Attenuating Renal Interstitial Fibrosis by Shenqi Pill via Reducing Inflammation Response Regulated by NF-κB Pathway In Vitro and In Vivo.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most significant clinical features of chronic  kidney disease is renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF). This study aimed  to investigate the role and mechanism of Shenqi Pill (SQP) on RIF. METHODS: RIF model was established by conducting unilateral  ureteral obstruction (UUO) surgery on rat or stimulating human  kidney-2 (HK-2) cell with transforming growth factor ß1 (TGFß1).  After modeling, the rats in the SQP low dose group (SQP-L), SQP  middle dose group (SQP-M) and SQP high dose group (SQP-H)  were treated with SQP at 1.5, 3 or 6 g/kg/d, and the cells in the  TGFß1+SQP-L/M/H were treated with 2.5%, 5%, 10% SQP-containing  serum. In in vivo assays, serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea  nitrogen (BUN) content were measured, kidney histopathology  was evaluated., and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression  was detected by immunohistochemistry. Interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß),  interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) content,  inhibitor of kappa B alpha (IKBα) and P65 phosphorylation were  assessed. Meanwhile, cell viability, inflammatory cytokines content,  α-SMA expression, IKBα and P65 phosphorylation were detected  in vitro experiment.  Results. SQP exhibited reno-protective effect by decreasing SCr  and BUN content, improving renal interstitial damage, blunting  fibronectin (FN) and α-SMA expression in RIF rats. Similarly, after  the treatment with SQP-containing serum, viability and α-SMA  expression were remarkably decreased in TGFß1-stimulated HK-2  cell. Furthermore, SQP markedly down-regulated IL-1ß, IL-6, and  TNF-α content, IKBα and RelA (P65) phosphorylation both in vivo and in vitro.  Conclusion. SQP has a reno-protective effect against RIF in vivo and in vitro, and the effect is partly linked to nuclear factor-kappa  B (NF-κB) pathway related inflammatory response, which indicates  that SQP may be a candidate drug for RIF. DOI: 10.52547/ijkd.7546.

Combining directed evolution with high cell permeability for high-level cadaverine production in engineered Escherichia coli.

The biosynthesis of cadaverine from lysine is an environmentally promising technology, that could contribute to a more sustainable approach to manufacturing bio-nylon 5X. However, the titer of biosynthesized cadaverine has still not reached a sufficient level for industrial production. A powerful green cell factory was developed to enhance cadaverine production by regulating lipopolysaccharide (LPS) genes and improving membrane permeability. Firstly, 10 LPS mutant strains were constructed and the effect on the growth was investigated. Then, the lysine decarboxylase (CadA) was overexpressed in 10 LPS mutant strains of Escherichia coli MG1655 and the ability to produce cadaverine was compared. Using 20.0 g L-1 of L-lysine hydrochloride (L-lysine-HCl) as the substrate for the biotransformation reaction, Cad02 and Cad06 strains exhibited high production levels of cadaverine, with 8.95 g L-1 and 7.55 g L-1 respectively while the control strain Cad00 only 4.92 g L-1 . Directed evolution of CadA was also used to improve its stability under alkaline conditions. The cadaverine production of the Cad02-M mutant stain increased by 1.86 times at pH 8.0. Finally, the production process was scaled up using recombinant whole cells as catalysts, achieving a high titer of 211 g L-1 cadaverine (96.8%) by fed-batch bioconversion. This study demonstrates the potential role of LPS in enhancing the efficiency of mass transfer between substrate and enzymes in vivo by increasing cell permeability. The results indicate that the argumentation of cell permeability could not only significantly enhance the biotransformation efficiency of cadaverine, but also provide a universally applicable, straightforward, environment-friendly, and cost-effective method for the biosynthesis of other high-value chemicals.

[Network Meta-analysis of efficacy of seven Chinese patent medicines in treatment of inflammatory response in chronic glomerulonephritis].

