Tenascin C activates the toll­like receptor 4/NF­κB signaling pathway to promote the development of polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a globally prevalent gynecological disorder among women of childbearing age. The present study aimed to investigate the role of tenascin C (TNC) in PCOS and its potential mechanisms. Fasting blood glucose and serum insulin, the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and the serum hormone levels were determined in PCOS rats. In addition, H&E staining was used for assessing pathology. In addition, the effects of TNC on oxidative stress and inflammation response in PCOS rat and cell models was assessed. Furthermore, the roles of TNC on KGN cell proliferation and apoptosis were determined employing EdU assay and flow cytometry. TLR4/NF­κB pathway­related proteins were measured using western blotting, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. It was found that the mRNA and protein expression was upregulated in PCOS rats and in KGN cells induced by dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Knockdown of TNC relieved the pathological characteristics and the endocrine abnormalities of PCOS rats. Knockdown of TNC inhibited ovarian cell apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammation in PCOS rats. Knockdown of TNC reversed the DHT­induced reduction in cell proliferation and increase in apoptosis in KGN cells. Furthermore, knockdown of TNC alleviated oxidative stress and inflammatory responses induced by DHT in KGN cells. Additionally, knockdown of TNC inhibited the toll­like receptor 4 (TLR4)/NF­κB signaling pathway in PCOS rats and DHT­treated KGN cells. In conclusion, knockdown of TNC could ameliorate PCOS in both rats and a cell model by inhibiting cell apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammation via the suppression of the TLR4/NF­κB signaling pathway.

Infection Microenvironment-Responsive Coating on Titanium Surfaces for On-Demand Release of Therapeutic Gas and Antibiotic.

Aseptic loosening and bacterial infection pose significant challenges in the clinical application of titanium (Ti) orthopedic implants, which are primarily caused by insufficient osseointegration and bacterial contamination. To address these issues, a responsive coating on Ti surface is constructed, which achieves enhanced osseointegration and infection elimination by on-demand release of therapeutic gas hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and antibiotic. TiO2 nanotubes (TNT) are anodized on the Ti surface to enhance its bioactivity and serve as reservoirs for the antibiotic. An infection microenvironment-responsive macromolecular H2S donor layer is coated on top of TNT to inhibit premature leakage of antibiotic. This layer exhibits a sustained release of low-dosage H2S, which is capable of promoting the osteogenic differentiation and migration of cells. Moreover, the compactness of the macromolecular H2S donor layer could be broken by bacterial invasion, leading to rapid antibiotic release thus preventing infection. In vitro antibacterial experiments validates significant antibacterial activity of the coating against both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus). Crucially, this coating effectively suppresses implant-associated infection with 98.7% antibacterial efficiency in a rat femoral bone defect model, mitigates inflammation at the defect site and promotes osseointegration of the Ti orthopedic implant.

Analysis of the heavy metal contents' effect on steroidal saponins and the anti-breast cancer activity of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis.

Background: P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, as a near-threatened and ethnic medicine in China, used to be a key ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of traumatic injuries, sore throat, snakebites, and convulsions for thousands of years. However, there were no reports on the inverse relationship between the contents of heavy metals and saponins and its anti-breast cancer pharmacological activity in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis. Methods: The present study aimed to reveal the characteristics of heavy metal contents and saponins and its anti-breast cancer pharmacological activity and their interrelationships in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis from different production areas. The contents of heavy metal and steroidal saponins in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and the high-performance liquid chromatography technique, respectively. The Pearson correlation was used to study the correlation between saponins and heavy metals. 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cells were selected and cultivated for antitumor studies in vitro. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, Hoechst staining, and flow cytometry analysis were used for the examination of the proliferation and apoptosis of 4T1 tumor cells. Mouse breast cancer 4T1 cells were subcutaneously injected into BALB/c mice to construct a tumor model to explore the in vivo inhibitory effect on breast cancer. TUNEL assay and immunohistochemistry were used for the examination of the effect of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis from different origins on cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis induction in 4T1 tumor mice. Results: Heavy metal contents were highly correlated with the content of steroidal saponins. The overall content of 10 metals in the three producing origins was of the order C3 >C2 >C1. The total content of eight steroidal saponins in the extracts of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis from three different origins was C1 >C2 >C3. The Pearson correlation study showed that in all of the heavy metals, the contents of Cd and Ba were positively correlated with the main steroidal saponins in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, while Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Zn, As, Hg, and Pb showed a negative correlation. In vitro experiments showed that the extracts of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis from three origins could inhibit the proliferation and induce cell apoptosis of 4T1 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, especially in the C1 origin. In vivo experiments showed that the extract of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis from the three origins could inhibit the growth of tumors and induce the apoptosis of tumor cells. In the three origins, C1 origin had the lowest total heavy metal level but the highest total steroidal saponin level. Therefore, it showed a better effect in reducing the expression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and Kiel 67 (Ki67) and increasing the expression of p53 in tumor tissues compared to the other origins. In conclusion, in the three origins, C1 origin exhibits antitumor pharmacological effects in vivo and in vitro which are better than those in the other origins. Conclusion: In this study, we found that with the increase of the heavy metal content, the content of steroid saponins and anti-breast cancer activity decreased. The results showed that the high content of the total heavy metals may not be conducive to the accumulation of steroidal saponins in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis and lead to the low anti-breast cancer activity. The results of this study suggest that the content of heavy metals should be controlled in the artificial cultivation process of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis.

