Nano-WSe2 Is Absorbable and Transformable by Rice Plants.

As typical transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC), tungsten selenide (WSe2) nanosheets (nano-WSe2) are widely used in various fields due to their layered structures and highly tunable electronic and magnetic properties, which results in the unwanted release of tungsten (W) and selenium (Se) into the environment. However, the environmental effects of nano-WSe2 in plants are still unclear. Herein, we evaluated the impacts and fate of nano-WSe2 and micro-WSe2 in rice plants (Oryza sativa L.). It was found that both nano-WSe2 and micro-WSe2 did not affect the germination of rice seeds up to 5000 mg/L but nano-WSe2 affected the growth of rice seedlings with shortened root lengths. The uptake and transportation of WSe2 was found to be size-dependent. Moreover, W in WSe2 was oxidized to tungstate while Se was transformed to selenocysteine, selenomethionine, SeIV and SeVI in the roots of rice when exposed to nano-WSe2, suggesting the transformation of nano-WSe2 in rice plants. The exposure to nano-WSe2 brought lipid peroxidative damage to rice seedlings. However, Se in nano-WSe2 did not contribute to the synthesis of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) since the latter did not change when exposed to nano-WSe2. This is the first report on the impacts and fate of nano-WSe2 in rice plants, which has raised environmental safety concerns about the wide application of TMDCs, such as WSe2 nanosheets.

Ginsenoside Rb3 Alleviates CSE-induced TROP2 Upregulation through p38 MAPK and NF-κB Pathways in Basal Cells.

Smoking-mediated reprogramming of the phenotype and function of airway basal cells (BCs) disrupts airway homeostasis and is an early event in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-associated airway remodeling. Here, we examined the expression and regulation of the transmembrane glycoprotein TROP2 (trophoblast antigen 2), a putative stem cell marker in airway BCs, in lung tissue samples from healthy smokers and healthy nonsmokers and in models in culture to identify therapeutic targets. TROP2 expression was upregulated in the airway epithelia of smokers and positively correlated with the smoking index. In vitro, cigarette smoke extract (CSE) induced TROP2 expression in airway BCs in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathways were also activated by CSE, and their specific antagonists inhibited CSE-induced TROP2 expression. A therapeutic component derived from traditional Chinese medicine, ginsenoside Rb3, inhibited CSE-induced TROP2 expression as well as activation of the p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathways in BCs in monolayer culture. Furthermore, ginsenoside Rb3 prevented the increase in TROP2 expression and antagonized CSE-induced BC hyperplasia and expression of inflammatory factors and epithelial-mesenchymal transition changes in an air-liquid culture model. Thus, CSE-induced TROP2 is a possible biomarker for early changes in the epithelium of smokers, and ginsenoside Rb3 may serve as a therapeutic molecule, preventing the disruption of epithelial homeostasis in COPD.

MALDI-TOF-MS and XAS analysis of complexes formed by metallothionein with mercury and/or selenium.

Mercury (Hg) is highly toxic while selenium (Se) has been found to antagonize Hg. Both Hg and Se have been found to induce metallothioneins (MTs). In this study, the complexes formed by metallothionein-1 (MT-1) with HgCl2 and/or Na2SeO3 was studied using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and X-ray absorption spectrometry (XAS). MALDI-TOF-MS and XAS indicated the formation of Hg-S bond or Se-S bond when MT-1 reacted with HgCl2 or Na2SeO3, respectively. The bond lengths of Hg-S and coordination number in MT-Hg are 2.41 ± 0.02 Å and 3.10 and in MT-Se are 2.50 ± 0.03 Å and 2.69. A MT-Se-Hg complex was formed when MT-1 reacted with both HgCl2 and Na2SeO3, in which the neighboring atom of Hg is Se, while the neighboring atoms of Se are S and Hg. Our study is an important step towards a better understanding of the interaction of HgCl2 and/or Na2SeO3 with proteins like MT-1.

Understanding the hepatoxicity of inorganic mercury through guts: Perturbance to gut microbiota, alteration of gut-liver axis related metabolites and damage to gut integrity.

