The role of mitochondrial dysfunction in macrophages on SiO2 -induced pulmonary fibrosis: A review.

Several epidemiologic and toxicological studies have widely regarded that mitochondrial dysfunction is a popular molecular event in the process of silicosis from different perspectives, but the details have not been systematically summarized yet. Thus, it is necessary to investigate how silica dust leads to pulmonary fibrosis by damaging the mitochondria of macrophages. In this review, we first introduce the molecular mechanisms that silica dust induce mitochondrial morphological and functional abnormalities and then introduce the main molecular mechanisms that silica-damaged mitochondria induce pulmonary fibrosis. Finally, we conclude that the mitochondrial abnormalities of alveolar macrophages caused by silica dust are involved deeply in the pathogenesis of silicosis through these two sequential mechanisms. Therefore, reducing the silica-damaged mitochondria will prevent the potential occurrence and fatality of the disease in the future.

The multifaceted role of macrophage mitophagy in SiO2-induced pulmonary fibrosis: A brief review.

Prolonged exposure to environments with high concentrations of crystalline silica (CS) can lead to silicosis. Macrophages play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of silicosis. In the process of silicosis, silica (SiO2) invades alveolar macrophages (AMs) and induces mitophagy which usually exists in three states: normal, excessive, and/or deficiency. Different mitophagy states lead to corresponding toxic responses, including successful macrophage repair, injury, necrosis, apoptosis, and even pulmonary fibrosis. This is a complex process accompanied by various cytokines. Unfortunately, the details have not been fully systematically summarized. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the role of macrophage mitophagy in SiO2-induced pulmonary fibrosis by systematic analysis on the literature reports. In this review, we first summarized the current data on the macrophage mitophagy in the development of SiO2-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Then, we introduce the molecular mechanism on how SiO2-induced mitophagy causes pulmonary fibrosis. Finally, we focus on introducing new therapies based on newly developed mitophagy-inducing strategies. We conclude that macrophage mitophagy plays a multifaceted role in the progression of SiO2-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and reprogramming the macrophage mitophagy state accordingly may be a potential means of preventing and treating pulmonary fibrosis.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral 1,2-Bis(Boronic) Esters Featuring Acyclic, Non-Adjacent 1,3-Stereocenters.

The construction of acyclic, non-adjacent 1,3-stereogenic centers, prevalent motifs in drugs and bioactive molecules, has been a long-standing synthetic challenge due to acyclic nucleophiles being distant from the chiral environment. In this study, we successfully synthesized highly valuable 1,2-bis(boronic) esters featuring acyclic and nonadjacent 1,3-stereocenters. Notably, this reaction selectively produces migratory coupling products rather than alternative deborylative allylation or direct allylation byproducts. This approach introduces a new activation mode for selective transformations of gem-diborylmethane in asymmetric catalysis. Additionally, we found that other gem-diborylalkanes, previously challenging due to steric hindrance, also successfully participated in this reaction. The incorporation of 1,2-bis(boryl)alkenes facilitated the diversification of the alkenyl and two boron moieties in our target compounds, thereby enabling access to a broad array of versatile molecules. DFT calculations were performed to elucidate the reaction mechanism and shed light on the factors responsible for the observed excellent enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. These were determined to arise from ligand-substrate steric repulsions in the syn-addition transition state.

Construction of Si-Stereogenic Silanols by Palladium-Catalyzed Enantioselective C-H Alkenylation.

The construction of silicon-stereogenic silanols via Pd-catalyzed intermolecular C-H alkenylation with the assistance of a commercially available L-pyroglutamic acid has been realized for the first time. Employing oxime ether as the directing group, silicon-stereogenic silanol derivatives could be readily prepared with excellent enantioselectivities, featuring a broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance. Moreover, parallel kinetic resolution with unsymmetric substrates further highlighted the generality of this protocol. Mechanistic studies indicate that L-pyroglutamic acid could stabilize the Pd catalyst and provide excellent chiral induction. Preliminary computational studies unveil the origin of the enantioselectivity in the C-H bond activation step.

