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Insomnia is a mental disorder in which drugs only alleviate the symptoms but also produce adverse effects. Therefore, developing innovative sedative-hypnotic agents is urgent. In this work, twenty-five novel heteroatomic compounds were designed, synthesized, and screened for their sedative activities, structurally featuring the fusion of pyrimidine and carbazole or benzothiazole. Most of the synthesized compounds showed distinct sedative activities in vivo. Among them, 4l displayed excellent sedative and hypnotic properties in the dose range of 0.1-2.5 mg/kg, and was superior to diazepam at 5 mg/kg. Mechanism studies showed 4l induced sedative-hypnotic effects via activating cAMP/PKA/CREB signaling pathway. Moreover, 4l possessed appropriate blood brain barrier permeability and excellent bioavailability (F: 74.5 ± 4.5 %). Thus, 4l was identified as the lead compound owing to its favorable potency and pharmacokinetic profiles, providing alternative for insomnia drugs development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Tumor cell stemness plays a pivotal role in generating functional heterogeneity within tumors and is implicated in essential processes such as drug resistance, metastasis, and cell proliferation. Therefore, creating novel tumor diagnostic techniques and therapeutic plans requires a knowledge of the possible processes that preserve the stem cell-like qualities of cancers. Bioinformatics analysis of NOLC1 expression in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and prediction of its upstream transcription factors and their binding sites were completed. RT-qPCR detection of NOLC1 and FOXA1 expression, colony formation assay of cell proliferation, Transwell assay of cell invasion, sphere formation assay of cell stemness, western blot detection of CD133, OCT4, GLI1, NOTCH1 and Hes1 expression, CCK-8 assay of IC 50 value of cisplatin, and ChIP and dual-luciferase reporter validation of binding relationship between NOLC1 and FOXA1 were done. NOLC1 expression was elevated in LUAD cells and tissues. Decreased NOLC1 expression inhibited the proliferation and invasive capacity of LUAD cells, prevented LUAD cells from becoming stem cells, and suppressed cisplatin resistance in the cells. Rescue tests demonstrated that NOLC1 activated the NOTCH pathway to increase the stemness of LUAD cells and promoted cisplatin resistance in LUAD cells. The activation of NOLC1 transcription by FOXA1 was validated by bioinformatics prediction and molecular verification, and the FOXA1/NOLC1 axis enhanced the stemness of LUAD cells. Activation of NOLC1 transcription by FOXA1 through NOTCH pathway promoted stemness of LUAD. FOXA1/NOLC1 axis is expected to become a new target for inhibiting stemness of LUAD cells., (© 2025 The Author(s). The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Kaohsiung Medical University.)

Compound FLZ has neuroprotective effects on Parkinson's disease (PD), while the precise mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that FLZ decreased PTEN/Akt activity in LPS-challenged BV2 cells. Neuroinflammatory responses suppressed by FLZ were abolished when PTEN or Src was inhibited. Additionally, FLZ weakened the interactions of Src and PTEN, and attenuated Src phosphorylation once PETN was inhibited, but failed to decrease PTEN phosphorylation when Src was silenced. Eventually, we elaborated that FLZ bound to Src directly and inhibited its activity. Collectively, FLZ attenuated neuroinflammation through inhibiting Src/PTEN/Akt pathway, paving the way for clinical use of FLZ to treat PD.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disease, characterized by movement disorders and non-motor symptoms like cognitive impairment and depression. Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and Lewy bodies have long been considered as main neuropathological changes. However, recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have shown that white matter lesions (WMLs) were present in PD patients. WMLs are characterized by loss or impairment of myelin sheath in central nerve fibers, which are closely correlated with motor and cognitive dysfunction in PD. WMLs alterations precede nigrostriatal neuronal losses and can independently affect the clinical severity or characteristics of motor coordination in PD patients. Currently, the exact mechanism of WMLs involvement in the occurrence and development of PD remains unclear. It is speculated that WMLs may participate in the pathogenesis of PD by disrupting important connections in brain or promoting axonal degeneration. In this review, we will discuss the pathological changes and mechanisms of WMLs, elaborate the impact of WMLs on the progression of PD, clarify the importance of WMLs in PD pathogenesis, and thus provide novel targets for PD treatments., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The author(s) declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to American Aging Association.)