Mercury (Hg) brings adverse effects to the environment and human beings and inorganic mercury (IHg) is a typical hepatic toxin. This work studied the impacts of IHg on gut microbes and metabolome together with its damage to liver and gut in rats through gut microbiome, metabolomics and metallomics. Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were orally exposed to 0.4 µg/mL IHg and sacrificed after 24 h. It was found that IHg perturbed greatly on the gut microbiota, such as increased pathogenic bacteria like G. bacillus. In addition, IHg also changed gut-liver axis related metabolites, which was confirmed by the secretion of a large number of inflammatory factors in both the gut and the liver. The changed gut-liver axis related metabolites correlated well to the changes of gut microbiome. In all, besides the direct deposition in liver of Hg, the perturbance to gut microbiome and alteration of gut-liver axis related metabolites by IHg also contributed to its hepatoxicity, which provides new insights about the hepatoxicity of chemicals. The strategy applied in this work may also be used to understand the hepatoxicity of other chemicals.

Temporal trends of urinary mercury in Chinese people from 1970s to 2010s: A review.

Mercury (Hg) is one of the most toxic heavy metals. It can migrate around the globe and magnify through the food chain, ultimately harming human health. Urinary Hg reflects recent exposure of Hg, which reflects the status of environmental contamination by Hg. This review summarized the levels and presented temporal trends of urinary Hg in Chinese people (both the general public and the occupationally exposed people) reported from 1970s to 2010s. It was found that urinary Hg levels in 92.3% of the reported population were less than the reference value (10.0 µg/L) recommended by Chinese health authority, while 76.9% were less than the reference value (4.0 µg/L) recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) in the general public in China. For the temporal trend from 1970s to 2010s, the urinary Hg levels in the general public in China were found to decrease gradually. In the occupationally exposed people, the urinary Hg levels generally exceeded the reference value (10.0 µg/L) for the general public, and about half of them were higher than the occupational exposure limit (35.0 µg/g creatinine) set by Chinese Occupational Health Standard (WS/T 265 - 2006). From 1970s to 2010s, the urinary Hg levels in occupationally exposed population increased first and then decreased slowly. Hg miners in Guizhou were found to have the highest urinary Hg levels, while workers in Anhui, Chongqing, Qinghai and Shanxi also had high levels of urinary Hg. In all, the urinary Hg levels in both the general public and the occupationally exposed people decreased from 1970s to 2010s, especially in recent decades. Attention should be paid to occupationally exposed people since high levels of urinary Hg were found in them. The message provided in this review can help better understand the situation of Hg burden in Chinese people and lay a basis for the coming effectiveness evaluation on the implementation of Minamata Convention on Mercury. Capsule abstract: The urinary Hg levels in both the general public and the occupationally exposed people in China are decreasing.

New generation lipid emulsions increase brain DHA and improve body composition, but not short-term neurodevelopment in parenterally-fed preterm piglets.

New generation, multicomponent parenteral lipid emulsions provide key fatty acids for brain growth and development, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA), yet the content may be suboptimal for preterm infants. Our aim was to test whether DHA and AA-enriched lipid emulsions would increase activity, growth, and neurodevelopment in preterm piglets and limit brain inflammation. Cesarean-delivered preterm pigs were given three weeks of either enteral preterm infant formula (ENT) or TPN with one of three parenteral lipid emulsions: Intralipid (IL), SMOFlipid (SMOF) or an experimental emulsion (EXP). Activity was continuously monitored and weekly blood sampling and behavioral field testing performed. At termination of the study, whole body and tissue metrics were collected. Neuronal density was assessed in sections of hippocampus (HC), thalamus, and cortex. Frontal cortex (FC) and HC tissue were assayed for fatty acid profiles and expression of genes of neuronal growth and inflammation. After 3 weeks of treatment, brain DHA content in SMOF, EXP and ENT pigs was higher (P < 0.01) in FC but not HC vs. IL pigs. There were no differences in brain weight or neuron density among treatment groups. Inflammatory cytokine TNFα and IL-1ß expression in brain regions were increased in IL pigs (P < 0.05) compared to other groups. Overall growth velocity was similar among groups, but IL pigs had higher percent body fat and increased insulin resistance compared to other treatments (P < 0.05). ENT pigs spent more time in higher physical activity levels compared to all TPN groups, but there were no differences in exploratory behavior among groups. We conclude that a soybean oil emulsion increased select brain inflammatory cytokines and multicomponent lipid emulsions enriched with DHA and AA in parenteral lipids results in increased cortical DHA and improved body composition without affecting short term neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Acute oral methylmercury exposure perturbs the gut microbiome and alters gut-brain axis related metabolites in rats.

