Solubilization and structural changes of lignin in naked oat stems during subcritical water autohydrolysis.

In this study, the solubilization and structural changes of lignin in naked oat stems were investigated under subcritical water autohydrolysis systems (170-210 °C, 0.68-1.85 MPa). In this system, Hemicellulose was preferentially hydrolyzed in the liquid water at elevated temperatures, leading to the production of acetic acid and glucuronic acid, which acidified the reaction system. Under acidic and high-temperature conditions, lignin primarily underwent degradation and condensation reactions. At autohydrolysis temperatures below 190 °C and autohydrolysis pressures below 1.22 MPa, lignin degradation was predominant, realizing a maximum lignin removal of 47.8 % and breakage of numerous ß-O-4 bonds from lignin. At autohydrolysis temperatures above 190 °C and autohydrolysis pressures above 1.22 MPa, lignin condensation dominated, with an increase in the amount of organic acids generated upon hemicellulose degradation, leading to condensation reactions with the degraded low-molecular-weight lignin. The degree of lignin condensation was positively correlated with the temperature of the reaction system. This study provides essential insights into the dynamic changes in the structure of lignin in both the hydrolysis residue and hydrolysis solution during subcritical water autohydrolysis.

Hawthorn leaf flavonoids alleviate the deterioration of atherosclerosis by inhibiting SCAP-SREBP2-LDLR pathway through sPLA2-â ¡A signaling in macrophages in mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Hawthorn leaves are a combination of the dried leaves of the Rosaceae plants, i.e., Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. or Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. var. major N. E. Br., is primarily cultivated in East Asia, North America, and Europe. hawthorn leaf flavonoids (HLF) are the main part of extraction. The HLF have demonstrated potential in preventing hypertension, inflammation, hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis. However, the potential pharmacological mechanism behind its anti-atherosclerotic effect has yet to be explored. AIM OF THE STUDY: The in vivo and in vitro effects of HLF on lipid-mediated foam cell formation were investigated, with a specific focus on the levels of secreted phospholipase A2 type IIA (sPLA2-II A) in macrophage cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The primary constituents of HLF were analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In vivo, HLF, at concentrations of 5 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg, and 40 mg/kg, were administered to apolipoprotein E knockout mice (ApoE-/-) fed by high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks. Aorta and serum samples were collected to identify lesion areas and lipids through mass spectrometry analysis to dissect the pathological process. RAW264.7 cells were incubated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) alone, or ox-LDL combined with different doses of HLF (100, 50, and 25 µg/ml), or ox-LDL plus 24-h sPLA2-IIA inhibitors, for cell biology analysis. Lipids and inflammatory cytokines were detected using biochemical analyzers and ELISA, while plaque size and collagen content of plaque were assessed by HE and the Masson staining of the aorta. The lipid deposition in macrophages was observed by Oil Red O staining. The expression of sPLA2-IIA and SCAP-SREBP2-LDLR was determined by RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: The chemical profile of HLF was studied using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, allowing the tentative identification of 20 compounds, comprising 1 phenolic acid, 9 flavonols and 10 flavones, including isovitexin, vitexin-4″-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-robibioside, rutin, vitexin-2″-O-rhamnoside, quercetin, etc. HLF decreased total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levels in ApoE-/- mice (P < 0.05), reduced ox-LDL uptake, inhibited level of inflammatory factors, such as IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-1ꞵ (P < 0.001), and alleviated aortic plaques with a thicker fibrous cap. HLF effectively attenuated foam cell formation in ox-LDL-treated RAW264.7 macrophages, and reduced levels of intracellular TC, free cholesterol (FC), cholesteryl ester (CE), IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1ß (P < 0.001). In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, HLF significantly downregulated the expression of sPLA2-IIA, SCAP, SREBP2, LDLR, HMGCR, and LOX-1 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, sPLA2-IIA inhibitor effectively mitigated inflammatory release in RAW264.7 macrophages and regulated SCAP-SREBP2-LDLR signaling pathway by inhibiting sPLA2-IIA secretion (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: HLF exerted a protective effect against atherosclerosis through inhibiting sPLA2-IIA to diminish SCAP-SREBP2-LDLR signaling pathway, to reduce LDL uptake caused foam cell formation, and to slow down the progression of atherosclerosis in mice.

