Sapidolide A alleviates acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages.

Macrophages play a critical role in the pathogenesis of acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury (AILI), a major cause of acute liver failure or even death. Sapidolide A (SA) is a sesquiterpene lactone extracted from Baccaurea ramiflora Lour., a folk medicine used in China to treat inflammatory diseases. In this study, we investigated whether SA exerted protective effects on macrophages, thus alleviated the secondary hepatocyte damage in an AILI. We showed that SA (5-20 µM) suppressed the phosphorylated activation of NF-κB in a dose-dependent manner, thereby inhibiting the expression and activation of the NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and pyroptosis in LPS/ATP-treated mouse bone marrow-derived primary macrophages (BMDMs). In human hepatic cell line L02 co-cultured with BMDMs, SA (10 µM) protected macrophages from the pyroptosis induced by APAP-damaged L02 cells. Moreover, SA treatment reduced the secondary liver cell damage aggravated by the conditioned medium (CM) taken from LPS/ATP-treated macrophages. The in vivo assessments conducted on mice pretreated with SA (25, 50 mg/kg, ip) then with a single dose of APAP (400 mg/kg, ip) showed that SA significantly alleviated inflammatory responses of AILI by inhibiting the expression and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. In general, the results reported herein revealed that SA exerts anti-inflammatory effects by regulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation in macrophages, which suggests that SA has great a potential for use in the treatment of AILI patients.

Natural products: potential treatments for cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity.

Cisplatin is a clinically advanced and highly effective anticancer drug used in the treatment of a wide variety of malignancies, such as head and neck, lung, testis, ovary, breast cancer, etc. However, it has only a limited use in clinical practice due to its severe adverse effects, particularly nephrotoxicity; 20%-35% of patients develop acute kidney injury (AKI) after cisplatin administration. The nephrotoxic effect of cisplatin is cumulative and dose dependent and often necessitates dose reduction or withdrawal. Recurrent episodes of AKI result in impaired renal tubular function and acute renal failure, chronic kidney disease, uremia, and hypertensive nephropathy. The pathophysiology of cisplatin-induced AKI involves proximal tubular injury, apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular injury in the kidneys. At present, there are no effective drugs or methods for cisplatin-induced kidney injury. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies show that numerous natural products (flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, polysaccharide, phenylpropanoids, etc.) have specific antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties that regulate the pathways associated with cisplatin-induced kidney damage. In this review we describe the molecular mechanisms of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and summarize recent findings in the field of natural products that undermine these mechanisms to protect against cisplatin-induced kidney damage and provide potential strategies for AKI treatment.

A vacuum impregnation method for synthesizing octahedral Pt2CuNi nanoparticles on mesoporous carbon support and the oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalytic properties.

Mesoporous carbon (MPC) nanomaterials, with large specific surface area, excellent conductivity and stability, and effective mass transfer are beneficial for use as catalyst support in electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for fuel cell applications. However, MPC utilization was limited by difficulties in loading catalyst nanoparticles within the MPC pores while simultaneously controlling critical particle parameters such as size and distribution. In this study we report a new vacuum impregnation method combined with solid-state chemistry synthesis for preparing highly active ORR catalyst nanoparticles on MPC supports. We confirm the effectiveness of this method by synthesizing octahedral Pt2CuNi nanoparticles on hydrophilic MPC with an even particle distribution in the MPC pores. We also demonstrate the capability of this method in controlling the particle size and morphology by adjusting the synthesis parameters. The synthesized catalysts exhibited excellent ORR activity and promising durability, which proves the goodness of using MPC support in ORR electrocatalysis. The findings offer a new methodology for synthesizing nanoparticles in MPC pores with parameter control and provide an intriguing strategy to develop new ORR catalysts using MPC support structure.

Chiral fermion reversal in chiral crystals.