Environmental pollutants like methylmercury (MeHg) can bring devastating neurotoxicity to animals and human beings. Gut microbiota has been found to demethylate MeHg and promote the excretion of Hg through feces. However, the impacts of MeHg on gut microbiota and metabolites related to gut-brain interactions were less studied in mammals. The object of this study was to investigate the impacts of acute MeHg exposure on gut microbiome and metabolites together with its impact on gut integrity and related biological responses in rats. Rats were exposed to MeHg through oral administration and were sacrificed after 24 h 16 S rRNA gene sequencing was used to study the perturbance to gut microbiome and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used for metabolomics profiling. It was found that gut was one of the target tissues of MeHg. MeHg induce the changes of intestinal microbial community structure and induce the regulating neuron activity change of intestinal neurotransmitters and metabolites on intestinal neurotransmitters and metabolites regulating the neuron activity. This was supported by the increased BDNF level. These findings may suggest a potential new mechanism regarding the neurotoxicity of MeHg. The protocols used in this study may also be applied to understand the neurotoxicity of other environmental neurotoxins like Pb, Mn, polychlorinated biphenyls, and pesticides, etc and to screen the neurotoxicity of emerging environmental contaminants.

Selenium modulated gut flora and promoted decomposition of methylmercury in methylmercury-poisoned rats.

INTRODUCTION: Selenium plays important roles in antagonizing the toxicity of methylmercury. The underlying mechanism for the antagonism between Se and MeHg is still not fully understood. OBJECTIVE: The role of gut flora against the toxicity of environmental contaminants is receiving more and more attention. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of Se against MeHg-poisoning in the modulation of gut flora and the decomposition of MeHg. METHODS: MeHg-poisoned rats were treated with sodium selenite every other day for 90 days. Fecal samples were collected on Day 8, 30, 60 and 90. Gut flora in feces was determined using 16S rRNA gene profiling, and the concentrations of Se and total mercury (THg) were measured by ICP-MS, and the concentration of MeHg was measured by CVAFS. RESULTS: Gut flora at both the ranks of phylum and genus in the MeHg-poisoned rats after Se treatment was modulated towards that in the control group, suggesting the restoration of the profile of gut flora. Increased THg was found in fecal samples after Se treatment on day 30. The percentage of MeHg (of total mercury) in the MeHg-poisoned group was in the range of 81-105% while it was 65-84% in the Se treatment group on different days, suggesting the increased decomposition of MeHg in MeHg-poisoned rats after Se treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that MeHg poisoning damaged the abundance of gut flora and decreased their capacity for the decomposition of MeHg. After Se treatment, the abundance of gut flora was partially restored and the decomposition and excretion of MeHg was enhanced. These findings suggest that the modulation of gut flora may be one way to promote the health status in MeHg-poisoned rats and possibly in human beings.

Intestinal Methylation and Demethylation of Mercury.

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant, which is linked with different diseases. The methylation of Hg and demethylation of methylmercury (MeHg) in the environment were extensively studied and summarized; however, the transformation of Hg in the intestine is less presented. In this review, the research progress and the perspectives on the intestinal transformation of Hg were discussed. Studies found that MeHg could be formed when exposed to inorganic Hg by the gut microbiota in aquatic organisms, terrestrial invertebrates, and mammals, etc. hgcAB genes could be used as indicators for predicting Hg methylation potential. In vitro studies using fecal specimen, intestinal contents, and the isolated intestinal microbes confirmed the intestinal demethylation of MeHg. The investigation on the effects of Hg exposure to the abundance and diversity of intestinal microbes and their metabolites could shed light on the mechanism of the toxicity of Hg, especially the neurotoxicity of MeHg, which deserves further study.

Incidence and risk factors for amputation in Chinese patients with diabetic foot ulcers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to comprehensively analyze the incidence of amputation in Chinese patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used. The CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases were searched to collect relevant literature on the incidence of amputation in Chinese patients with DFUs. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias. The data were systematically analyzed using Stata 17.0 software to determine the incidence of amputation in this patient population. Results: A total of 25 papers were included in the study, revealing an incidence of amputation in Chinese patients with DFUs of 22.4% (95% confidence interval: 18.3-26.5%). The subgroup analysis revealed that a history of ulcers, Wagner grade >3, and diabetic peripheral vascular disease were the primary risk factors associated with a higher incidence of amputation in Chinese patients with DFUs (P<0.05). Among Chinese patients with DFUs, the amputation group and the non-amputation group showed significant differences in body mass index, duration of DFUs, total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, white blood cell count, hemoglobin A1c, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and uric acid (P<0.05). Conclusion: The high incidence of amputation among Chinese patients with DFUs indicates that interventions should be implemented to prevent or minimize amputations. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier CRD42023463976.