Comparative analysis on the immunoregulatory roles of ferritin M in hybrid fish (Carassius cuvieri ♀ × Carassius auratus red var ♂) and its parental species after bacterial infection.

Ferritin M is involved in the regulation of fish immunity. In this study, open reading frame (ORF) sequences of ferritin M from hybrid fish and its parental species were 534 bp. Tissue-specific analysis indicated that the highest level of ferritin M from red crucian carp was observed in kidney, while peaked expressions of ferritin M from white crucian carp and hybrid carp were observed in gill. Elevated levels of ferritin M from hybrid carp and its parental species were detected in immune-related tissues following Aeromonas hydrophila infection or in cultured fish cell lines after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. Ferritin M overexpression could attenuate NF-κB and TNFα promoter activity in their respective fish cells. Purified ferritin M fusion proteins elicited in vitro binding activity to A. hydrophila and Edwardsiella tarda, lowered bacterial dissemination to tissues and alleviated inflammatory response. Furthermore, treatment with ferritin M fusion proteins could mitigate bacteria-induced liver damage and rescue antioxidant activity. These results suggested that ferritin M in hybrid fish showed a similar immune defense against bacteria infection in comparison with those of its parental species.

A novel ferritin L (FerL) in hybrid crucian carp could participate in host defense against Aeromonas hydrophila infection and diminish inflammatory signals.

FerL, a multifunctional iron-storage polypeptide, not only exhibited a regulatory role in iron metabolism, but also participated in the regulation of fish immunity. In this study, ORF sequence of WR-FerL was 522 bp, encoding 173 amino acid residues. Tissue-specific analysis revealed that the highest expression of WR-FerL was detected in spleen. A. hydrophila challenge and LPS stimulation could sharply enhance WR-FerL mRNA expression in tissues and fish cells, respectively. Purified WR-FerL fusion peptide exhibited in vitro binding activity to A. hydrophila and endotoxin, limited bacterial dissemination to tissues as well as attenuated A. hydrophila-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, WR-FerL overexpression could abrogate NF-κB and TNFα promoter activity in fish cells. These results indicated that WR-FerL could play an important role in host defense against A. hydrophila infection.

Polyimidazolyl acetate ionic liquid grafted on cellulose filter paper as thin-film extraction phase for extraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from water.

Recently, pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the water environment exhibited potential risks to both human and aquatic organisms. In order to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of pharmaceutical detection, the polyimidazolyl acetate ionic liquid was synthesized by Radziszewski reaction and coated on cellulose filter papers as a thin-film extraction phase for extraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from water. The attenuated total reflection-infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscope analyses demonstrated that the polyimidazolyl acetate ionic liquid was successfully prepared and attached to the surface of the cellulose filter paper through chemical bonding. The adsorption capacity of the homemade thin-film extraction material for the four non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was greater than 8898 ng/cm2 under the optimum conditions, and the desorption rate was over 90%. Then, a paper-based thin-film extraction phase-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was established for the extraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in water. This method provided limits of detection and limits of quantification were in the range of 0.02-0.15 and 0.17-0.50 µg/L, respectively. Hence, the obtained thin-film extraction phase showed excellent recovery and reproducibility for the target non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with carboxyl groups from water.

Transcriptome analysis and co-expression network reveal the mechanism linking mitochondrial function to immune regulation in red crucian carp (Carassius auratus red var) after Aeromonas hydrophila challenge.

Aeromonas hydrophila is a common pathogen of freshwater fish. In this study, A. hydrophila infection was shown to cause tissue damage, trigger physiological changes as well as alter the expression profiles of immune- and metabolic-related genes in immune tissues of red crucian carp (RCC). Transcriptome analysis revealed that acute A. hydrophila infection exerted a profound effect on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation linking metabolic regulation to immune response. In addition, we further identified cellular senescence, apoptosis, necrosis and mitogen-activated protein kinase signal pathways as crucial signal pathways in the kidney of RCC subjected to A. hydrophila infection. These findings may have important implications for understanding modulation of immunometabolic response to bacterial infection.