New insights into molecular features of the genome-wide AOX family and their responses to various stresses in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Alternative oxidase (AOX) is an important terminal oxidase involved in the alternative oxidation pathway in plants, which is closely related to various biotic and abiotic stress responses. However, a comprehensive research on AOX gene family of wheat is still lacking. In this study, the members of wheat AOX (TaAOX) family were identified, and their molecular characteristics and gene expression patterns were systematically investigated. Seventeen TaAOX genes were identified from Chinese Spring (CS) genome, which were mapped on 7 chromosomes and mainly clustered on the long arm's distal end of the second homologous groups. Phylogenetic analysis showed that TaAOX genes were classified into four subgroups (Ia, Ib, Ic, and Id), and the Ia subgroup possessed the most members. Tandem duplication and segmental duplication events were found during the evolution of TaAOX genes and they were affected by purifying selection demonstrated by Ka/Ks analysis. The exon numbers of this family gene varied greatly from 1 to 9. Except for Ta3BSAOX14, all the proteins encoded by the other 16 TaAOX genes contained the amino acid residues of the key active sites in the AOX domain (cd01053). The expression patterns of TaAOX genes in various tissues and under abiotic and biotic stresses were analyzed using public transcriptome data, furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis was performed for some selected TaAOX genes, and the results suggested that most members of this gene family play an important role in response to different stresses in common wheat. Our results provide basic information and valuable reference for further exploring the gene function of TaAOX family by using gene editing, RNAi, VIGS, and other technologies.

Efficient degradation of Rhodamine B in water by CoFe2O4/H2O2 and CoFe2O4/PMS systems: A comparative study.

In this work, a comparative study of efficient degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in CoFe2O4/H2O2 and CoFe2O4/PMS systems was performed. Batch experiments indicated that the RhB degradation rate of CoFe2O4/H2O2 system reached 95.5% at 90 min under the condition of 0.5 g L-1 of CoFe2O4 dosage, 10 mM of H2O2 concentration and 3.0 of initial pH. At certain conditions of initial pH = 7.0, 0.3 g L-1 of CoFe2O4 dosage, 7 mM of PMS concentration, CoFe2O4/PMS system could completely degrade RhB within 90 min. EPR and quenching experiments indicated that •OH was the main active species of CoFe2O4/H2O2 system, and •OH, SO4•-, •O2- and 1O2 participated in RhB degradation of CoFe2O4/PMS system. The circulate of Co(II)/Co(III) and Fe(II)/Fe(III) on the CoFe2O4 surface promoted the formation of free radical species in the two system. In CoFe2O4/PMS system, the formed •O2- and SO5•- realized the generation of non-free radical species (1O2). The LC-MS results indicated that N-de-ethylation, chromophore cleavage, opening rings and mineralization were the main steps for the RhB degradation of the two systems. After five cycles of degradation experiment, the CoFe2O4/H2O2 and CoFe2O4/PMS systems still maintained the high degradation rate (85.2% and 92.4%) and low mass loss (2.7% and 3.09%). In addition, CoFe2O4/PMS system had better potential value for the actual water and multi-pollutant degradation than CoFe2O4/H2O2 system. Finally, the toxicity analysis and cost assessment of the two oxidation systems were preliminarily evaluated.

Use of Eggshell-Catalyzed Biochar Adsorbents for Pb Removal from Aqueous Solution.