Markov State Models: To Optimize or Not to Optimize.

Markov state models (MSM) are a popular statistical method for analyzing the conformational dynamics of proteins including protein folding. With all statistical and machine learning (ML) models, choices must be made about the modeling pipeline that cannot be directly learned from the data. These choices, or hyperparameters, are often evaluated by expert judgment or, in the case of MSMs, by maximizing variational scores such as the VAMP-2 score. Modern ML and statistical pipelines often use automatic hyperparameter selection techniques ranging from the simple, choosing the best score from a random selection of hyperparameters, to the complex, optimization via, e.g., Bayesian optimization. In this work, we ask whether it is possible to automatically select MSM models this way by estimating and analyzing over 16,000,000 observations from over 280,000 estimated MSMs. We find that differences in hyperparameters can change the physical interpretation of the optimization objective, making automatic selection difficult. In addition, we find that enforcing conditions of equilibrium in the VAMP scores can result in inconsistent model selection. However, other parameters that specify the VAMP-2 score (lag time and number of relaxation processes scored) have only a negligible influence on model selection. We suggest that model observables and variational scores should be only a guide to model selection and that a full investigation of the MSM properties should be undertaken when selecting hyperparameters.

Discrimination of missing data types in metabolomics data based on particle swarm optimization algorithm and XGBoost model.

In the field of data analysis, it is often faced with a large number of missing values, especially in metabolomics data, this problem is more prominent. Data imputation is a common method to deal with missing metabolomics data, while traditional data imputation methods usually ignore the differences in missing types, and thus the results of data imputation are not satisfactory. In order to discriminate the missing types of metabolomics data, a missing data classification model (PX-MDC) based on particle swarm algorithm and XGBoost is proposed in this paper. First, the missing values in a given missing data set are obtained by panning the missing values to obtain the largest subset of complete data, and then the particle swarm algorithm is used to search for the concentration threshold of missing data and the proportion of low concentration deletions as a percentage of overall deletions. Next, the missing data are simulated based on the search results. Finally, the training data are trained using the XGBoost model using the feature set proposed in this paper in order to build a classifier for the missing data. The experimental results show that the particle swarm algorithm is able to match the traditional enumeration method in terms of accuracy and significantly reduce the search time in concentration threshold search. Compared with the current mainstream methods, the PX-MDC model designed in this paper exhibits higher accuracy and is able to distinguish different deletion types for the same metabolite. This study is expected to make an important breakthrough in metabolomics data imputation and provide strong support for research in related fields.

Polymerized PEI-modified lignin polyphenolic materials by acid hydrolysis-phase separation for removal of Cr (VI) from industrial wastewater.

Cr (VI) accumulates in an aqueous environment and exhibits huge harm to human health and the ecological system. Developed lignin biomass materials are complicated to prepare and have limited properties, and advances in lignin phenolic modification are lacking. Herein, an aminated poplar lignin-pyrogallol (PLP-PEI) with a simple design and adjustable phenolic hydroxyl content was developed using the acid hydrolysis-phase separation (AH-PS) method, and modified by the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) strategy. Through diverse characterization analysis, the structural changes of PLP-PEI in the step-by-step synthesis process were monitored. An effective biomass capture system (Bio-Cap) was shown via systematically investigating the adsorption behaviors of Cr (VI) on PLP-PEI under various environmental conditions. Benefiting from introducing phenolic hydroxyl and amino groups, PLP-PEI demonstrated efficient adsorption capacity (598.80 mg/g for Cr (VI)). Additionally, the material also exhibited advantages, including monomeric chemisorption properties, strong reduction capability, and stable regeneration properties. Multiple driving forces were involved in the capture and removal process of Cr (VI), including complexation and electrostatic interaction. The low-cost natural biomass resources supported the industrial-scale synthesis and practical application of advanced aminated lignin polyphenol material, which showed outstanding advantages and enormous potential in the field of water environmental restoration.