Prevalence of sleep disturbances in endometriosis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This study systematically analyzes the prevalence of sleep disturbance in patients with endometriosis. Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Wanfang, China National Knowledge Internet Database (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database were searched from their establishment to January 2024, using the search terms endometriosis and sleep disturbance to collect relevant literature on the prevalence of sleep disturbance in patients with endometriosis. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias. The prevalence of sleep disorders in patients with endometriosis was systematically analyzed using Stata17.0 software. Results: Sixteen studies with 2573 participants were included. The prevalence of sleep disturbance in patients with endometriosis was 70.8% (95% confidence interval: 60.7%~80.9%). The said prevalence was higher in China than in Iran and the European countries (78.2 vs. 57.6 vs. 64.4, Q=9.27, P=0.010) and increased significantly since 2018 (79.0 vs. 61.3, Q=3.97, P=0.046). This prevalence was significantly higher in the cohort study than that in cross-sectional and case-control studies (84.0 vs. 74.0 vs. 59.5, Q=7.16, P=0.028). Conclusion: The prevalence of sleep disturbance is high in patients with endometriosis, particularly in China and its prevalence has increased significantly in recent years. Appropriate interventions are recommended to effectively prevent or minimize sleep disturbances in patients with endometriosis.

Interplay between the ß-lactam side chain and an active-site mobile loop of NDM-1 in penicillin hydrolysis as a potential target for mechanism-based inhibitor design.

Metallo-ß-lactamases (MßLs) stand as significant resistant mechanism against ß-lactam antibiotics in Gram-negative bacteria. The worldwide dissemination of New Delhi metallo-ß-lactamases (NDMs) intensifies antimicrobial resistance, posing severe threats to human health due to the absence of inhibitors available in clinical therapy. L3, a flexible ß-hairpin loop flanking the active site in MßLs, has been proven to wield influence over the reaction process by assuming a crucial role in substrate recognition and intermediate stabilization. In principle, it potentially retards product release from the enzyme, consequently reducing the overall turnover rate although the details regarding this aspect remain inadequately elucidated. In this study, we crystallized NDM-1 in complex with three penicillin substrates, conducted molecular dynamics simulations, and measured the steady-state kinetic parameters. These analyses consistently unveiled substantial disparities in their interactions with loop L3. We further synthesized a penicillin V derivative with increased hydrophobicity in the R1 side chain and co-crystallized it with NDM-1. Remarkably, this compound exhibited much stronger dynamic interplay with L3 during molecular dynamics simulation, showed much lower Km and kcat values, and demonstrated moderate inhibitory capacity to NDM-1 catalyzed meropenem hydrolysis. The data presented here may provide a strategic approach for designing mechanism-based MßL inhibitors focusing on structural elements external to the enzyme's active center.

Screening the phytotoxicity of micro/nanoplastics through non-targeted metallomics with synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence and deep learning: Taking micro/nano polyethylene terephthalate as an example.

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are global pollutants with emerging concerns. Methods to predict and screen their toxicity are crucial. Elemental dyshomeostasis can be used to assess toxicity of environmental pollutants. Non-targeted metallomics, combining synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SRXRF) and machine learning, has successfully differentiated cancer patients from healthy individuals. The whole idea of this work is to screen the phytotoxicity of nano polyethylene terephthalate (nPET) and micro polyethylene terephthalate (mPET) through non-targeted metallomics with SRXRF and deep learning algorithms. Firstly, Seed germination, seedling growth, photosynthetic changes, and antioxidant activity were used to evaluate the toxicity of mPET and nPET. It was showed that nPET, at 10 mg/L, was more toxic to rice seedlings, inhibiting growth and impairing chlorophyll content, MDA content, and SOD activity compared to mPET. Then, rice seedling leaves exposed to nPET or mPET was examined with SRXRF, and the SRXRF data was differentiated with deep learning algorithms. It was showed that the one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) model achieved 98.99% accuracy without data preprocessing in screening mPET and nPET exposure. In all, non-targeted metallomics with SRXRF and 1D-CNN can effectively screen the exposure and phytotoxicity of nPET/mPET and potentially other emerging pollutants. Further research is needed to assess the phytotoxicity of different types of MPs/NPs using non-targeted metallomics.

