Hypericum perforatum-derived exosomes-like nanovesicles for adipose tissue photodynamic therapy.

BACKGROUND: Recent investigations underscore the capacity of photodynamic therapy (PDT) to induce adipocyte apoptosis, thereby mitigating obesity. Nonetheless, extant synthetic photosensitizers manifest limitations that hinder their clinical viability. PURPOSE: In the current study, we used Hypericum perforatum-derived exosomes-like nanovesicles (HPExos) as a novel photosensitizer, and investigated its PDT effects in adipose tissue during obesity. METHOD: HPExos-were administered to high fat diet mice via intraperitoneal injection, followed by targeted irradiation with specialized LED lights. Mass spectrometric analysis was analyzed in adipose tissues. CCK8 assay and Oil Red O staining were used to investigate lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells to clarify adipocyte differentiation. The expression levels of related markers associated with adipogenesis and lipogenesis were assessed by RT-PCR. Apoptosis analysis was performed by TUNEL staining of and western blotting. RESULTS: HPExos combined with PDT accumulated in visceral white adipose tissues results in a reduced body weight and improved insulin sensitivity. HPExos combined with PDT induced apoptosis by driving high levels of ROS. In addition, HPExos combined with PDT significantly downregulated the expression of transcription factors, PPARγ, C/EBPα, and SREBP and lipogenesis protein FABP4 both in vitro and in vivo, associated with a decreased FFA levels. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that HPExos could act as an effective photosensitizer in regulating glucose hemostasis by inhibiting adipocyte differentiation and lipogenesis, offering a promising approach for obesity treatment.

Edible pueraria lobata-derived exosome-like nanovesicles ameliorate dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis associated lung inflammation through modulating macrophage polarization.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as severe colitis, are associated with the development of lung inflammation and tissue damage. Pueraria lobata (P. lobata) plays an essential role in controlling cytokines. However, the exact mechanism of the inflammation response is still unknown. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of the P. lobata-derived exosomes-like nanovesicles (PLDENs) on colitis and their role in the lung inflammatory response. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the effects of PLDENs on the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and explored the mechanisms by forming the gut-lung axis. PLDENs were characterized by mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that PLDENs had significant preventive effects in DSS-induced colitis and pathological changes in colons in a dose-dependent manner. Simultaneously, the treatment of PLDENs could effectively reduce inflammatory changes in the lung. PLDENs could selectively regulate the composition of gut microbiota. CONCLUSION: These data suggested that the treatment of PLDENs could 'attenuate DSS-induced colitis and lung inflammation, providing an efficacious supplement for reducing co-morbidities in IBD patients.

Advances in Screening and Development of Therapeutic Aptamers Against Cancer Cells.

Cancer has become the leading cause of death in recent years. As great advances in medical treatment, emerging therapies of various cancers have been developed. Current treatments include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. Aptamers are synthetic ssDNA or RNA. They can bind tightly to target molecules due to their unique tertiary structure. It is easy for aptamers to be screened, synthesized, programmed, and chemically modified. Aptamers are emerging targeted drugs that hold great potentials, called therapeutic aptamers. There are few types of therapeutic aptamers that have already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for disease treatment. Now more and more therapeutic aptamers are in the stage of preclinical research or clinical trials. This review summarized the screening and development of therapeutic aptamers against different types of cancer cells.

A novel immune-related gene signature predicts survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Immune-related genes (IRGs) are highly relevant to the progression and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). A prognostic signature could be reliable in stratifying ESCC patients according to the risk score, which may help manage systematic treatments. In this study, a systematic and reliable immune signature was developed to estimate the prognostic stratification in ESCC. METHODS: Ribonucleic acid (RNA) expression data of 79 ESCC samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and 269 normal esophageal mucosal samples from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project database were downloaded from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) website to form a TCGA-GTEx dataset. First, we screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and then filtered IRGs based on the Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort) database to obtain immune-related DEGs (IRDEGs). Next, a novel prognostic signature based on IRDEGs was developed using multivariable Cox analysis. Immune infiltration status was evaluated via single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). ESCC tissues were grouped into three clusters in terms of immune infiltration (Immunity-L, Immunity-M, and Immunity-H) by applying an unsupervised hierarchical clustering algorithm. Finally, the samples were divided into high- and low-risk groups using the median of the risk score scores for GSEA pathway enrichment analysis in the three clusters. RESULTS: The prognostic signature based on IRDEGs (FCER1G, ISG20, and EGFR) performed moderately in prognostic predictions, with a concordance index (C-index) value of 0.73 [95% (confidence interval) CI: 0.63-0.84, P=2.02E-05] and an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.817. The xenobiotic metabolism pathway was significantly enriched and up-regulated both in the high-risk group of the immunity-M and immunity-H clusters. CONCLUSIONS: The novel immune-related prognostic signature we constructed has a good prognostic, predictive ability and can be used as an independent prognostic indicator. Our study provides clinicians with a quantitative tool to predict the probability of individual survival time and helps clinicians select targets for immunotherapies and individualized treatment strategies for ESCC patients.