First-principle study on the geometric and electronic structure of Mg-doped LiNiO2 for Li-ion batteries.

CONTEXT: Ni-rich layered oxides have been widely studied as cathodes because of their high energy density. However, the gradual structural transformation during the cycle will lead to the capacity degradation and potential decay of the cathode materials. In this paper, first-principle calculations were used to investigate the formation energy, and geometric and electronic structure of Mg-doped LiNiO2 cathode for Li-ion batteries. The results show that Mg doping has little effect on the geometric structure of LiNiO2 but has great effect on its electronic structure. Our data give an insight into the microscopic mechanism of Mg-doped LiNiO2 and provide a theoretical reference for experimental research, which is helpful to the design of safer and higher energy density Ni-rich cathodes. METHOD: In this work, all calculations were performed by the VASP package; the PBE functional in the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) was employed to describe the exchange-correlation interactions. An energy cutoff of 520 eV and a 5 × 5 × 3 Monkhorst-Pack mesh of k-point sampling in the Brillouin zone were chosen for all calculations. All atoms were relaxed until the convergences of 10-5 eV/f.u in energy and 0.01 eV/Å in force were reached.

Genetically predicted osteoprotegerin levels and the risk of cardiovascular diseases: A Mendelian randomization study.

PURPOSE: The relationship between circulating osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels and the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) has been the subject of conflicting results in previous observational and experimental studies. To assess the causal effect of genetically predicted OPG levels on the risk of a wide range of CVDs, we used the Mendelian randomization design. DESIGN: We initially extracted information of genetic variants on OPG levels and their corresponding effect values from the summary data based on the European ancestry genome-wide association study. Subsequently, we performed two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses to assess the causal effect of genetically predicted OPG levels on CVDs by using inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median, and MR-PRESSO methods. We also conducted sensitivity analyzes as well as complementary analyses with a more relaxed threshold for the exposure genetic instrumental variable (P < 5 × 10-6) to test the robustness of our results. RESULTS: Our results indicated that genetically predicted OPG levels causally reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation (IVW OR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.72-0.98; P = 0.0241), myocardial infarction(IVW OR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.80-0.98; P = 0.0173) and coronary heart disease (IVW: OR = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.82-0.99; P = 0.0286). Further complementary analyses also confirmed the above results remain robust and we also identified a potential causal association of OPG levels with a reduced risk of hypertensive diseases(IVW OR = 0.94;95% CI = 0.88-1.00; P = 0.0394). CONCLUSION: This study provides compelling evidence for a causal relationship between genetically predicted OPG levels and risk reduction of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and atrial fibrillation, indicating that OPG could potentially serve as a cardiovascular risk marker in clinical practice.

UV-blocking composite films containing hydrophilized spruce kraft lignin and nanocellulose: Fabrication and performance evaluation.