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of inflammatory response in chronic glomerulonephritis(CGN) based on network Meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trial(RCT) of oral Chinese patent medicines for improving inflammatory response in patients with CGN was retrieved from databases such as CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, and Web of Science from database inception to March 2023. All investigators independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the quality. Stata 16.0 and RevMan 5.4.1 software were used to analyze the data of the literature that met the quality standards. Finally, 71 RCTs were included, involving 7 Chinese patent medicines. The total sample size was 6 880 cases, including 3 441 cases in the test group and 3 439 cases in the control group. The network Meta-analysis showed that(1) in terms of reducing TNF-α, the top 3 optimal interventions according to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA) were Shenyanshu Capsules/Granules/Tablets+conventional western medicine, Huangkui Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine.(2) In terms of reducing hs-CRP, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine, Huangkui Capsules+conventional wes-tern medicine, and Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine.(3) In terms of reducing IL-6, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine, Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Shenyan Kangfu Tablets+conventional western medicine.(4) In terms of reducing 24hUTP, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Shenyan Kangfu Tablets+conventional western medicine, Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Huangkui Capsules+conventional western medicine.(5) In terms of reducing Scr, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine, Shenyanshu Capsules/Granules/Tablets+conventional western medicine, and Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine.(6) In terms of reducing BUN, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine, Shenyanshu Capsules/Granules/Tablets+conventional western medicine, and Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine.(7) In terms of improving the clinical total effective rate, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Huangkui Capsules+conventional western medicine, Kunxian Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine. The results showed that the combination of conventional western medicine and Chinese patent medicine could reduce the expression of serum inflammatory factors TNF-α, hs-CRP, and IL-6 and inhibit the inflammatory response. The combination of conventional western medicine and Chinese patent medicine was superior to conventional western medicine alone in reducing Scr, BUN, and 24hUTP, and improving the clinical total effective rate of treatment. Due to the limitation of the quantity and quality of literature included, the above conclusions need to be validated by more high-quality studies.

Path Planning for Unmanned Surface Vehicles with Strong Generalization Ability Based on Improved Proximal Policy Optimization.

To solve the problems of path planning and dynamic obstacle avoidance for an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) in a locally observable non-dynamic ocean environment, a visual perception and decision-making method based on deep reinforcement learning is proposed. This method replaces the full connection layer in the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) neural network structure with a convolutional neural network (CNN). In this way, the degree of memorization and forgetting of sample information is controlled. Moreover, this method accumulates reward models faster by preferentially learning samples with high reward values. From the USV-centered radar perception input of the local environment, the output of the action is realized through an end-to-end learning model, and the environment perception and decision are formed as a closed loop. Thus, the proposed algorithm has good adaptability in different marine environments. The simulation results show that, compared with the PPO algorithm, Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) algorithm, and Deep Q Network (DQN) algorithm, the proposed algorithm can accelerate the model convergence speed and improve the path planning performances in partly or fully unknown ocean fields.

Design of vacuum annealing furnace temperature control system based on GA-Fuzzy-PID algorithm.

As is well known, the metal annealing process has the characteristics of heat concentration and rapid heating. Traditional vacuum annealing furnaces use PID control method, which has problems such as high temperature fluctuation, large overshoot, and long response time during the heating and heating process. Based on this situation, some domestic scholars have adopted fuzzy PID control algorithm in the temperature control of vacuum annealing furnaces. Due to the fact that fuzzy rules are formulated through a large amount of on-site temperature data and experience summary, there is a certain degree of subjectivity, which cannot ensure that each rule is optimal. In response to this drawback, the author combined the technical parameters of vacuum annealing furnace equipment, The fuzzy PID temperature control of the vacuum annealing furnace is optimized using genetic algorithm. Through simulation and comparative analysis, it is concluded that the design of the fuzzy PID vacuum annealing furnace temperature control system based on GA optimization is superior to fuzzy PID and traditional PID control in terms of temperature accuracy, rise time, and overshoot control. Finally, it was verified through offline experiments that the fuzzy PID temperature control system based on GA optimization meets the annealing temperature requirements of metal workpieces and can be applied to the temperature control system of vacuum annealing furnaces.