We propose a theoretical scheme for dipole exchange-induced grating (DEIG) based on a hybrid coherent atomic system. The system consists of an ultra-cold rubidium ( 87 Rb) atomic ensemble and movable Rydberg spin atoms. The optical response of the grating appears as a superposition of three- and four-level configurations, which is similar to the cooperative optical nonlinearity caused by the dipole blockade effect. The far-field diffraction properties of the cooperative optical nonlinear grating are tuned by the probe field (intensity and photon statistics). However, our Rydberg atomic grating uniquely responds to the spatial positions of spin atoms, which offers a novel approach to dynamically control electromagnetically induced gratings (EIG).

White matter lesions (WMLs), characterized by focal demyelination or myelination disorders, are commonly present in cerebral small vessel disease and various neurological diseases. Multiple etiologies lead to WMLs. However, there is no specific therapy or effective drugs for relieving WMLs. Natural products and their derivatives originate from bacterial, fungal, plant, and marine animal sources, many of which have multiple therapeutic targets. Compared to single target compounds, natural products and their derivatives are promising to be developed as better drugs to attenuate WMLs. Thus, this review attempts to summarize the status of natural products and their derivatives (2010-to date) alleviating cerebral white matter lesions for the discovery of new drugs.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC) is regarded as a distinct molecular subtype of GC, accounting for approximately 9% of all GC cases. Clinically, EBVaGC patients are found to have a significantly lower frequency of lymph node metastasis and better prognosis than uninfected individuals. RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has an indispensable role in modulating tumour progression in various cancer types. However, its impact on EBVaGC remains unclear., Methods: Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and m6A dot blot were conducted to compare the m6A modification levels between EBVaGC and EBV-negative GC (EBVnGC) cells. Western blot, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry were applied to explore the underlying mechanism of the reduced m6A modification in EBVaGC. The biological function of fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) was determined in vivo and in vitro. The target genes of FTO were screened by MeRIP-seq, RT-qPCR and Western blot. The m6A binding proteins of target genes were verified by RNA pulldown and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and Luciferase report assays were performed to investigate the mechanism how EBV up-regulated FTO expression., Results: M6A demethylase FTO was notably increased in EBVaGC, leading to a reduction in m6A modification, and higher FTO expression was associated with better clinical outcomes. Furthermore, FTO depressed EBVaGC cell metastasis and aggressiveness by reducing the expression of target gene AP-1 transcription factor subunit (FOS). Methylated FOS mRNA was specifically recognized by the m6A 'reader' insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 1/2 (IGF2BP1/2), which enhanced its transcripts stability. Moreover, MYC activated by EBV in EBVaGC elevated FTO expression by binding to a specific region of the FTO promoter., Conclusions: Mechanistically, our work uncovered a crucial suppressive role of FTO in EBVaGC metastasis and invasiveness via an m6A-FOS-IGF2BP1/2-dependent manner, suggesting a promising biomarker panel for GC metastatic prediction and therapy., (© 2023 The Authors. Clinical and Translational Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics.)

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is involved in the pathological process of vascular dementia (VD). GJ-4 is extracted from Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis and has been reported to have protective roles in ischemia-related brain damage. However, the role of GJ-4 in ERS has not been elucidated. We established a VD rat model through bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (2-VO). The rats were intragastrically administrated with GJ-4 (10, 25, and 50[Formula: see text]mg/kg) and nimodipine (10[Formula: see text]mg/kg). Data from a Morris water maze test showed that GJ-4 could significantly alleviate learning and memory deficits in VD rats. Nissl and cleaved caspase-3 staining revealed that GJ-4 can inhibit apoptosis and thus exert a protective role in the brain of 2-VO rats. Western blot results suggested that GJ-4 significantly reduced ERS-related protein expression and inhibited apoptosis through suppression of the PERK/eIF2[Formula: see text]/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway. For in vitro studies, the oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) SH-SY5Y model was employed. Western blot and Hoechst 33342/PI double staining were utilized to explore the effects of crocetin, the main active metabolite of GJ-4. Like GJ-4 in vivo , crocetin in vitro also decreased ERS-related protein expression and inhibited the activation of the PERK/eIF2[Formula: see text]/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway. Thus, crocetin exerted similar protective roles on OGD challenged SH-SY5Y cells in vitro . In summary, GJ-4 and crocetin reduce the ERS in the brain of VD rats and SY5Y cells subjected to OGD and inhibit neuronal apoptosis through suppression of the PERK/eIF2[Formula: see text]/ATF4/CHOP pathway, suggesting that GJ-4 may be useful for the treatment of VD.