The development of biodegradable films with good UV-blocking and mechanical properties is of great significance for the alleviation of plastic pollution and the establishment of a sustainable society. Given that most natural biomass-derived films have poor mechanical and UV aging properties and are therefore of limited applicability, additives capable of mitigating these drawbacks are highly sought after. In particular, industrial alkali lignin, which is a byproduct of the pulp and paper industry, features a benzene ring-dominated structure with abundant active functional groups and is therefore a promising natural anti-UV additive and composite reinforcing agent. However, the commercial applications of alkali lignin are hindered by its structural complexity and polydispersity. Herein, spruce kraft lignin was fractionated and purified using acetone, subjected to structural characterization, and then quaternized based on the obtained structural data to increase water solubility. TEMPO-oxidized cellulose was supplemented with quaternized lignin at different loadings, and the mixtures were homogenized under high pressure to obtain uniform and stable lignin-containing nanocellulose dispersions, which were subsequently converted into films through suction filtration-based dewatering under pressure. The quaternization of lignin improved its compatibility with nanocellulose and endowed the corresponding composite films with excellent mechanical properties as well as high visible light transmission and UV-blocking performance. The film with a quaternized lignin loading of 6 % had UVA and UVB shielding efficiencies of 98.3 and 100 %, respectively, and featured a tensile strength (175.2 MPa) and elongation at break (7.6 %) that were 50.4 % and 72.7 % higher than those of the pure nanocellulose (CNF) film prepared under the same conditions, respectively. Thus, our work provides a cost-effective and viable method of preparing fully biomass-derived UV-blocking composite films.

Efficient Purification of Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus by a Novel Peptide Aptamer.

The cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) is a plant virus explored as a nanotechnological platform. The robust self-assembly mechanism of its capsid protein allows for drug encapsulation and targeted delivery. Additionally, the capsid nanoparticle can be used as a programmable platform to display different molecular moieties. In view of future applications, efficient production and purification of plant viruses are key steps. In established protocols, the need for ultracentrifugation is a significant limitation due to cost, difficult scalability, and safety issues. In addition, the purity of the final virus isolate often remains unclear. Here, an advanced protocol for the purification of the CCMV from infected plant tissue was developed, focusing on efficiency, economy, and final purity. The protocol involves precipitation with PEG 8000, followed by affinity extraction using a novel peptide aptamer. The efficiency of the protocol was validated using size exclusion chromatography, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, reversed-phase HPLC, and sandwich immunoassay. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the final eluate of the affinity column is of exceptional purity (98.4%) determined by HPLC and detection at 220 nm. The scale-up of our proposed method seems to be straightforward, which opens the way to the large-scale production of such nanomaterials. This highly improved protocol may facilitate the use and implementation of plant viruses as nanotechnological platforms for in vitro and in vivo applications.

The Hypolipidemic Effect of Hawthorn Leaf Flavonoids through Modulating Lipid Metabolism and Gut Microbiota in Hyperlipidemic Rats.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the potential mechanisms of the lipid-regulating effects and the effect on modulating the gut microbiota of hawthorn leaf flavonoids (HLF) in the high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats. Methods: The hypolipidemic effect of HLF was investigated in the high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats. The action targets of HLF in the treatment of hyperlipidemia were predicted by network pharmacology and KEGG enrichment bubble diagram, which were verified by the test of western blotting. Meanwhile, we used 16S rRNA sequencing to evaluate the effects of HLF on the microbes. Results: The results of animal experiments showed that HLF could reduce the body weight and regulate the levels of serum lipid in high-fat diet (HFD) rats. Meanwhile, for the related targets of cholesterol metabolism, HLF could significantly upregulate the expression of LDLR, NR1H3, and ABCG5/ABCG8; reduce the expression of PCSK9; and increase the level of CYP7A1 in the intestinal tissue, whereas cholesterol biosynthetic protein expressions including HMGCR and SCAP were lowered by HLF. In addition, HLF increased the activities of plasma SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px and decreased the levels of Casp 1, NLRP3, IL-1ß, IL-18, and TNF-α, improving the degree of hepatocyte steatosis and inflammatory infiltration of rats. Notably, HLF significantly regulated the relative abundance of major bacteria such as g_Lactobacillus, g_Anaerostipes, g_[Eubacterium]_hallii_group, g_Fusicatenibacter, g_Akkermansia, and g_Collinsella. Synchronously, we found that HLF could regulate the disorder of plasma HEPC and TFR levels caused by HFD. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that HLF can regulate metabolic hyperlipidemia syndromes and modulate the relative abundance of major bacteria, which illustrated that it might be associated with the modulation of gut microbiota composition and metabolites.