Elaboration and characterization of ε-polylysine­sodium alginate nanoparticles for sustained antimicrobial activity.

The ε-polylysine (ε-PL) is a food-grade antimicrobial substance. The cationic ε-PL molecules may interact with anionic components of food matrix causing turbidity, sedimentation, and hampering the antimicrobial activity. Herein, sodium alginate (SA) was used as wall material to encapsulate ε-PL, thereby to synthesize ε-PL-SA nanoparticles (ε-PL-SA-NPs). Monosaccharide composition and molecular weight of SA were characterized. The synthetic scheme is optimized and physicochemical characteristics and antimicrobial potential was investigated. Findings indicate that SA primarily consisted of mannuronic acid (95.25 %), weight average molecular weight (Mw) of SA was 176.464 kDa, and the molecular configuration of SA was irregular line clusters. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of ε-PL in ε-PL-SA-NPs made under optimum strategy (at pH 6.0, mass ratio of ε-PL to SA is 0.14, and SA concentration is 6 mg/mL) is about 99.74 %. The particle size of ε-PL-SA-NPs is ∼541.86 nm. The SEM image showed that the ε-PL-SA-NPs had a nearly spherical morphology. Zeta-potential and FTIR data reveal the interaction between ε-PL and SA was electrostatic and the hydrogen bonding. Agar diffusion assay exhibit that ε-PL-SA-NPs had antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The salmon preservation experiments reveal sustained antimicrobial efficacy of ε-PL-SA-NPs.

Overexpression of a nitrate transporter NtNPF2.11 increases nitrogen accumulation and yield in tobacco.

Nitrogen (N) is the key essential macronutrient for crop growth and yield. Over-application of inorganic N fertilizer in fields generated serious environmental pollution and had a negative impact to human health. Therefore, improving crop N use efficiency (NUE) is helpful for sustainable agriculture. The biological functions of nitrogen transporters and regulators have been intensively studied in many crop species. However, only a few nitrogen transporters have been identified in tobacco to date. We reported the identification and functional characterization of a nitrate transporter NtNPF2.11 from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). qRT-PCR assay revealed that NtNPF2.11 was mainly expressed in leaf and vein. Under middle N (MN, 1.57 kg N/100 m2) and high N (HN, 2.02 kg N/100 m2) conditions, overexpression of NtNPF2.11 in tobacco greatly improved N utilization and biomass. Moreover, under middle N and high N conditions, the expression of genes for nitrate assimilation, such as NtNR1, NtNiR, NtGS and NtGOGAT, were upregulated in NtNPF2.11 overexpression plants. Compared with WT, overexpression of NtNPF2.11 increased potassium (K) accumulation under high N conditions. These results indicated that overexpression of NtNPF2.11 could increase tobacco yield, N and K accumulation under higher N conditions. Overall, these findings improve our understanding the function of NtNPF2.11 and provide useful gene for sustainable agriculture.

Simultaneous quantitation of multiple myeloma related dietary metabolites in serum using HILIC-LC-MS/MS.

Background: Recent studies from targeted and untargeted metabolomics have consistently revealed that diet-related metabolites, including carnitine (C0), several species of acylcarnitines (AcyCNs), amino acids, ceramides, and lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) may serve as potential multiple myeloma (MM) biomarkers. However, most of these approaches had some intrinsic limitations, namely low reproducibility and compromising the accuracy of the results. Objective: This study developed and validated a precise, efficient, and reliable liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) method for measuring these 28 metabolic risk factors in human serum. Design: This method employed isopropanol to extract the metabolites from serum, gradient elution on a hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatographic column (HILIC) for chromatographic separation, and multiple reaction monitor (MRM) mode with positive electrospray ionization (ESI) for mass spectrometric detection. Results: The correlation coefficients of linear response for this method were more than 0.9984. Analytical recoveries ranged from 91.3 to 106.3%, averaging 99.5%. The intra-run and total coefficients of variation were 1.1-5.9% and 2.0-9.6%, respectively. We have simultaneously determined the serological levels of C0, several subclasses of AcyCNs, amino acids, ceramides, and LPCs within 15 min for the first time. Conclusion: The established LC-MS/MS method was accurate, sensitive, efficient, and could be valuable in providing insights into the association between diet patterns and MM disease and added value in further clinical research.