In this work, two different solvothermal synthesis routes were employed to prepare MOF-derived CuCoO 2 (CCO) nanocrystals for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) application. The effects of the reductants (ethylene glycol, methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol), NaOH addition, the reactants, and the reaction temperature on the structure and morphology of the reaction product were investigated. In the first route, Cu-BTC derived CCO (CCO1) nanocrystals with a size of ∼214 nm and a specific surface area of 4.93 m 2 g -1 were prepared by using Cu-BTC and Co(NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O as the Cu and Co source, respectively. In the second route, ZIF-67 derived CCO (CCO2) nanocrystals with a size of ∼146 nm and a specific surface area of 11.69 m 2 g -1 were prepared by using ZIF-67 and Cu(NO 3 ) 2 ·3H 2 O as the Co and Cu source, respectively. Moreover, the OER performances of Ni foam supported CCO1 (Ni@CCO1) and CCO2 (Ni@CCO2) electrodes were evaluated in 1.0 M KOH solution. Ni@CCO2 demonstrates a better OER catalytic performance with a lower overpotential of 394.5 mV at 10 mA cm -2 , a smaller Tafel slope of 82.6 mV dec -1 , and long-term durability, which are superior to those of some previously reported delafossite oxide or perovskite oxide catalysts. This work reveals the preparation method and application potential of CCO electrocatalysts by using Cu-BTC/ZIF-67 as the precursor, providing a new approach for the preparation of delafossite oxide CCO and the enhancement of their OER performances.

β-Thalassemia (β-thal), a highly prevalent disease in tropical and subtropical regions of Southern China, is caused mainly by point mutations in the β-globin gene cluster. However, large deletions have also been found to contribute to some types of β-thal. We identified a novel 5 kb deletion in the β-globin cluster in a Chinese patient using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), and characterized it with single molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing, gap-polymerase chain reaction (gap-PCR) and Sanger sequencing. The deletion was located between positions 5226189 and 5231091 on chromosome 11 (GRCh38), extending from 4 kb upstream of the 5' untranslated region (5'UTR) to the second intron of the β-globin gene. The patient with this deletion presented with microcytosis and hypochromic red cells, as well as relatively high Hb F and Hb A 2 levels. Our research indicated that SMRT sequencing is a useful tool for accurate detection of large deletions. Our study broadens the spectrum of deletional β-thalassemias and provides a perspective for further study of the function of the β-globin cluster.

Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials with tunable porous morphology, controlled crystalline structure, various compositions, and high specific surface area are widely used as precursors to synthesize electrocatalysts for water splitting, which is beneficial for improving their oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance. Using ZIF-67 as a Co source and Cu-BTC as a Cu source, hexagonal MOF-derived CuCoO 2 (MOF-CCO) nanocrystals with the size of ∼288 nm were prepared through a one-step solvothermal method. The influence of the content of the precursor solvents (absolute ethanol and deionized water), reaction temperature, mass ratio of reactants, NaOH addition, and reactant concentration of precursors on the structure and morphology of the products was investigated. The optimal CuCoO 2 nanocrystals (MOF-CCO1) around 288 nm present the highest OER activity, such as a low overpotential of 364.7 mV at 10 mA cm -2 , a small Tafel slope of 64.1 mV dec -1 , and attractive durability in 1.0 M KOH solution. The XPS results showed that the higher catalytic efficiency of MOF-CCO1 nanocrystals could be due to the oxygen vacancies caused by lattice oxygen loss, the increase of OH - content on the surface, and the synergistic effect of Cu 2+ /Cu + and Co 2+ /Co 3+ redox pairs. Finally, a possible OER mechanism for MOF-CCO nanocrystals of water splitting was proposed. This study provides a new approach for the preparation of delafossite nanomaterials and for the improvement of their OER performances.