Nano mercury selenide as a source of mercury for rice.

Mercury (Hg) is a persistent and toxic metal while mercury selenide (HgSe) is generally considered as the environmental sink of Hg in its biogeochemical cycle. Recent studies found nano-sized HgSe (nano-HgSe) could be transformed by certain bacteria. This raises safety concerns about the application of selenium (Se) to curb Hg contamination in farmlands. Therefore, hydroponic experiments were performed in which rice plants were cultured with different concentrations of nano-HgSe and micro-sized HgSe (micro-HgSe) to explore their bioavailability and toxicity. It was found that both nano-HgSe and micro-HgSe did not affect the germination of rice seeds but affected the growth of rice seedlings. However, nano-HgSe could be more readily absorbed by roots and transferred to the aboveground parts compared to micro-HgSe. The highest Hg and Se levels were found to be 5255.67 ± 2496.14 µg/g and 1743.75 ± 61.87 µg/g, respectively in roots when exposed to 5000 mg/L nano-HgSe. Besides, small portion (1.2%) of methylmercury (MeHg) to total Hg was found accumulated in rice stem when exposed to 100 mg/L nano-HgSe, suggesting that nano-HgSe could be decomposed. Furthermore, nano-HgSe exposure brought oxidative damage to rice with decreased chlorophyll content and GSH-Px activity. In all, nano-HgSe was found to be more absorbable, transportable and methylated in rice plant compared to micro-HgSe. This suggests that although Se application in Hg contaminated farmland is an effective way to reduce the bioavailability of Hg, the risk of the possible remobilization of HgSe should not be neglected. Besides, the finding that nano-HgSe can act as an environmental source of Hg for plants deepens the understanding of biogeochemical cycle of Hg. More works are required to study the factors affecting the formation of nano-HgSe in the environment and the mechanisms of Hg methylation in rice plants after exposure to nano-HgSe.

Temporal changes of blood mercury concentrations in Chinese newborns and the general public from 1980s to 2020s.

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that threatens the environment and human health. As a major producer, emitter and consumer of Hg, China is currently taking different measures to curb mercury pollution in accordance with the requirements of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Blood Hg can reflect the human body's recent exposure to Hg. This review summarized the temporal changes in blood Hg concentrations in newborns and the general public in China from 1980 s to 2020 s. It was shown that the blood Hg concentrations of newborns showed the downward trend, although it was not significant. The general public Hg concentrations showed a trend of first increase and then decrease trend. Most of the cord blood Hg and venous blood Hg concentrations in China were lower than the USEPA reference concentration of 5.8 µg/L. Since low-dose prenatal Hg exposure can affect fetal and neonatal development, continuous attention needs to be paid to reduce maternal and neonatal Hg exposure. The information provided in this review may lay a basis for the effectiveness evaluation on the implementation of Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Gut as the target tissue of mercury and the extraintestinal effects.

Mercury (Hg) is harmful to the environment and human health. The gut plays important roles as the biological, chemical, mechanical, and immune barriers in animals and human beings. It has been known that Hg can be absorbed and methylated/demethylated in the gut, on the other hand, the impacts of Hg to the gut (especially the gut microbiota) is less studied. This review paper summarizes the impacts of inorganic Hg (IHg) and methyl Hg (MeHg) on gut barriers and the extraintestinal effects (damage to other organs such as the liver and brain). Both IHg and MeHg were found to cause intestinal microbial disorders, abnormal metabolites production, tight junction damage, and immune responses in the gut. The damage to the gut also contributed to the extraintestinal effects like the hepatotoxicity by IHg and the neurotoxicity by MeHg. In all, it is proposed that the gut should be considered as an important target tissue of Hg exposure, and the regulation of gut microbiota may have the potential for the prevention and control of the toxicity of Hg.

Arsenic and iron bioavailability in Caco-2 cells: The influence of their co-existence and concentration.