Magneto-mechanical stimulation modulates osteocyte fate via the ECM-integrin-CSK axis and wnt pathway.

Osteocytes are the mechano-sensors of bones. Large gradient high-static magnetic fields (LG-HMFs) produce stable, high-precision, and non-attenuation mechanical forces. We discovered that magnetic forces opposite to gravity inhibited MLO-Y4 osteocyte proliferation and viability by inducing structural damage and apoptosis. In contrast, magnetic force loading in the same direction as that of gravity promoted the proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of MLO-Y4 osteocytes. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis after magnetic force stimulation indicated that the ECM-integrin-CSK axis responded most significantly to mechanical signals. Wisp2 was the most significant DEG between the 12 T upward and downward groups, showing the highest correlation with the Wnt pathway according to the STRING protein interaction database. Explaining the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which mechanical stimuli influence bone remodeling is currently the focus of osteocyte-related research. Our findings provide insights into the effects of LG-HMFs on bone cells, which have further implications in clinical practice.

Influence of Pilocarpine Eyedrops on the Ocular Biometric Parameters and Intraocular Lens Power Calculation.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of pilocarpine eyedrops on the ocular biometric parameters and whether these parameter changes affect the intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation in patients with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). Methods: Twenty-two PACG patients and fifteen normal subjects were enrolled. Ocular biometric parameters including the axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), mean keratometry (Km), and white-to-white distance (WTW) were measured by using a Lenstar LS 900 device before and at least 30 minutes after instillation of 2% pilocarpine eyedrops. Lens position (LP) was calculated, and the IOL power prediction based on the ocular biometric parameters was performed using the Barrett Universal II, Haigis, Hoffer Q, Holladay I, or SRK/T formulas before and after pilocarpine application. Results: In both PACG and normal groups, pilocarpine eyedrops induced a slight but statistically significant increase in the mean AL (0.01 mm for both groups) and mean LT (0.02 mm and 0.03 mm, respectively) but a significant decrease in the mean ACD (0.03 mm and 0.05 mm, respectively) and mean LP (0.02 mm and 0.04 mm, respectively). No significant changes in the mean Km and WTW were noticed in both groups. In addition, the IOL power calculation revealed insignificant changes before and after the pilocarpine instillation in both groups, regardless of the formula used. Conclusions: Pilocarpine eyedrops can induce slight changes in the ocular biometric parameters including the AL, ACD, LT, and LP. However, these parameter changes will not result in a significant difference in IOL power estimation.

RNA-Guided DNA Transposition in Corynebacterium glutamicum and Bacillus subtilis.

Recently discovered CRISPR-associated transposases (CASTs) have been implemented as useful multiplexed genome editing tools, albeit only in a small group of bacteria. We demonstrated that the type I-F CAST from Vibrio cholerae could induce RNA-guided transposition in Bacillus subtilis and Corynebacterium glutamicum with efficiencies of 0.00018% and 0.027%, respectively. Lowering the culturing temperature to 16 °C in rich media increased the insertion efficiency to 3.64% in B. subtilis. By adding a positive selection against spectinomycin in the cargo DNA, up to 9 kb of the DNA fragment could be integrated at the target site with a 13.4% efficiency in C. glutamicum, which was difficult using the conventional approach. The successful implementation of CAST in these two academically important and industrial-relevant Firmicutes shows its great potential in a wide variety of bacteria and could be further optimized for multiplexed genome editing.