Hydrogen production from water splitting provides an effective method to alleviate the ever-growing global energy crisis. In this work, delafossite CuGaO 2 (CGO) crystal was synthesized through hydrothermal routes with Cu(NO 3 ) 2 ·3H 2 O and Ga(NO 3 ) 3 ·xH 2 O used as reactants. The addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was found to play an important role in modifying the morphology of CuGaO 2 (CGO-CTAB). With the addition of CTAB, the morphology of CGO-CTAB samples changed from irregular flake to typical hexagonal sheet microstructure, with an average size of 1-2 μm and a thickness of around 100 nm. Furthermore, the electrocatalytic activity of CGO-CTAB crystals for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) was also studied and compared with that of CGO crystals. CGO-CTAB samples exhibited better activity than CGO. An overpotential of 391.5 mV was shown to be able to generate a current density of 10 mA/cm 2 . The as-prepared samples also demonstrate good stability for water oxidation and relatively fast OER kinetics with a Tafel slope of 56.4 mV/dec. This work highlights the significant role of modification of CTAB surfactants in preparing CGO related crystals, and the introduction of CTAB was found to help to improve their electrocatalytic activity for OER., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Neuroinflammation plays an important role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease. HACE1 (HECT domain and Ankyrin repeat Containing E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase 1) is a tumor suppressor. Recent evidence suggests that HACE1 may be involved in oxidative stress responses. Due to the critical role of ROS in neuroinflammation, we speculated that HACE1 might participate in neuroinflammation and related neurodegenerative diseases, such as PD. In this study, we investigated the role of HACE1 in neuroinflammation of PD models. We showed that HACE1 knockdown exacerbated LPS-induced neuroinflammation in BV2 microglial cells in vitro through suppressing ubiquitination and degradation of activated Rac1, an NADPH oxidase subunit. Furthermore, we showed that HACE1 exerted vital neuronal protection through increasing Rac1 activity and stability in LPS-treated SH-SY5Y cells, as HACE1 knockdown leading to lower tolerance to LPS challenge. In MPTP-induced acute PD mouse model, HACE1 knockdown exacerbated motor deficits by activating Rac1. Finally, mutant α-synuclein (A53T)-overexpressing mice, a chronic PD mouse model, exhibited age-dependent reduction of HACE1 levels in the midbrain and striatum, implicating that HACE1 participated in PD pathological progression. This study for the first time demonstrates that HACE1 is a negative regulator of neuroinflammation and involved in the PD pathogenesis by regulating Rac1 activity. The data support HACE1 as a potential target for PD and other neurodegenerative diseases., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to CPS and SIMM.)