Effects of Different Concentrations of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus licheniformis on Silage Quality, In Vitro Fermentation and Microbial Community of Hybrid Pennisetum.

The purpose of the experiment was to study the effects of different concentrations of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) and Bacillus licheniformis (BL) on the quality of hybrid Pennisetum (HP) silage. The experiment consisted of five treatment groups. The control group did not use additives, and the experimental groups were added with LP or BL of 1 × 105 cfu/g fresh weight (FW) and 1 × 107 cfu/g FW, respectively. The results showed that LP and BL could increase the in vitro fermentation gas production and reduce the ammonia nitrogen (AN) content in HP silage. Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), lactic acid (LA) content, and gas production in the LP group were positively correlated with LP addition, and acetic acid (AA) was negatively correlated with addition. The content of WSC and LA in the LP7 group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05), and AA was lower than that in the control group (p > 0.05). Dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and gas production were negatively correlated with the addition of BL, while acid detergent fiber (ADF) content was positively correlated with the addition of BL. Furthermore, in the above indicators, the BL5 group reached a significant level with the control group (p < 0.05). The results of 16sRNA showed that the use of LP and BL could increase the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and decrease the relative abundance of Weissella in HP silage compared with the control group. In conclusion, LP and BL can significantly improve the quality of HP silage. The LP7 group and the BL5 group have the best silage effect. From the perspective of gas production in in vitro fermentation, the LP7 group had stronger fermentability and higher nutritional value.

Husbandry waste derived coralline-like composite biomass material for efficient heavy metal ions removal.

The resource utilization of biological solid waste is crucial for practical environmental remediation. By comprehensively utilizing LiBr treatment and dopamine chemistry, herein the cow dung waste was successfully converted into the composite biomass material for efficient heavy metal ions removal. A selective etching mechanism of cellulose was discovered in the LiBr treatment process, achieving the large-scale preparation of coralline-like porous biomass material with hundred times increased specific surface. Benefiting from the co-deposition of polyethyleneimine and Fe3O4, the fabricated material showed significantly higher adsorption capacity (183.82 and 231.48 mg·g-1 for Cu2+ and Cd2+) than that of raw cow dung (0.95 and 1.25 mg·g-1 for Cu2+ and Cd2+). Furthermore, this composite biomass adsorbent also exhibited rapid adsorption equilibrium, magnetic separation capability, monolayer chemisorption feature and feasible recycling use. Collectively, this work contributes to both the resource utilization of husbandry solid waste and the development of advanced biomass adsorbent.

Additives Altered Bacterial Communities and Metabolic Profiles in Silage Hybrid Pennisetum.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different additives on the fermentation quality, nutrient composition, bacterial communities, and metabolic profiles of the silage of hybrid Pennisetum. The experiment was conducted using five treatments, i.e., CK, control group, MA, 1% malic acid of fresh matter (FM) basis, GL, 1% glucose of FM basis, CE, 100 U/g FM cellulase, and BS, 106 cfu/g FM Bacillus subtilis, with six replicates each treatment. After a 120-day fermentation, 30 silage packages were opened for subsequent determination. As a result, all four additives had positive effects on the fermentation quality and nutrient composition of the silage of hybrid Pennisetum. The high-throughput sequencing of V3-V4 regions in 16S rRNA was performed, and results showed that Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla and that Aquabacterium and Bacillus were the dominant genera. MA, GL, CE, and BS treatment resulted in 129, 21, 25, and 40 differential bacteria, respectively. The four additives upregulated Bacillus smithii but downregulated Lactobacillus rossiae. Metabolic profiles were determined by UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS technology and the differential metabolites caused by the four additives were 47, 13, 47, and 18, respectively. These metabolites played antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory functions and involved in pathways, such as the citrate cycle, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. In conclusion, silage additives promoted fermentation quality and nutrient composition by altering bacterial communities and metabolic profiles. This study provided potential biomarkers for the improvement of silage quality.