Homogeneously Large Polarons in Aromatic Passivators Improves Charge Transport between Perovskite Grains for >24 % Efficiency in Photovoltaics.

Aromatic passivators, such as porphyrin, with large π-backbones have attracted considerable attention to boost the charge carrier in polycrystalline perovskite films, thus enabling the fabrication of efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, they often self-assemble into supramolecules that probably influence the charge-transfer process in the perovskite grain boundary. Here, by doping a monoamine Cu porphyrin into perovskite films, two porphyrin-based self-assembled supramolecules were successfully prepared between perovskite grains. Crystal structures and theoretical analyses reveal the presence of a stronger interaction between the amine units and the central Cu ions of neighbouring porphyrins in one of the supramolecules. This has a modified effect on the dipole direction of the porphyrins to be quantized as homogeneously large polarons (HLPs) in a periodic lattice. The porphyrin supramolecules can stabilize perovskite grain boundaries to greatly improve the stability of PSCs, while the HLPs-featured supramolecule facilitates hole transport across perovskite grains to remarkably increase the cell performance to as high as 24.2 %. This work proves that the modulation of the intermolecular interaction of aromatic passivators to yield HLPs is crucial for the cascaded acceleration of charge transport between perovskite grains.

Correction: Visible-light-mediated borylation of aryl and alkyl halides with a palladium complex.

Correction for 'Visible-light-mediated borylation of aryl and alkyl halides with a palladium complex' by Jia-Hui Zhao, et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2020, 18, 4390-4394, DOI: 10.1039/D0OB00028K.

Visible-light-mediated borylation of aryl and alkyl halides with a palladium complex.

Palladium catalyzed visible-light-mediated borylation of inactivated aryl and alkyl halides is reported; the method provided high yields and excellent functional group compatibility. Furthermore, arylsilicates were synthesized selectively using dimethylphenylsilyl boronic ester via changing the reaction conditions. Finally, the possible reaction mechanism is determined through fluorescence quenching and turn on/off experiments.

[Prognostic value of PSA kinetics in locally advanced prostate cancer treated by maximal androgen blockade combined with brachytherapy].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of post-treatment PSA kinetics on the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 114 cases of locally advanced PCa treated by maximal androgen blockade (MAB) combined with brachytherapy, and analyzed the association of the changes in PSA kinetics with the prognosis of the patients. RESULTS: The median survival time of the patients was 81 (15 - 144) months, with 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of 91. 23%, 78.07% and 68.42% , respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that the baseline PSA level, PSA nadir, the time of PSA decreasing to nadir, PSA doubling time, and the extent of PSA declining were all predictive factors for the survival time of the PCa patients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that PSA nadir, the time of PSA decreasing to nadir, and the extent of PSA declining were three independent prognostic factors, which prolonged the long-term survival of the patients by 1.7, 3.2 and 6.8 times, respectively. CONCLUSION: For locally advanced PCa treated by MAB combined with brachytherapy, PSA nadir <1 micro g/L, the time to nadir <3 months, and the extent of PSA declining >96% are independent prognostic factors.

Alkaloid uptake pathways in renal tubular epithelial cells from different processed products of Phellodendri chinensis Cortex.