In materials chiral fermions such as Weyl fermions are characterized by nonzero chiral charges, which are singular points of Berry curvature in momentum space. Recently, new types of chiral fermions beyond Weyl fermions have been discovered in structurally chiral crystals CoSi, RhSi and PtAl. Here, we have synthesized RhSn single crystals, which have opposite structural chirality to the CoSi crystals we previously studied. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we show that the bulk electronic structures of RhSn are consistent with the band calculations and observe evident surface Fermi arcs and helical surface bands, confirming the existence of chiral fermions in RhSn. It is noteworthy that the helical surface bands of the RhSn and CoSi crystals have opposite handedness, meaning that the chiral fermions are reversed in the crystals of opposite structural chirality. Our discovery establishes a direct connection between chiral fermions in momentum space and chiral lattices in real space.

A high-performance oxygen evolution catalyst in neutral-pH for sunlight-driven CO2 reduction.

The efficiency of sunlight-driven reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2), a process mimicking the photosynthesis in nature that integrates the light harvester and electrolysis cell to convert CO2 into valuable chemicals, is greatly limited by the sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution in pH-neutral conditions. Current non-noble metal oxide catalysts developed to drive oxygen evolution in alkaline solution have poor performance in neutral solutions. Here we report a highly active and stable oxygen evolution catalyst in neutral pH, Brownmillerite Sr2GaCoO5, with the specific activity about one order of magnitude higher than that of widely used iridium oxide catalyst. Using Sr2GaCoO5 to catalyze oxygen evolution, the integrated CO2 reduction achieves the average solar-to-CO efficiency of 13.9% with no appreciable performance degradation in 19 h of operation. Our results not only set a record for the efficiency in sunlight-driven CO2 reduction, but open new opportunities towards the realization of practical CO2 reduction systems.

Dual-Site Cascade Oxygen Reduction Mechanism on SnO x/Pt-Cu-Ni for Promoting Reaction Kinetics.

Designing highly active oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is crucial to boost the fuel cell economy. Previous research has mainly focused on Pt-based alloy catalysts in which surface Pt is the solely active site and the activity improvement was challenged by the discovered scaling relationship. Herein we report a new concept of utilizing dual active sites for the ORR and demonstrate its effectiveness by synthesizing a SnO x/Pt-Cu-Ni heterojunctioned catalyst. A maximum of 40% enhancement in the apparent specific activity, which corresponds to 10-fold enhancement on interface sites, is measured compared with pure Pt-Cu-Ni. Detailed investigations suggest an altered dual-site cascade mechanism wherein the first two steps occur on SnO x sites and the remaining steps occur on adjacent Pt sites, allowing a significant decrease in the energy barrier. This study with the suggested dual-site cascade mechanism shows the potential to overcome the ORR energy barrier bottleneck to develop highly active catalysts.

Experimental evidence of anomalously large superconducting gap on topological surface state of ß-Bi2Pd film.

Connate topological superconductor (TSC) combines topological surface states with nodeless superconductivity in a single material, achieving effective p-wave pairing without interface complication. By combining angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and in-situ molecular beam epitaxy, we studied the momentum-resolved superconductivity in ß-Bi2Pd film. We found that the superconducting gap of topological surface state (ΔTSS ∼ 3.8 meV) is anomalously enhanced from its bulk value (Δb ∼ 0.8 meV). The ratio of 2ΔTSS/kBTc ∼ 16.3, is substantially larger than the BCS value. By measuring ß-Bi2Pd bulk single crystal as a comparison, we clearly observed the upward-shift of chemical potential in the film. In addition, a concomitant increasing of surface weight on the topological surface state was revealed by our first principle calculation, suggesting that the Dirac-fermion-mediated parity mixing may cause this anomalous superconducting enhancement. Our results establish ß-Bi2Pd film as a unique case of connate TSCs with a highly enhanced topological superconducting gap, which may stabilize Majorana zero modes at a higher temperature.