Particles and porous tablets based on Fe0/ZSM-5 composites prepared by ball-milling for heavy metals removal: Dissolved Fe2+, pH, and mechanism.

Novel, low-cost Fe0/ZSM-5-based particles and porous tablets were prepared by a ball-milling method and used for the removal of Pb2+ in solution. Solid-phase characterization by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the Fe0 microparticles were evenly loaded and tightly immobilized on the surface of ZSM-5 because of the extrusion/welding impact during ball-milling. For different Pb2+ concentrations, batch experiments indicated that the removal of Pb2+ increased with the decline of dissolved Fe2+ and pH value in the solution for particles; opposite results were obtained for the tablets. The differences in the contact between both materials and Pb2+ were the main factor controlling Pb2+ removal in the solution. Investigation into the effect of initial pH value revealed that high pH reduced the number of electrons released from Fe corrosion. Consequently, low levels of removed Pb2+ and dissolved Fe2+ were synchronously observed. Also, simulated electroplating wastewater was treated using the prepared particles and porous tablets, and the removal order of Pb2+>Cr6+>Cu2+≈Cd2+ was observed. The Fe0/ZSM-5 particles and tablets prepared through ball-milling show potential as materials for treatment of Pb2+ and other toxic metals.

High salinity and UVR synergistically reduce the photosynthetic performance of an intertidal benthic diatom.

The intertidal flat is an important intermediate ecosystem characterized by abrupt fluctuations of some environmental factors. As a major contributor to coastal primary productivity, benthic diatoms have to cope up with these fluctuating conditions, such as variations in salinity and light. In this study, we used a typical benthic diatom, Nitzschia sp., to investigate how the photosynthetic performance of a benthic species responded to coupled stresses of high salinity and simulated sunlight. Results showed that their responses were largely dependent on the spectra of light they received. Further, ultraviolet radiation (UVR) interacted with high salinity more effectively than photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), which synergistically reduced the photochemical performance of photosystem II (PSII). The different responses to PAR and UVR were mainly attributed to the repair processes of PSII. Under high salinity, particularly for cells exposed to UVR, the repair rate was significantly lower than those under the control treatment. The present work suggests that UVR, rather than PAR, could be more important in influencing the benthic diatom under high salinity conditions.

Effects of an Enriched Extract of Paeoniflorin, a Monoterpene Glycoside used in Chinese Herbal Medicine, on Cholesterol Metabolism in a Hyperlipidemic Rat Model.

BACKGROUND Paeoniflorin is a monoterpene glycoside extracted from the roots of Paeonia lactiflora and is used in Chinese herbal medicine to treat hyperlipidemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of an enriched extract of paeoniflorin on cholesterol levels, hemodynamics, and oxidative stress in a hyperlipidemic rat model. MATERIAL AND METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed high-cholesterol diets and treated with three different doses of paeoniflorin for 12 weeks. The effects of paeoniflorin treatment were assessed on cholesterol levels, cholesterol metabolism, red blood cell vascular flow using hemorheology, antioxidant enzymes, and expression of the rate-limiting enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutharyl-coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoAR). Rat liver histology and immunohistochemical analysis were performed to evaluate the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), cytochrome P450 7A1 (CYP7A1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR)-α. Protein expression HMG-CoAR, low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), PPAR-α and CYP7A1 was measured by Western blotting. Antioxidant activity in rat liver was determined by measuring superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA). RESULTS Serum and hepatic cholesterol, hepatic steatosis and the products of cholesterol metabolism were reduced by paeoniflorin treatment, which also reduced the activity of HMG-CoAR and upregulated the expression of LDLR, PPAR-α, and CYP7A1 expression, increased SOD, decreased MDA, and upregulated Nrf2 expression. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study in a rat model of hyperlipidemia have shown that paeoniflorin regulates hepatic cholesterol synthesis and metabolism and may also protect the liver from oxidative stress.