This study aimed to investigate the absorption of alkaloids from Phellodendri chinensis Cortex (PC) by human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2). Cellular uptake and affinity ultrafiltration assays were employed to determine the alkaloid uptake pathway in HK-2 cells. Stemming from the hypothesis that salt-water processed PC introduces these alkaloids into the kidney at a cellular level, this research focused on different processed products of PC that are tailored for renal targeting. Utilizing the UPLC-QqQ-MS method, we quantified variations in the uptake capacity of phellodendrine, magnoflorine, jatrorrhizine, berberrubine, and berberine from raw Phellodendri chinensis Cortex (RPC), salt-water processed Phellodendri chinensis Cortex (SPC), and wine processed Phellodendri chinensis Cortex (WPC) in HK-2 cells. This study also tracked the concentration changes of these five alkaloids in HK-2 cells during the administration phase. Further, we evaluated the influence of two inhibitors on the absorption of these five alkaloids from PC and its processed products into HK-2 cells: the organic anion transporters (OATs) inhibitor-probenecid (PRO), and the organic cationic transporters (OCTs) inhibitor-tetraethylammonium chloride (TEAC). A pivotal component of this research was an investigation into the effects of PC and its processed products on the expression levels of OCT2, OAT1, and OAT3 proteins in HK-2 cells, facilitated by Western blot analysis. Finally, we appraised the binding affinity of PC's alkaloids to OCT2, OAT1, and OAT3 proteins using an ultrafiltration centrifugation technique. The uptake of different processed products of PC by HK-2 cells showed the following trend: SPC group > RPC group > WPC group. When considering inhibitor uptake in HK-2 cells, the group treated with PRO (an OATs inhibitor) demonstrated a higher uptake than the group treated with TEAC (an OCTs inhibitor). It was observed that different processed products of PC elevated the expression of OCT2 and OAT1 proteins in HK-2 cells. Specifically, both the SPC and berberrubine groups displayed enhanced expression of these proteins, with a marked increase noted for OCT2. Through affinity ultrafiltration assays, it was determined that the binding affinity of alkaloids from different processed products of PC to OCT2 and OAT1 significantly exceeded that to OAT3. These results indicate that PC-derived alkaloids are absorbed by HK-2 cells, predominantly through transport mechanisms mediated by OCT2 and OAT1, with OCT2 serving as the dominant transporter. The higher intake of alkaloids in SPC group can likely be linked to the amplified activity of kidney uptake transporters.

Effect of different endometrial preparation methods on pregnancy outcome of FET in women with a normal menstrual cycle.

Objective: This study aims to explore the relationship between different endometrial preparations and pregnancy outcomes among patients with regular ovulatory cycles in order to find the best endometrial preparation methods in the freeze-thaw embryo transfer (FET) cycle. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study to investigate FET pregnancy outcomes in women who had a regular menstrual cycle, were younger than 35 years old, and underwent a modified natural cycle (mNC), ovulation induction (OI), or a hormone replacement treatment (HRT) cycle. A total of 1071 frozen cycles were included for analysis. Results: The implantation rate and live birth rate (LBR) in the OI group show a significant difference when compared to the mNC and HRT groups (P < 0.01). After adjusting for confounding factors, the logistic regression analysis revealed that the number of embryos transferred, the embryo stage, and quality were significantly associated with clinical pregnancy rate and LBR. The LBR was additionally affected by the mode of the endometrial preparation; the OI cycle could increase LBR. Conclusions: Endometrial preparation methods affect the LBR in women with a regular menstrual cycle. The OI cycle had an advantage in the LBR of FET.

[Effects of kidney stem cells on injure-recovery of human renal tubular epithelial cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effects and the mechanism of kidney stem cells (KSC) on the injured tubular epithelial cells. METHODS: KSC were isolated from rat renal papilla. The human kidney epithelial cells (HKC) injury model was induced with 0.1 µmol/L antimycin A for 30 minutes. The injured HKC were co-cultured with KSC or supernatant of cultured KSC. The apoptosis of HKC were detected by flow cytometry. The changes of ATP in the HKC and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the supernatant of cultured HKC were detected after being co-cultured with KSC. RESULTS: The study of the co-culture showed that KSC was less capable to migrate through the micropores of Transwell compared with bone marrow stem cells. However, after being co-cultured with the KSC conditional supernatant, ATP content of injured HKC, total SOD value in the supernatant of injured HKC were increased, and the MDA and LDH in the supernatant of injured HKC decreased. CONCLUSION: KSC have protected effects and participate in the repair of injured HKC.