A Comparison of Muscle Function, Mass, and Quality in Liver Transplant Candidates: Results From the Functional Assessment in Liver Transplantation Study.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia and functional impairment are common and lethal extrahepatic manifestations of cirrhosis. We aimed to determine the association between computed tomography (CT)-based measures of muscle mass and quality (sarcopenia) and performance-based measures of muscle function. METHODS: Adults listed for liver transplant underwent testing of muscle function (grip strength, Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB]) within 3 months of abdominal CT. Muscle mass (cm/m) = total cross-sectional area of psoas, paraspinal, and abdominal wall muscles at L3 on CT, normalized for height. Muscle quality = mean Hounsfield units for total skeletal muscle area at L3. RESULTS: Among 292 candidates, median grip strength was 31 kg, SPPB score was 11, muscle mass was 49 cm/m, and muscle quality was 35 Hounsfield units. Grip strength weakly correlated with muscle mass (ρ = 0.26, P < 0.001) and quality (ρ = 0.27, P < 0.001) in men, and muscle quality (ρ = 0.23, P = 0.02), but not muscle mass, in women. Short Physical Performance Battery correlated weakly with muscle quality in men (ρ = 0.38, P < 0.001) and women (ρ = 0.25, P = 0.02), however, did not correlate with muscle mass in men or women. After adjustment for sex, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD)-Na, hepatocellular carcinoma, and body mass index, grip strength (hazard ratio [HR], 0.74; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.59-0.92; P = 0.008), SPPB (HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82-0.97; P = 0.01), and muscle quality (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.63-0.95; P = 0.02) were associated with waitlist mortality, but muscle mass was not (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.75-1.11; P = 0.35). CONCLUSIONS: Performance-based tests of muscle function are only modestly associated with CT-based muscle measures. Given that they predict waitlist mortality and can be conducted quickly and economically, tests of muscle function may have greater clinical utility than CT-based measures of sarcopenia.

[Determination of the Amino Acids in the Raw and Processed Products of Turtle Shell by HPLC Combining Pre-column Derivatization].

Objective: To establish the pre-column derivatization combining HPLC to determine the contents of the amino acids of the raw and processed products of Turtle shell. Methods: The samples were prepared by the acidic hydrolysis method, derivatized by OPA and FMOC, and analyzed by C18 column with gradient elution. Results: 18 kinds of amino acids were separated within 38 min, which showed a good linear relationship( r ≥0. 9991). The average recoveries of 16 amino acids in the samples were between 90. 43% ~110. 69%,and the RSD were between 0. 76% ~ 5. 89%( n = 6). Conclusion: This method can be used to determine the contents of the amino acids in the raw and processed products of Turtle shell.

Selective CO2 reduction on a polycrystalline Ag electrode enhanced by anodization treatment.

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to CO on polycrystalline silver (Ag) was greatly improved by a simple anodization treatment. A CO faradaic efficiency of 92.8% was achieved at an overpotential of 0.50 V in an aqueous electrolyte. This study suggests that the enhanced performance is due to a preferred (220) orientation and a thin silver oxide layer formed by anodization.

Study of human cytomegalovirus replication in body fluids, placental infection, and miscarriage during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Intrauterine infection caused by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can lead to embryo, fetal, and neonatal damage. The prevalence of HCMV replication in body fluids (blood, urine, and cervicovaginal secretion) was investigated, and its effects on HCMV vertical transmission and miscarriages in early pregnant women were evaluated. HCMV DNA in body fluids was detected in 1,064 early pregnant women (624 normal pregnancies and 440 miscarriages). There were 101 cases who were HCMV DNA positive in cervicovaginal secretion and the rates were 10.9% (48/440 cases) and 8.5% (53/624 cases) in miscarriages and normal pregnancies, respectively (P > 0.05). A total of 101 cases (63 and 38 cases with and without HCMV DNA in cervicovaginal secretion, respectively) were given HCMV DNA detection in placental villi/deciduas. There were five cases (7.9%; two normal pregnancies and three miscarriages) with HCMV DNA in placental villi/deciduas among the 63 cases with HCMV DNA in cervicovaginal secretion, whereas none of the other 38 cases were detected HCMV DNA positive in their placental villi/deciduas. The percentage of HCMV DNA in placental villi/deciduas was higher in miscarriage group (9.1% [3/33]) than that in the normal pregnancy group (6.7% [2/30]), but there was no statistical significance (P > 0.05). Two cases with a higher HCMV loads in cervicovaginal secretion and placental villi/deciduas had miscarriages. These findings suggest that HCMV replication in cervicovaginal secretion can involve in placental HCMV infection, and high HCMV DNA loads in cervicovaginal secretion and placental villi/deciduas are associated with miscarriage.