[Leaching Toxicity and Bioaccessibility of Heavy Metals in MSWI Fly Ash with Various Particle Sizes].

Size fractionation and chemical composition of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash were investigated. And the leaching efficiency of heavy metals was contrastively studied using toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), European standard protocol (EN12457-2), sequential extraction procedure (SEP) and physiologically based extraction test (PBET) for different size-fractionated fly ash. The results indicated that the main compositing elements of fly ash were Ca, Si, Al, Mg, Fe, Na, K. 58.7% of fly ash particles were in the range of 38-106 µm and the amount in the<150 µm particle-size fraction accounted for more than 90% of in total, Cu, Pb and Cd mainly existed in the residual form with a minor amount of exchange fraction for any size-fractioned fly ash particles. TCLP result showed that leaching amounts of Zn, Cu and Pb, except for As and V, firstly increased and then decreased with the reduction of particle size. The leaching amount of Zn reached the highest value of 547 mg·kg-1 in the range of 38-106 µm, whereas the leaching amount of heavy metals exhibited a lower level for all size-fractioned fly ash particles. The extraction concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu and As reached 3270, 339, 335 and 16.8 mg·kg-1 for the PBET tests, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the TCLP. Therefore, heavy metals in MSWI fly ash had the potential bioavailability to human body.

[Analysis on animal models of experimental hyperlipidemia].

Hyperlipidemia is a major risk factor for fatty liver, atherosclerosis, hyperviscosily, coronary artery disease and acute myocardial infarction. In recent years, the incidence of hyperlipidemia was gradually increased and showed younger trend. It has been a research hot point to study the etiology and pathogenesis of hyperlipidemia and develop a new drug reduced blood lipid. It is very important to prepare the animal model of hyperlipidemia for displaying the advantage of traditional Chinese medicine characteristic. However, the success of replicating animal model of hyperlipidemia is one of the key of research in experimental hyperlipidemia. The ideal animal model of hyperlipidemia should be similar to human disease, high repeatability, simple and high generalization. It will affect the reliability of the results and the accuracy of the whole experiment process to copy successfully animal models of hyperlipidemia. This review focused on the recent research progress on copying methods of animal models of experimental hyperlipidemia, which will provide reference and basis for the hypolipidemic developers who choose rationally and effectively replication methods of hyperlipidemia animal models.

Short-term differences in drug prices after implementation of the national essential medicines system: A case study in rural Jiangxi Province, China.

OBJECTIVES: China's 2009 national essential medicine system (NEMS) was designed to reduce prices through a zero-markup policy and a centralized bidding system. To analyze NEMS's short-term impact on drug prices, we estimated the retail and wholesale prices before and after the reform at health institutions in rural Jiangxi Province. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We undertook two cross-sectional surveys of prices of 39 medicines in November 2008 and May 2010, calculated inflation adjusted prices, and used the Wilcoxon signed-rank and rank-sum tests to examine price changes at different health institutions. RESULTS: Retail prices at pilot (P < 0.01) and nonpilot (P < 0.01) township health centers decreased significantly, whereas the declines at retail pharmacies (P = 0.57) and village clinics (P = 0.29) were insignificant. The decline at pilot township health centers was the largest, compared with other kinds of health institutions (P < 0.01). Retail prices of essential and non-essential medicines declined significantly at pilot facilities (P < 0.05); price drops for non-essential medicines occurred only at pilot facilities (P < 0.05). No significant decline of wholesale prices were found at pilot (P = 0.86) and nonpilot units (P = 0.18), retail pharmacies (P = 0.18), and village clinics (P = 0.20). The wholesale prices changes at pilot units before and after the reform were higher than at nonpilot public units (P < 0.05), retail pharmacies (P < 0.05), and village clinics (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: While the NEMS zero-markup policy significantly reduced retail prices at pilot health institutions, the centralized bidding system was insufficient to lower wholesale prices. A drug price management system should be constructed to control medicine prices and a long-term price information system is needed to monitor price changes.