[Risk factors and short-term prognosis of acute kidney injury in elderly patients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the risk factors and short-term outcomes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in elderly patients. METHODS: A total of 232 elderly AKI patients at Chinese PLA General Hospital from June 2008 to December 2009 were enrolled. They were divided into two groups according to their outcomes at 28 days and at 29 days to 3 months after AKI respectively. Their clinical data were analyzed to explore the risk factors and their effects on the outcomes of AKI. RESULTS: There were 215 males and 17 females with an average age of (86.7 ± 5.3) years. Thirty-eight cases (16.4%) died within 28 days after AKI and 57 (24.6%) died within 3 months. Infection (43.1%) was the major cause of AKI. The other causes included hypovolemia (19.0%), use of nephrotoxic drugs (16.8%) and cardiovascular events (15.1%) respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that low body mass index (BMI), oliguria, mechanical ventilation, hypoalbuminemia and peak serum level of creatinine (Scr >246.5 µmol/L) were the prognostic factors of AKI in those patients dying within 28 days after AKI (P < 0.05). Low BMI, hypoalbuminemia and high blood level of urea nitrogen (BUN) were the prognostic factors of AKI in those patients dying within 29 days to 3 months after AKI (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Infection, hypovolemia, use of nephrotoxic drugs and cardiovascular events are common causes of AKI in elderly patients.Low BMI, oliguria, mechanical ventilation, hypoalbuminemia, high level of BUN and peak level of Scr ( > 246.5 µmol/L) are the prognostic factors of AKI in elderly patients.

[Long-term outcomes of prostate cancer patients treated with combined brachytherapy and maximal androgen blockade].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prognostic factors of prostate cancer (PCa) patients and evaluate the effect of brachytherapy on survival time. METHODS: A total of 289 PCa were recruited to collect their clinical and survival data. And their possible prognostic factors were analyzed. A further comparison of 5-year cumulative survival rate was made between the patients treated by maximal androgen blockade (MAB) and those on MAB plus brachytherapy. RESULTS: Their median survival time was 73 (7-144) months. And the 1, 3 and 5-year survival rates were 93.1%, 81.0% and 60.2% respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that prostate volume, basal level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), Gleason score, tumor stage, PSA nadir, time PSA decreasing to nadir and brachytherapy were all predictive factors for survival time. And multivariate analysis further demonstrated that Gleason score, tumor stage and PSA nadir were independent prognostic indicators. And the combination therapy based on brachytherapy could significantly increase the 5-year cumulative survival rate than MAB-based monotherapy. CONCLUSION: Gleason score, tumor stage and PSA nadir may predict the prognosis of PCa patients. And brachytherapy significantly improves patient survival.

[Epithelial-mesenchymal transition of prostate cancer: cancer stem cells or bulk cancer cells].