[A comparative study of efficacy for treating conjunctivochalasis with positioning and quantified patch].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy for treating conjunctivochalasis with conjunctival positioning and quantified patch. METHODS: It was a case-control study. A case-control study of 30 patients from the First Hospital of Jiaxing from 2007 to 2008 with binocular conjunctivochalasis. Every patient was treated one eye with simple logadectomy while the other eye with positioning and quantified logadectomy randomly. Subjective and objective evaluations were taken on the 1st, 3rd and 6th months post-operation. Subjective evaluations include effective rate and cure rate. Objective evaluations include slit-lamp biomicroscope morphological variety, tear meniscus height, break-up time (BUT), Schirmer I test (SIT), fluorescein stain test (Fl), the first fluorescein stain. Cure rate and efficacy rate were compared in two groups with chi-square test. RESULTS: Subjective evaluations were on the 1st month post-operation. There were 5 eyes (16.7%) curing, 13 eyes (43.3%) improved, 12 eyes (40.0%) ineffective in simply logadectomy group; While there were 12 eyes (40.0%) curing, 16 eyes (53.3%) improved, 2 eyes (6.7%) ineffective in the positioning and quantified logadectomy group. The effective rate (chi2=9.317, P<0.01) and cure rate(chi2=4.022, P<0.05)had statistic significance. Effective rate in simply logadectomy group was increasing gradually on the 3rd and 6th month post-operation while effective rate in positioning and quantified logadectomy group was stable. But the effective rate in this group was still higher than the simple logadectomy group. To objectively evaluate the cure rate on the 1st month post-operation: slit-lamp biomicroscope morphological variety: there were 10 eyes turn to normal in simply logadectomy group while 29 eyes (chi2=26.447, P<0.01) in the positioning and quantified logadectomy group. Tear meniscus height: there were 18 eyes turn to normal in simply logadectomy group while 30 eyes (chi2=15.000, P<0.01) in the positioning and quantified logadectomy group. BUT: There were 12 eyes turn to normal in simply logadectomy group while 28 eyes (chi2=19.200, P<0.01) in the positioning and quantified logadectomy group. SIT: there were 18 eyes turn to normal in simply logadectomy group while 25 eyes (chi2=4.022, P<0.05) in the positioning and quantified logadectomy group. Fl: there were 20 eyes turn to normal in simply logadectomy group while 28 eyes (chi2=6.667, P<0.05) in the positioning and quantified logadectomy group. The first fluorescein stain: there were 12 eyes turn to normal in simply logadectomy group while 24 eyes (chi2=10.000, P<0.01) in the positioning and quantified logadectomy group. The difference had statistic significance. On the 3rd month post-operation: SIT: there were 18 eyes turn to normal in simply logadectomy group while 19 eyes (chi2=0.071, P>0.05) in the positioning and quantified logadectomy group, without statistic significance. All the other objective evaluations indicatrix had statistic significance. On the 6th month post-operation: SIT: there were 20 eyes turn to normal in simply logadectomy group while 21 eyes (chi2=0.077, P>0.05) in the positioning and quantified logadectomy group, without statistic significance. Fl: there were 23 eyes turn to normal in simply logadectomy group while 28 eyes (chi2=3.268, P>0.05) in the positioning and quantified logadectomy group, without statistic significance. All the other objective evaluations indicatrix had statistic significance. CONCLUSIONS: Positioning and quantified patch resection method not only makes it easier and safer for treating the conjunctivochalasis, but also reduces the complications and creates good result for patients in early period.