Identification of RHEX as a novel biomarker related to progression and immunity of non-small cell lung carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic response and prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) are widely related to immunity. To improve the prognosis of patients and provide reliable information to guide appropriate personalized treatment strategies, it is necessary to identify reliable prognostic or predictive indicators closely related to tumor phenotype and immune traits in NSCLC. METHODS: Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-NSCLC mRNA expression profile data, a novel approach combining differential gene expression analysis, single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to screen hub genes. Subsequently, the regulator of hemoglobinization and erythroid cell expansion (RHEX) was identified as a key gene using the log-rank test and confirmed in the ArrayExpress database. The relationship between RHEX and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. More importantly, through gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts (CIBERSORT) algorithms, and with reference to the Tumor IMmune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database, we explored the relevant pathways of RHEX and its relationship with tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs). Finally, we depicted the association between RHEX and immunomodulators in the TCGA and a web portal TISIDB. RESULTS: The RHEX mRNA expression levels in tumor tissues were lower than those in normal tissues and declined with the progression of NSCLC. Meanwhile, RHEX overexpression was associated with high immune infiltration levels and a favorable clinical prognosis. RHEX may participate in tumor microenvironment (TME) regulation through multiple tumor-immune related pathways, especially the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Furthermore, RHEX expression affected the infiltrating abundance of multiple TICs and positively correlated with most of the immunomodulators in NSCLC. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to propose that RHEX is an immune-related gene with prognostic value in NSCLC and reveals the underlying mechanism between RHEX and tumor-immune system interactions. These results ultimately provide guidance for prognosis and immunotherapy for NSCLC patients.

Molecular Design Strategy for Ordered Mesoporous Stoichiometric Metal Oxide.

A molecular design strategy is used to construct ordered mesoporous Ti3+ -doped Li4 Ti5 O12 nanocrystal frameworks (OM-Ti3+ -Li4 Ti5 O12 ) by the stoichiometric cationic coordination assembly process. Ti4+ /Li+ -citrate chelate is designed as a new molecular precursor, in which the citrate can not only stoichiometrically coordinate Ti4+ with Li+ homogeneously at the atomic scale, but also interact strongly with the PEO segments in the Pluronic F127. These features make the co-assembly and crystallization process more controllable, thus benefiting for the formation of the ordered mesostructures. The resultant OM-Ti3+ -Li4 Ti5 O12 shows excellent rate (143 mAh g-1 at 30 C) and cycling performances (<0.005 % fading per cycle). This work could open a facile avenue to constructing stoichiometric ordered mesoporous oxides or minerals with highly crystalline frameworks.

Removal of benzene, toluene, xylene and styrene by biotrickling filters and identification of their interactions.

Biotrickling filters (BTFs) are becoming very potential means to purify waste gases containing multiple VOC components, but the removal of the waste gases by BTF has been a major challenge due to the extremely complicated interactions among the components. Four biotrickling filters packed with polyurethane foam were employed to identify the interactions among four aromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, xylene and styrene). The elimination capacities obtained at 90% of removal efficiency for individual toluene, styrene and xylene were 297.02, 225.27 and 180.75 g/m3h, respectively. No obvious removal for benzene was observed at the inlet loading rates ranging from 20 to 450 g/m3h. The total elimination capacities for binary gases significantly decreased in all biotrickling filters. However, the removal of benzene was enhanced in the presence of other gases. The removal capacities of ternary and quaternary gases were further largely lowered. High-throughput sequencing results revealed that microbial communities changed greatly with the composition of gases, from which we found that: all samples were dominated either by the genus Achromobacter or the Burkholderia. Different gaseous combination enriched or inhibited some microbial species. Group I includes samples of BTFs treating single and binary gases and was dominated by the genus Achromobacter, with little Burkholderia inside. Group II includes the rest of the samples taken from BTFs domesticated with ternary and quaternary gases, and was dominated by the genus Burkholderia, with little Achromobacter detected. These genera were highly associated with the biodegradation of benzene series in BTFs.

In Situ Formation of Co9 S8 /N-C Hollow Nanospheres by Pyrolysis and Sulfurization of ZIF-67 for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Co9 S8 is considered a promising candidate as the anode material in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of its remarkable electrical conductivity, high theoretical capacity, and low cost. However, the practical application of Co9 S8 is greatly restricted because of its poor cycling stability and rate performance, which result mainly from the large volume expansion and dissolution of the polysulfide intermediates during the charge/discharge process. In this report, Co9 S8 embedded in N-rich carbon hollow spheres are successfully designed and synthesized through an in situ pyrolysis and sulfurization process, employing the well-known ZIF-67 as the precursor and ethanethiol as the sulfur source. Co9 S8 nanoparticles embedded in the N-rich hollow carbon shell exhibit excellent lithium storage properties at a high charge/discharge rate. A discharge capacity of 784 mAh g-1 is obtained upon battery testing at a current density of 1 C (544 mA g-1 ). Even upon cycling at a current density of 4 C, the as-prepared Co9 S8 /N-C can still deliver a discharge capacity of 518 mAh g-1 . The excellent battery performance can be attributed to the hollow structure as well as the N-rich carbon encapsulation. Moreover, this metal-organic framework sulfurization route also shows good generality for the synthesis of other metal sulfide-carbon composites such as ZnS/N-C and Cu2 S/C.

Amorphous Ge/C Composite Sponges: Synthesis and Application in a High-Rate Anode for Lithium Ion Batteries.

A Ge/C spongelike composite is prepared by the facile and scalable single-step pyrolysis of the GeOx/ethylenediamine gel process, which has a feature with three-dimensional interconnected pore structures and is hybridized with nitrogen-doped carbon. A detailed investigation shows that the pore in the sponge is formed for the departure of the gaseous products at the evaluated temperature. As an anode for lithium ion batteries, the obtained composite exhibits superior specific capacity in excess of 1016 mA h g-1 at 100 mA g-1 after 100 cycles. Moreover, the amorphous Ge/C sponge electrode also has a good rate capacity and stable cycling performance. The obtained amorphous Ge/C sponges are a good candidate anode for next-generation lithium ion batteries.

Enhancement of Electrochemical Performance by the Oxygen Vacancies in Hematite as Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The application of hematite in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has been severely limited because of its poor cycling stability and rate performance. To solve this problem, hematite nanoparticles with oxygen vacancies have been rationally designed by a facile sol-gel method and a sequential carbon-thermic reduction process. Thanks to the existence of oxygen vacancies, the electrochemical performance of the as-obtained hematite nanoparticles is greatly enhancing. When used as the anode material in LIBs, it can deliver a reversible capacity of 1252 mAh g-1 at 2 C after 400 cycles. Meanwhile, the as-obtained hematite nanoparticles also exhibit excellent rate performance as compared to its counterparts. This method not only provides a new approach for the development of hematite with enhanced electrochemical performance but also sheds new light on the synthesis of other kinds of metal oxides with oxygen vacancies.

Performance of a combined system of biotrickling filter and photocatalytic reactor in treating waste gases from a paint-manufacturing plant.

A pilot-scale biotrickling filter (BTF) was established in treating the waste gases that are intermittently produced from an automobile paint-manufacturing workshop. Results showed that the BTF required longer time to adapt to the aromatic compounds. The removal efficiencies (REs) for all aliphatic compounds reached more than 95% on day 80. Aromatic compounds were not easily removed by the BTF. The REs obtained by the BTF for toluene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, o-xylene and p-xylene on day 80 were 72.7%, 77.2%, 71.9%, 74.8% and 60.0%, respectively. A maximum elimination capacity (EC) of 13.8 g-C m(-3) h(-1) of the BTF was achieved at an inlet loading rate of 19.4 g-C m(-3) h(-1) with an RE of 72%. Glucose addition promoted the biomass accumulation despite the fact that temporal decrease of REs for aromatic compounds occurred. When the inlet loading rates exceed 11.1 g-C m(-3) h(-1), the REs of the aromatic compounds decreased by 10% to 15%. This negative effect of shock loads on the performance of the BTF can be attenuated by the pre-treatment of the photocatalytic reactor. Nearly all components were removed by the combined system with REs of 99%.

Emission of odorous volatile organic compounds from a municipal manure treatment plant and their removal using a biotrickling filter.

Odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from municipal manure treatment facilities are considered as a major nuisance issue for operators and nearby residents. In this study, up to 71 odorous VOCs were detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry at the manure treatment plant. These compounds can be classified into five different categories, including alkanes, olefins, aromatics, volatile organosulphur compounds and terpenes. Toluene, dimethyl disulphide, dimethyl sulphide, xylene and ethylbenzene were the five most abundant pollutants. A pilot-scale biotrickling filter (BTF) was employed to treat the complex odorous gases. Correlation analysis showed that the removal efficiency (RE) of the BTF was related with the molecular weight and chemical structure of contaminants. Higher than 85% of REs could be reached for aromatic, terpenes and most alkanes compounds after 180 days of operation. Comparatively, most olefins and partial alkanes compounds with a molecular weight lower than 70 were not removed easily. The REs of these compounds ranged from 0% to 94%, and the average removal efficiency (RE) was only about 33.3%.

[Emission characteristics and safety evaluation of volatile organic compounds in manufacturing processes of automotive coatings].

Emission characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were investigated in an automotive coating manufacturing enterprise. Air samples were taken from eight different manufacturing areas in three workshops, and the species of VOCs and their concentrations were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Safety evaluation was also conducted by comparing the concentration of VOCs with the permissible concentration-short term exposure limit (PC-STEL) regulated by the Ministry of Health. The results showed that fifteen VOCs were detected in the indoor air of the automotive coatings workshop, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, methyl isobutyl ketone, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, trimethylbenzene and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, Their concentrations widely ranged from 0.51 to 593.14 mg x m(-3). The concentrations of TVOCs were significantly different among different manufacturing processes. Even in the same manufacturing process, the concentrations of each component measured at different times were also greatly different. The predominant VOCs of indoor air in the workshop were identified to be ethylbenzene and butyl acetate. The concentrations of most VOCs exceeded the occupational exposure limits, so the corresponding control measures should be taken to protect the health of the workers.

Effects of volatile components and ethanolic extract from Eclipta prostrata on proliferation and differentiation of primary osteoblasts.

Eclipta prostrata, an aromatic plant, is known in Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of various kidney diseases. In the present study, the volatile components were isolated from the aerial parts of this plant by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC-MS. A total of 55 compounds, which were the major part (91.7%) of the volatiles, were identified by matching mass spectra with a mass spectrum library (NIST 05.L). The main components were as follows: heptadecane (14.78%), 6,10,14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone (12.80%), n-hexadecanoic acid (8.98%), pentadecane (8.68%), eudesma-4(14),11-diene (5.86%), phytol (3.77%), octadec-9-enoic acid (3.35%), 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid diisooctyl ester (2.74%), (Z,Z)-9,12-octadecadienoic acid (2.36%), (Z)-7,11-dimethyl-3-methylene-1,6,10-dodecatriene (2.08%) and (Z,Z,Z)-1,5,9,9-tetramethyl-1,4,7-cycloundecatriene (2.07%). The effects of volatile components and ethanolic extract from the aerial parts of this plant on the proliferation and differentiation of primary osteoblasts were evaluated by the MTT method and measuring the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP activity). Both volatile components and ethanolic extract (1 microg/mL to 100 microg/mL) significantly (p < 0.01) stimulated the proliferation and increased the ALP activity of primary osteoblasts. These results propose that E. prostrata can play an important role in osteoblastic bone formation, and may possibly lead to the development of bone-forming drugs.