MiR-125 family improves the radiosensitivity of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: MiRNAs can affect the radiosensitization of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We aimed to analyze the function of miR-125 family members in HNSCC using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and determine their effect on radiation in laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC). METHODS: First, we systematically analyzed the role of the miR-125 family in HNSCC using the TCGA database and found that miR-125a-5p is associated with radiotherapy. We then performed comprehensive enrichment analysis of miR-125a-5p and predicted target genes. Then, we performed transfection, cell proliferation assays, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, apoptosis assays, micronucleus tests, and western blotting on hep-2 cells selected with puromycin. RESULTS: MiR-125 family members exhibited significantly different expression in HNSCC. They were significantly associated with tumor-node-metastasis staging, clinical stages, and histological grades. Radiation therapy had a statistically effect on miR-125 family members, except miR-125a-3p. Moreover, miR-125a-5p was related to overall survival in LSCC. Thus, we predicted 110 target genes and seven hub genes of miR-125a-5p. The proliferation rate of cells transfected with lentivirus vector expressing miR-125a-5p was significantly reduced compared to the other groups. The radiation effect was enhanced in cells transfected with miR-125a-5p. The ratio of apoptotic cells transfected and exposed to X-rays (10 Gy) was distinctly higher than that of the Ad-control group. Western blotting analysis revealed that miR-125a-5p upregulated the apoptotic regulators P53 and rH2AX. Thus, miR-125a-5p may increase radiosensitivity in LSCC via upregulation of pro-apoptotic genes. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-125 family members could be prognostic biomarkers of HNSCC and improve HNSCC sensitivity to radiotherapy by activating P53. Upregulating miR-125a-5p via lentivirus vectors may be a novel strategy to strengthen the effect of radiotherapy on LSCC.

Metabolic engineering and pathway construction for O-acetyl-L-homoserine production in Escherichia coli.

O-Acetyl-L-homoserine (OAH) is a potentially important platform metabolic intermediate for the production of homoserine lactone, methionine, 1,4-butanediol and 1,3-propanediol which have giant market value. Currently, multiple strategies have been adopted to explore sustainable production of OAH. However, the production of OAH by consuming cheap bio-based feedstocks with Escherichia coli as the chassis is still in its infancy. Construction of high yield OAH-producing strains is of great significance in industry. In this study, we introduced an exogenous metA from Bacillus cereus (metXbc) and engineered an OAH-producing strain by combinatorial metabolic engineering. Initially, exogenous metXs/metA were screened and used to reconstruct an initial biosynthesis pathway of OAH in E. coli. Subsequently, the disruption of degradation and competitive pathways combined with optimal expression of metXbc were carried out, accumulating 5.47 g/L OAH. Meanwhile, the homoserine pool was enriched by overexpressing metL with producing 7.42 g/L OAH. Lastly, the carbon flux of central carbon metabolism was redistributed to balance the metabolic flux of homoserine and acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) in OAH biosynthesis with accumulating 8.29 g/L OAH. The engineered strain produced 24.33 g/L OAH with a yield of 0.23 g/g glucose in fed-batch fermentation. By these strategies, the key nodes for OAH synthesis were clarified and corresponding strategies were proposed. This study would lay a foundation for OAH bioproduction. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03564-5.

Shen Qi Wan attenuates renal interstitial fibrosis through upregulating AQP1.

Renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) is the crucial pathway in chronic kidney disease (CKD) leading to the end-stage renal failure. However, the underlying mechanism of Shen Qi Wan (SQW) on RIF is not fully understood. In the current study, we investigated the role of Aquaporin 1 (AQP1) in SQW on tubular epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). A RIF mouse model induced by adenine and a TGF-ß1-stimulated HK-2 cell model were etablished to explore the involvement of AQP 1 in the protective effect of SQW on EMT in vitro and in vivo. Subsequently, the molecular mechanism of SQW on EMT was explored in HK-2 cells with AQP1 knockdown. The results indicated that SQW alleviated kidney injury and renal collagen deposition in the kidneys of mice induced by adenine, increased the protein expression of E-cadherin and AQP1 expression, and decreased the expression of vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). Similarly, treatmement with SQW-containing serum significantly halted EMT process in TGF-ß1 stimulated HK-2 cells. The expression of snail and slug was significantly upregulated in HK-2 cells after knockdown of AQP1. AQP1 knockdown also increased the mRNA expression of vimentin and α-SMA, and decreased the expression of E-cadherin. The protein expression of vimentin increased, while the expression of E-cadherin and CK-18 significantly decreased after AQP1 knockdown in HK-2 cells. These results revealed that AQP1 knockdown promoted EMT. Furthermore, AQP1 knockdown abolished the protective effect of SQW-containing serum on EMT in HK-2 cells. In sum, SQW attentuates EMT process in RIF through upregulation of the expression of AQP1.

Impact of okara on quality and in vitro starch digestibility of noodles: The view based on physicochemical and structural properties.

The development of cereal foods with slow starch digestibility is important for the general improvement of human health. In this study, the quality properties of noodles with added okara, in vitro starch digestibility, and the underlying mechanisms of the influence of okara on noodles were studied. Low concentrations (5 and 10 %) of okara improved the texture, cooking, and sensory properties of the noodles. Okara decreased the rapidly digestible starch (RDS) content, increased the resistant starch (RS) content, and reduced the predicted glycaemic index (pGI) of noodles. The pasting viscosity, thermal stability, and dynamic rheological results indicated that okara improved the starch crystallite stability of wheat flour and viscoelasticity of dough. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that okara promoted the formation of starch-lipid complexes and improved the short-range structural order of starch. Additionally, microstructure imaging and protein network analysis (PNA) indicated that low addition of okara promoted the compactness of the okara-gluten-starch matrix, thus reducing the contact between starch and hydrolytic enzymes. These results reveal the effect of okara on the quality properties and starch digestibility in a starch-gluten complex system.

Analysis of factors related to browning of red sour soup during fermentation.

As a traditional fermentation food, red sour soup (RSS) is very popular in China. However, browning is always occurred during the process of fermentation, which influences the sensory quality of RSS and limits its further application. Thus, it is meaningful to elucidate the main factors related to browning during the process of fermentation. Herein, the changes in various factors related to browning from group spontaneous (RSS-SF) and inoculant fermentation (RSS-IF) were determined and analyzed. Firstly, the activity changes of enzymes related to browning indicated that browning of group RSS-SF and RSS-IF during fermentation was not related to enzymatic browning. Secondly, path analysis revealed that the main factors related to non-enzymatic browning of group RSS-SF and RSS-IF were oxidation of polyphenol and degradation of ascorbic acid (Vc). The results of this study not only identifies the main factors associate with browning of RSS, but also provides foundation on how to control the browning of RSS in further study.

Interfacial Adsorption and Corrosion Inhibition Behavior of Environmentally Friendly Imidazole Derivatives for Copper in the Marine Environment.

Copper and copper alloys are commonly used in industry due to their excellent mechanical properties, making research on the corrosion resistance of copper of great significance. The corrosion inhibition properties of 2-imidazolidinone and allantoin for copper in 3.5 wt % NaCl were studied by weight loss and electrochemical tests. Changes in the density of the copper corrosion current and the impedance module indicated that 2-imidazolidinone and allantoin exhibited cathodic corrosion inhibitors and a valid protective effect. Meanwhile, the weight loss tests showed that the inhibition efficiency of 2-imidazolidinone and allantoin at 3 mM reached 98.94% and 97.82%, respectively. The surface physiochemical properties were qualitatively and quantitatively studied by using SEM-EDS, XPS, white light interferometry, and contact angle analysis. The interfacial adsorption behavior revealed by QCM, synchrotron radiation micro-infrared, and adsorption isotherm analysis indicated that both imidazole derivatives formed an effective and rigid physical adsorption film and obeyed the Langmuir adsorption model on copper, while both the mass and thickness of the adsorption film formed by 2-imidazolidinone were higher than those of allantoin. This study contributed to an in-depth understanding of the interfacial adsorption behavior and corrosion inhibition ability of 2-imidazolidinone and allantoin and provided guidelines for the design and development of novel heterocycles as potential corrosion inhibitors for copper in marine environments. In particular, copper was used as a corrosion inhibitor in seawater storage and transport equipment.