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of prostate cancer is most likely to occur in cancer stem cells (CSC). METHODS: The isolation of CSC from LNCaP cell line was performed by flow cytometry based on side-population (SP) phenotype. After SP sorting, LNCaP/SP and LNCaP/NSP were used for further transfection of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Subsequently, EMT-associated proteins were detected by Western blotting. And the assays of Transwell and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) were used to compare invasive and proliferative potency between LNCaP/SP and LNCaP/NSP after HIF-1α induction. Eventually, xenograft experiments were performed with LNCaP/HIF-1α/SP and LNCaP/HIF-1α/NSP cells for further analysis of in vivo tumorigenesis and distant metastasis. RESULTS: Through HIF-1α-induced EMT, LNCaP/HIF-1α/SP exhibited such remarkable EMT characteristics as a positive expression of epithelial markers (E-cadherin and CK18) and a negative expression of mesenchymal markers (vimentin, N-cadherin, fibronectin, cathepsin D, MMP-2 and uPAR). And LNCaP/HIF-1α/NSP underwent partial EMT with an abnormal expression of some mesenchymal proteins (vimentin and cathepsin D) and loss of epithelial protein (CK18) despite reservation of another important epithelial marker (E-cadherin). Further Transwell and MTT assays indicated that LNCaP/HIF-1α/SP exhibited stronger in vitro invasive and proliferative potency than LNCaP/HIF-1α/NSP cells. In animal models, the volume of subcutaneous tumor by LNCaP/HIF-1α/SP cells was much greater than that by LNCaP/HIF-1α/NSP counterparts ((1008 ± 230) vs (288 ± 145) mm(3), P < 0.01). Moreover, LNCaP/HIF-1α/SP cells also had a significantly higher rate of subcutaneous tumor incidence (80% vs 53%, P < 0.05) and bone metastasis (40% vs 0, P < 0.01) as compared with LNCaP/HIF-1α/NSP counterparts. CONCLUSION: As the main target cells of prostatic EMT, CSCs may develop a more malignant phenotype after EMT.

Benzoyl isothiocyanate modified surface of silica gel as the extraction material for adsorbing steroid hormones in water.

Steroid hormones have been listed as priority pollutants in the environment, and their detection and pollution control deserve our extensive attention. In this study, a modified silica gel adsorbent material was synthesized by benzoyl isothiocyanate reaction with hydroxyl groups on the silica gel surface. The modified silica gel was used as a solid phase extraction filler for the extraction of steroid hormones from water, which was further analyzed by the HPLC-MS/MS method. The FT-IR, TGA, XPS, and SEM analysis indicated that benzoyl isothiocyanate was successfully grafted on the surface of silica gel to form a bond with an isothioamide group and benzene ring as the tail chain. The modified silica gel synthesized at 40 °C showed excellent adsorption and recovery rates for three steroid hormones in water. Methanol at pH 9.0 was selected as the optimal eluent. The adsorption capacity of the modified silica gel for epiandrosterone, progesterone, and megestrol acetate was 6822 ng mg-1, 13 899 ng mg-1, and 14 301 ng mg-1, respectively. Under optimal conditions, the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for 3 steroid hormones by modified silica gel extraction with HPLC-MS/MS detection were 0.02-0.88 µg L-1 and 0.06-2.22 µg L-1, respectively. The recovery rate of epiandrosterone, progesterone, and megestrol was between 53.7% and 82.9%, respectively. The modified silica gel has been successfully used to analyze steroid hormones in wastewater and surface water.

Screening and prioritization of organic chemicals in a large river basin by suspect and non-target analysis.

Many organic chemicals are present in aquatic environments, but how to screen and prioritize these chemicals has always been a difficult task. Here we investigated organic chemicals in the West River Basin by using a developed non-target identification workflow. A total of 957 chemicals were tentatively identified, with 96 assigned as high confidence levels by matching with reference standards, MassBank spectral library, and using CompTox Chemistry Dashboard database as the compound library for MetFrag. More pesticides and their transformation products (e.g., metolachlor ESA, acetochlor ESA, deethylatrazine, and hydroxyatrazine) were detected in the wet season due to the increasing usage. High detection of pharmaceutical and personal care products and their transformation products in the tributaries was linked to rural farming and human activities. Irbesartan that is used to treat high blood pressure was recognized in the river and positive correlations between some detected chemicals and irbesartan were observed, indicating a domestic wastewater source. Ecological risks of the identified chemicals were calculated by toxicological prioritization ranking schemes, and 24 chemicals showed high ToxPi scores in the river. The results from this study show the presence of a large number of emerging organic chemicals in our waterways, and demonstrated conceptual schemes for integrating risk assessment into a non-target screening workflow.