Arsenic (As) exposure in humans is primarily caused through food and drinking water. Iron (Fe) is one of the most common element of the human and can influence the toxicity and bioavailability of As. However, information on the interaction between As and Fe when present together is limited. In this study, the interaction effects of Fe(III) (0, 3, and 10 mg/L) and As (As(III) at 0, 0.05, 0.1 mg/L, and As(V) at 0, 0.1, and 2 mg/L, respectively) on their absorption and bioavailability in Caco-2 cells were analyzed. As(III) absorption significantly decreased with the addition of Fe, while Fe absorption significantly increased. Compared with 0.1 mg/L As(III) addition alone, 3 and 10 mg/L Fe(III) addition significantly reduced the As(III) absorption by 8.6 and 11 µg/L, respectively. The absorption of As and Fe(III) and the bioavailability of Fe(III) significantly increased with the addition of As(III/V). Compared with 10 mg/L Fe(III) alone, the absorption of As(III) was significantly increased by 1 and 1.3 mg/L with 0.05 and 0.1 mg/L As(III) addition, respectively. Furthermore, the absorption and bioavailability of Fe(III) were significantly increased by 1.2 mg/L and 8% and 1.2 mg/L and 8.2%, respectively, after adding 0.1 and 2 mg/L As(V).

Crystal structures and solution conformations of HtrA from Helicobacter pylori reveal pH-dependent oligomeric conversion and conformational rearrangements.

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative microaerophilic bacterium that infects over 50 % of the world's population, making it a major risk factor for chronic gastritis, ulcer diseases of the stomach and duodenum, MALT lymphoma, and gastric cancer. The clinical consequences of H. pylori infection are closely linked with the expression of virulence factors secreted by the bacterium. One such virulence factor is high temperature requirement A (HtrA), which possesses chaperone and serine protease activity. In the host stomach, HtrA secreted from H. pylori (HpHtrA) disrupts intercellular adhesions by cleaving epithelial adhesion proteins including E-cadherin and desmoglein-2. This disruption causes intercellular junctions to open, allowing the bacterium to pass through the epithelial barrier, access the intercellular space, and colonize the gastric mucosa. HtrA proteases are well known for their structural complexity, reflected in their diverse oligomer forms and multi-tasking activities in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In this study, we determined crystal structures and solution conformations of HpHtrA monomer and trimer, which revealed large domain rearrangements between them. Notably, this is the first report of a monomeric structure in the HtrA family. We further found a pH-dependent dynamic trimer-to-monomer conversion and concurrent conformational changes that seem closely linked with a pH-sensing ability through the protonation of certain Asp residues. These results advance our understanding of the functional roles and the related mechanisms of this protease in bacterial infection, which may shed light on the development of HtrA-targeted therapies for H. pylori-associated diseases.

Effects of calcium supplements on oral bioavailability of fluoride in soil based on In Vivo and In Vitro methods.

Dietary calcium (Ca) intake can alleviate fluoride (F) induced fluorosis to maintain bone health. However, it is unclear whether calcium supplements can reduce the oral bioavailability of F present in contaminated soils. Here we evaluated the effects of Ca supplements on F bioavailability in three soils using an in vitro method (Physiologically Based Extraction Test) and an in vivo mouse model. Seven Ca salts, commonly used in calcium supplements, significantly reduced the F bioaccessibility in the gastric and small intestinal phases. Particularly for Ca phosphate at 150 mg Ca supplementation, F bioaccessibility in the small intestinal phase was reduced from 35.1-38.8% to 0.7-1.9% where soluble F concentrations were less than 1 mg/L. Overall, the eight Ca tablets tested in this study showed greater efficiency at decreasing F solubility. The in vitro bioaccessibility after Ca supplementation was consistent with the relative bioavailability of F. As supported by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, a possible mechanism is that freed F can be bound by Ca to form insoluble CaF2 and exchanged with OH groups from Al/Fe hydroxide to strongly adsorb F. These findings provide evidence of Ca supplementation in reducing health risks associated soil F exposure.

Spatial Metallomics Reveals Preferable Accumulation of Methylated Selenium in a Single Seed of the Hyperaccumulator Cardamine violifolia†.

Cardamine violifolia is a Se hyperaccumulator found in Enshi, China. In this study, spatial metallomics was applied to visualize the distribution and speciation of Se in a single seed of C. violifolia. It was found that Se reached 1729.89 ± 28.14 mg/kg and the main Se species were SeCys and SeMet in bulk seeds. Further in situ study on a single seed found that the methylated Se species located mostly in the episperm. This is the first visualized evidence of the in situ distribution of methylated Se species in the seeds of C. violifolia. In all, spatial metallomics finds a preferable accumulation of methylated Se species in the seed coat, which deepens the understanding of the tolerance of Se by C. violifolia. The protocol applied in this study may also be used for the understanding of the tolerance of heavy metals/metalloids in other hyperaccumulators.