Shen Qi Wan-Containing Serum Alleviates Renal Interstitial Fibrosis via Restraining Notch1-Mediated Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Objective: Shen Qi Wan (SQW) is the most classic prescription for the clinical therapy of chronic kidney disease in China. Nevertheless, the function of SQW in renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) has not been clearly clarified. Our purpose was to explore the protective function of SQW on RIF. Methods: After intervention with SQW-containing serum alone at increasing concentrations (2.5, 5, and 10%) or in combination with siNotch1, the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß)-induced HK-2 cell viability, extracellular matrix (ECM)-, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and Notch1 pathway-associated protein expressions were assessed by cell counting kit-8, qRT-PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence assays. Results: SQW-containing serum intensified the viability of TGF-ß-mediated HK-2 cells. Besides, it augmented the collagen II and E-cadherin levels, and weakened the fibronectin, α-SMA, vimentin, N-cadherin, and collagen I levels in HK-2 cells triggered by TGF-ß. Moreover, it is found that TGF-ß led to the upregulation of Notch1, Jag1, HEY1, HES1, and TGF-ß in HK-2 cells, which was partially offset by SQW-containing serum. Furthermore, cotreatment of SQW-containing serum and Notch1 knockdown further apparently alleviated the Notch1, vimentin, N-cadherin, collagen I, and fibronectin levels in HK-2 cells induced by TGF-ß. Conclusion: Collectively, these findings elucidated that SQW-containing serum attenuated RIF via restraining EMT through the repression of the Notch1 pathway.

Essential oil of Acorus tatarinowii Schott inhibits neuroinflammation by suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation in 3 × Tg-AD transgenic mice.

BACKGROUND: Shi chang pu (Acorus tatarinowii Schott) is a herbal used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in China. The essential oil of Shi chang pu (SCP-oil) is the main active component. However, its effects on the neuroinflammation of AD have not been well studied. PURPOSE: Neuroinflammation mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome plays a crucial role in AD. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of SCP-oil on cognitive impairment of AppSwe/PSEN1M146V/MAPTP301L triple transgenic (3 × Tg-AD) mice model and investigate the mechanism underlying its anti-inflammation effects. METHODS: Thirty-two 3 × Tg-AD mice at 12 months and 8 wild-type B6 mice were used for this experiment. The 3 × Tg-AD mice were administered with SCP-oil or donepezil hydrochloride for 8 weeks. Morris water maze test and step-down test were used to evaluate the cognitive ability of mice. The pathological changes, neuroinflammation, and the NLRP3 inflammasome related-protein of AD mice were detected by histomorphological examination, TUNEL staining, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, Elisa, and western blot assays. RESULTS: SCP-oil treatment attenuated cognitive dysfunction of 3 × Tg-AD mice. Moreover, SCP-oil also ameliorated characteristics pathological of AD, such as pathological changes damage, deposition of Aß, phosphorylation of Tau, and neuronal loss. Additionally, SCP-oil treatment alleviated the neuroinflammation and inhibited phosphorylation of IKKß, NF-κB, and NLRP3 inflammasome related-protein NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, cleaved-Caspase-1, and GSDMD-N in the hippocampus of 3 × Tg-AD mice. CONCLUSION: Overall, SCP-oil contributed to neuroprotection in 3 × Tg-AD mice by reduced activation of NLRP3 inflammasome by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway.