHP. Pre-treatment with HY-PDT enhanced the anti-tumor activity of L-OHP via decreasing drug efflux and increasing platinum accumulation. Further research showed that HY-PDT-mediated resensitization of resistance cells towards L-OHP was dependent on regulation of MRP-2, instead of p-gp. HY-PDT was also found to inhibit intracellular glutathione (GSH) and Glutathione S-transferase (GST), suggesting the involvement of GSH-related detoxification in the sensitization effect. Additionally, enhanced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) was observed following HY-PDT/L-OHP combined treatment. HY-PDT lowered the removing rate of platinum from DNA and down-regulated the expression of ERCC1 and XPF, two critical enzymes involved in nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. GSH monoethyl ester (GSH-EE) antagonized HY-PDT-induced ROS and repressed sensitization to platinum. Taken together, HY-PDT mediated sensitization of L-OHP in human colorectal cancer is mediated by ROS, whose mechanism involves affecting drug efflux, GSH-related detoxification and NER-mediated DNA repair.