Suppression of NLRP3 inflammasome attenuates stress-induced depression-like behavior in NLGN3-deficient mice.

Depression, regulated by central nervous system (CNS), is a significant inflammatory disorder. Neuroligin3 (NLGN3) has been implicated in brain functions. In the study, a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model in wild type (WT) or NLGN3-knockout (KO) mice was established to explore the role of NLGN3 in regulating depression and to reveal the underlying molecular mechanism. The results indicated that NLGN3-knockout markedly reversed the loss of body weight, the reduction of sucrose consumption, the decrease of immobile time in the forced swimming tests (FST) and tail suspension tests (TST) induced by CUMS paradigm. CUMS up-regulated corticosterone (CORT) in serum, and down-regulated serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in hippocampus of mice, which were significantly reversed by NLGN3 deficiency. The results further demonstrated that NLGN3-knockout improved the degenerative neurons in cortex and hippocampus of CUMS-treated mice, accompanied with a significant decrease of ionized calciumbinding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expressions. Additionally, NLGN3-KO mice challenged with CUMS showed a significant reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokine, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-18 (IL-18), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), interleukin-4 (IL-4), CC-chemokine ligand-1 (CCL-1) and CXC-chemokine ligand-1 (CXCL-1), in cortex, hippocampus and amygdala tissue samples. Western blot analysis suggested that NLGN3-knockout inhibited the activation of nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and its adaptor of apoptosis-associated speck like protein (ASC), and reduced the expression of Caspase-1, along with the inactivation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in CUMS-challenged mice. The role of NLGN3 in regulating depression in mice was confirmed in vitro using astrocytes stimulated by LPS that NLGN3 knockdown reduced LPS-induced inflammation. Importantly, the suppressive effects of NLGN3-knockdown on inflammatory response were reversed by NLRP3 or ASC over-expression in AST exposed to LPS. In sum, our findings indicated that suppressing NLGN3 played a potential antidepressant role in CUMS animal model by inactivating NLRP3 inflammasome, providing a new therapeutic avenue for depression.

[Research and Application of the ICP-MS Detection Technology for the Content of Nb and Ta in Geochemical Sample].

In order to provide the test analysis technology to support the exploration and development of niobium and tantalum resource, based on the special chemical properties of Nb and Ta in geochemical sample, we studied the detection methods for the content of Nb and Ta in geochemical sample by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results show that the sample dissolution and instrumental parameter of ICP-MS, especially the former have significant influence? on detection results. Therefore, optimizing important parameters of sample dissolution is the key of the detection technology. The optimal parameters are that the weight of sample is 50 mg; the dosage of HF acid is 15 mL; the concentration of nitric acid and tartaric acid in the sample solution is 2% and 1.5%, respectively; the validity period of detection for sample solution ≤1 d. The detection method has been validated by the national geochemistry standard reference material. The precise and exaction of method meet the required of industry standards. The detection limits of method for Nb and Ta are 1.05 and 0.13 µg · g(-1), respectively. The experiment proved that the ICP-MS detection methods, which using certain preparation process of sample solutions, is suitable for accurate and rapid determination of Nb and Ta in geochemical sample, especially geochemical survey samples which with a large amount and low content of Nb and Ta.

Hydrogels dispersed by doped rare earth fluoride nanocrystals: ionic liquid dispersion and down/up-conversion luminescence.

Two typical kinds of rare earth fluoride nanocrystals codoped with rare earth ions (Eu(3+) and Tm(3+)/Er(3+),Yb(3+)) are synthesized and dispersed in ionic liquid compound (1-chlorohexane-3-methylimidazolium chloride, abbreviated as [C6mim][Cl]). Assisted by agarose, the luminescent hydrogels are prepared homogeneously. The down/up-conversion luminescence of these hydrogels can be realized for the dispersed rare earth fluoride nanocrystals. The results provide a strategy to prepare luminescent (especially up-conversion luminescent) hydrogels with ionic liquid to disperse rare earth fluoride nanocrystals.

Luminescent hybrid ionogels functionalized with rare earth fluoride up-conversion nanocrystals dispersing in ionic liquid.

Rare earth doped fluorides (BaMgF4, aYF4 and BaYF5/BaLuF5) have been synthesized and dispersed in an ionic liquid compound, (3-triethoxysilyl) propyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (denoted as IM(+)Cl(-)). Through the cohydrolysis and copolycondensatoin reaction between the alkoxy group (3-triethoxysilyl) of IM(+) and tetraethoxysilane in the presence of carboxylic acids (formic acid) as catalyst and water source, luminescent hybrid ionogels form subsequently. (1)H NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and especially up-conversion (UC) luminescence spectroscopy are used to characterize the precursors and the resulted hybrid ionogels. These hybrid ionogels exhibit the UC luminescence properties of immobilized rare earth fluoride nanocrystals (BaMgF4, NaYF4 and BaYF5/BaLuF5) doped Er(3+)/Tm(3+), Yb(3+).