Eggshell is a cheap and environmentally friendly calcium source. In this study, Ca-modified biochar adsorbents (CEA) were prepared by 1:10, 1:2, and 1:1 mass ratio of the eggshell and Eupatorium adenophorum. The CEA-2 sample prepared with a 1:2 mass ratio showed a maximum Pb adsorption capacity (97.74 mg·g-1) at the conditions of an initial pH of 7.0, an adsorbent dosage of 0.5 g·L-1, and a contact time of 8.0 h. The kinetic and isotherm studies indicated that the adsorption process of the CEA-2 sample had monolayer adsorption characteristics, which was controlled together by intraparticle and interface diffusion. Thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption process of CEA-2 was spontaneous (ΔG 0 <0) and endothermic (ΔH 0 > 0). X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses showed a uniform distribution of Ca-Pb precipitation on the CEA-2 surface, which proved that chemical precipitation was the main adsorption mechanism. Fourier transform infrared spectra found that CEA-2 had abundant active groups, especially nitrogen-containing functional groups, which could adsorb Pb through a surface complexation reaction. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of CEA-2 was found to be 621 m2·g-1, and such developed pores could ensure the smooth diffusion of Pb. Finally, the effect of coexisting cation and anion experiment and the cyclic regeneration experiment indicated that CEA-2 had prominent stability and reusability for Pb adsorption.

The relationship between peak pressure and parameters of pulse-jet cleaning in a sintered plastic filter.

Sintered plastic filters are recently favored in industrial filtration systems because of their advantage of high filtration precision and long service life. In order to embody experimental characterization of pulse-jet cleaning of sintered plastic filters, tests were concluded on a self-made pulse-jet cleaning experimental platform. The cleaning characteristics of sintered plastic filters were investigated with varied pulse-jet parameters of tank pressure, nozzle diameter, and jet distance (the distance between nozzle and filter opening). The relationship between pressure distribution and pulse-jet cleaning parameters was established. The results showed that peak positive pressure on the corresponding sintered plastic filter inner wall increased with the increasing tank pressure. With the increasing jet distance, peak pressure first increased, then decreased, and with the increasing nozzle diameter, the optimum jet distance decreased gradually. At the optimum jet distance, the peak pressure with a nozzle diameter of 6 mm was the best, which was confirmed through the jet flow photographed by schlieren. The mathematical model obtained by curve fitting was s = (d - a)/2tan0.37275d2-1.33545d+35.950052. These results indicated that there was a direct relationship between the peak pressure and the parameters of pulse-jet cleaning in a sintered plastic filter. It provided theoretical support and application foundation for industrial dust-cleaning design.Implications: Sintered plastic filter is a new generation of high efficiency dust collector. Generally, its characteristics can be divided into three major categories as follows. 1) In terms of materials, the sintered plastic filter is made of PE substrate and coated with PTFE membrane, which makes it have stable chemical properties and can be used in high humidity, high oil, and other special situations. 2) In terms of dust cleaning, sintered plastic filter has high dust-cleaning efficiency of ultra-fine dust because of the unique membrane, which is not only limited to the surface of the filter plate, but also penetrates into the interior of the interstice. 3) In terms of structure, the sintered plastic filter is a rigid wavy porous structure filter of nine cavities formed by special sintering process of polymer material. This filter elements of integrated rigid design make its physical structure strong, not easy to deform and damage, and with a longer service life than traditional filters (bag filters and pleated fabric filter cartridges). In order to embody experimental characterization of pulse-jet cleaning of sintered plastic filters, tests were concluded on a self-made pulse-jet cleaning experimental platform described in this article. The cleaning characteristics of sintered plastic filters were investigated with varied pulse-jet parameters of tank pressure, nozzle diameter, and jet distance (the distance between nozzle and filter opening). The relationship between pressure distribution and pulse-jet cleaning parameters was established. These results indicated that there was a direct relationship between the peak pressure and the parameters of pulse-jet cleaning in a sintered plastic filter. It provided theoretical support and application foundation for industrial dust-cleaning design.

The Effect of Salt-Processed Psoralea corylifolia on Generative Organ Targeting.

Psoralen and isopsoralen are two isomers and main effective components within Psoralea corylifolia. In order to investigate the salt-processing effect on tissue distribution characters of psoralen and isopsoralen, a sensitive and accurate ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric (UHPLC-MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for simultaneous determination of the 2 components in rats' tissues after administration of the extracts that came from either crude or salt-processed Psoralea corylifolia L. Data displayed that both areas under the curve (AUC) of psoralen and isopsoralen from salt-processed scurfpea fruit group were significantly increased compared with that of the crude herb group, especially in heart (p < 0.05), ovary, and testes (p < 0.001). Though the RE and RCmax of psoralen and isopsoralen in all of the investigated organs were over 1.0, generative organs kept the maximum value. The experiment manifested that salt-processing of scurfpea fruit can increase the distribution of psoralen and isopsoralen to generative organs, heart and spleen, and the distribution of psoralen and isopsoralen to generative organs is significantly higher compared to heart and spleen (p < 0.01). Results indicate that salt-processing of scurfpea fruit can significantly increase the distribution of psoralen and isopsoralen to generative organs.

Development of an HPLC Method for Absolute Quantification and QAMS of Flavonoids Components in Psoralea corylifolia L.

The seeds of Psoralea corylifolia L. (Fabaceae) are a commonly used medicinal herb in eastern Asia with many beneficial effects in clinical therapies. In this study, a simple, sensitive, precise, and specific reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was established for quantification of 9 flavonoids in P. corylifolia, including isobavachin, neobavaisoflavone, bavachin, corylin, bavachalcone, bavachinin, isobavachalcone, corylifol A, and 4'-O-methylbavachalcone. Based on this method, a quantitative analysis of multicomponents by single marker (QAMS) was carried out, and the relative correction factors (RCFs) were calculated for determining the contents of other flavonoids. The accuracy of QAMS method was verified by comparing with the results of external standard method, as well as the feasibility and adaptability of the method applied on quality control of P. corylifolia. The 9 compounds were baseline separated in 60 min with a good linearity of regression coefficient (R (2)) over 0.9991. The accuracies of QAMS were between 92.89% and 109.5%. The RSD values of f in different injection volume were between 2.3% and 3.6%. The results obtained from QAMS suggested that it was a convenient and accurate method to determine multicomponents especially when some authentic standard substances were unavailable. It can be used to control the quality of P. corylifolia.

Determination of xanthatin by ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry: application to pharmacokinetic study of xanthatin in rat plasma.

A sensitive, specific and rapid ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method has been established to study pharmacokinetic properties of xanthatin. Xanthatin, a compound which belongs to sesquiterpene lactone group, was determined in rat plasma with psoralen as internal standard. Chromatographic separation was performed on an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse plus C18 column (50 mm × 2.1 mm, 3.5 µm) with gradient elution system at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The mobile phase was composed of methanol and 0.1% formic acid water solution. Analysis was performed under a triple-quadruple tandem mass-spectrometer with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source via the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode to determine xanthatin at [M+H](+)m/z 247.3→m/z 205.2 and that of IS at [M+H](+)m/z 187.1→m/z 143.0 within 5 min. The assay method exhibited good separation of xanthatin from the interference of endogenous substances. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 1 ng/mL, with a good linearity within the concentration range of 1-5000 ng/mL (r=0.9990). Intra-day and inter-day precision RSD was less than 9.27%; intra-day and inter-day accuracy was 88.48% and 102.25% respectively. The extraction recoveries of xanthatin range from 82.12% to 89.55%, and the extraction RSD was less than 9.01%. The established LC-ESI-MS/MS method is rapid and sensitive, which has been successfully applied to quantify xanthatin in rat plasma for the first time.

Antioxidant properties of cis-Z,Z'-3a.7a',7a.3a'-dihydroxyligustilide on human umbilical vein endothelial cells in vitro.

A new chemical component, cis-Z,Z'-3a.7a',7a.3a'-dihydroxyligustilide, was isolated from Angelica sinensis and its structure elucidated from its NMR and MS spectra and confirmed by X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis. We also explored the antioxidative properties of cis-Z,Z'-3a.7a',7a.3a'-dihydroxyligustilide on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) against injuries induced by hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) using an MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis. In addition, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined. We found that cis-Z,Z'-3a.7a',7a.3a'-dihydroxyligustilide increased the viability of HUVECs injured by H(2)O(2) in a dose-dependent manner, reduced the apoptosis of HUVEC, and enhanced HUVEC proliferation. Our results demonstrated the remarkable in vitro antioxidative activities of this compound, indicating that it could be a potential antioxidant with protective effects against H(2)O(2)-induced HUVEC injuries.

[Effects of sowing date and planting density on the grain' s protein component and quality of strong and medium gluten winter wheat cultivars].

In a field experiment with split-split plot design, the effects of sowing date and planting density on the grain's protein component and quality of strong gluten wheat cultivar Linyou 145 and medium gluten wheat cultivar Linyou 2018 were studied. The results showed that proper sowing date brought the highest protein content and yield in wheat grain. With sowing date postponed, the grain's gliadin and glutenin contents of Linyou 145 increased obviously, while those of Linyou 2018 changed little. The grain quality of Linyou 145 was more affected by sowing date, compared with that of Linyou 2018. When sowing at proper date, the grain's protein and glutenin contents had significant correlations with its wet gluten content, sedimentation value, dough stability time, softness, and evaluation value; while when the sowing date postponed, there existed a positive correlation between the contents of gliadin and wet gluten. The change of the proportions of different protein components in wheat grain induced by the variation of sowing date could be the main reason of the improvement in wheat grain quality. Within the test range (2.25 million - 3.75 million plants x hm(-2)) of planting density, the grain's protein content was less affected, but the grain quality of Linyou 145 was affected to a certain extent. Low planting density (2.25 million plants x hm(-2)) brought the best grain quality of Linyou 2018.