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, displaying not only well-known motor deficits but also gastrointestinal dysfunctions. Consistently, it has been increasingly evident that gut microbiota affects the communication between the gut and the brain in PD pathogenesis, known as the microbiota-gut-brain axis. As an approach to re-establishing a normal microbiota community, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has exerted beneficial effects on PD in recent studies. Here, in this study, we established a chronic rotenone-induced PD mouse model to evaluate the protective effects of FMT treatment on PD and to explore the underlying mechanisms, which also proves the involvement of gut microbiota dysbiosis in PD pathogenesis via the microbiota-gut-brain axis., Results: We demonstrated that gut microbiota dysbiosis induced by rotenone administration caused gastrointestinal function impairment and poor behavioral performances in the PD mice. Moreover, 16S RNA sequencing identified the increase of bacterial genera Akkermansia and Desulfovibrio in fecal samples of rotenone-induced mice. By contrast, FMT treatment remarkably restored the gut microbial community, thus ameliorating the gastrointestinal dysfunctions and the motor deficits of the PD mice. Further experiments revealed that FMT administration alleviated intestinal inflammation and barrier destruction, thus reducing the levels of systemic inflammation. Subsequently, FMT treatment attenuated blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment and suppressed neuroinflammation in the substantia nigra (SN), which further decreased the damage of dopaminergic neurons. Additional mechanistic investigation discovered that FMT treatment reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in the colon, the serum, and the SN, thereafter suppressing the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and its downstream pro-inflammatory products both in the SN and the colon., Conclusions: Our current study demonstrates that FMT treatment can correct the gut microbiota dysbiosis and ameliorate the rotenone-induced PD mouse model, in which suppression of the inflammation mediated by the LPS-TLR4 signaling pathway both in the gut and the brain possibly plays a significant role. Further, we prove that rotenone-induced microbiota dysbiosis is involved in the genesis of PD via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Video abstract., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Microglial activation-induced neuroinflammation is critical in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Activated microglia are regulated mainly by innate pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on their surface, of which macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (Marco) is a well-characterized scavenger receptor constitutively expressed on specific subsets of macrophages, including microglia. Increasing evidence has shown that Marco is involved in the pathogenesis of a range of inflammatory processes. However, research on the role of Marco in regulating neuroinflammation has reported conflicting results. In the present study, we examined the role Marco played in triggering neuroinflammation and its underlying mechanisms. The results demonstrated that silencing the Marco gene resulted in a significantly reduced neuroinflammatory response and vice versa. α-Syn stimulation in Marco overexpressing cells induced a pronounced inflammatory response, suggesting that Marco alone could trigger an inflammatory response. We also found that TLR2 significantly promoted Marco-mediated neuroinflammation, indicating TLR2 was an important co-receptor of Marco. Knocking down the TLR2 gene in microglia and mouse substantia nigra resulted in decreased expression of Marco. Subsequent mechanistic studies showed that deleting the SRCR domain of Marco resulted in disruption of the inflammatory response and the interaction between TLR2 and Marco. This suggested that TLR2 binds directly to the SRCR domain of Marco and regulates Marco-mediated neuroinflammation. In summary, this investigation revealed that TLR2 could potentiate Marco-mediated neuroinflammation by interacting with the SRCR domain of Marco, providing a new target for inhibiting neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, but none of the current treatments for PD can halt the progress of the disease due to the limited understanding of the pathogenesis. In PD development, the communication between the brain and the gastrointestinal system influenced by gut microbiota is known as microbiota-gut-brain axis. However, the explicit mechanisms of microbiota dysbiosis in PD development have not been well elucidated yet. FLZ, a novel squamosamide derivative, has been proved to be effective in many PD models and is undergoing the phase I clinical trial to treat PD in China. Moreover, our previous pharmacokinetic study revealed that gut microbiota could regulate the absorption of FLZ in vivo . The aims of our study were to assess the protective effects of FLZ treatment on PD and to further explore the underlying microbiota-related mechanisms of PD by using FLZ as a tool. In the current study, chronic oral administration of rotenone was utilized to induce a mouse model to mimic the pathological process of PD. Here we revealed that FLZ treatment alleviated gastrointestinal dysfunctions, motor symptoms, and dopaminergic neuron death in rotenone-challenged mice. 16S rRNA sequencing found that PD-related microbiota alterations induced by rotenone were reversed by FLZ treatment. Remarkably, FLZ administration attenuated intestinal inflammation and gut barrier destruction, which subsequently inhibited systemic inflammation. Eventually, FLZ treatment restored blood-brain barrier structure and suppressed neuroinflammation by inhibiting the activation of astrocytes and microglia in the substantia nigra (SN). Further mechanistic research demonstrated that FLZ treatment suppressed the TLR4/MyD88/NF- κ B pathway both in the SN and colon. Collectively, FLZ treatment ameliorates microbiota dysbiosis to protect the PD model via inhibiting TLR4 pathway, which contributes to one of the underlying mechanisms beneath its neuroprotective effects. Our research also supports the importance of microbiota-gut-brain axis in PD pathogenesis, suggesting its potential role as a novel therapeutic target for PD treatment., Competing Interests: All authors declare no competing interests., (© 2021 Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics and immunological and genetic features of patients who developed autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type II (APS-2) after treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)., Design and Methods: Several databases (MEDLINE/EMBASE/Cochrane) were searched for studies published between January 2000 and February 2020 involving patients with two or more endocrine disorders after ICI therapy., Results: Our final review included 22 articles comprising 23 patients (median age 56 years; 65.2% male patients). Of these patients, 60.9% received anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) therapy, 17.4% received anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) therapy, and 4.3% received anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) monotherapy. Patients underwent a median of four treatment cycles before the onset of the primary adverse event; the median time of onset was 8.5 weeks. Endocrine organs affected by ICI administration included the thyroid gland (18/23, 78.3%), pancreatic islets (17/23, 73.9%), pituitary gland (11/23, 47.8%), and adrenal gland (2/23, 8.7%). Related autoantibodies were detected in 65.2% of patients. In patients with diabetes, glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody was closely related to the development of diabetes ketoacidosis. The human leukocyte antigen genotype was reported in 34.8% (8/23) of patients, 5 (62.5%) of which had risk genotypes., Conclusions: As a serious adverse event of ICI treatment, APS-2 is presented with abrupt initiation time and rapid development. Physicians should be aware of potential endocrine disorders and continue monitoring hormone status when treating cancer patients with ICIs.

Surgical repair of complex posterior urethral disruptions remains one of the most challenging problems in urology. The efficacy of using a tissue expander capsule as an induced vascular bed to prefabricate axial vascularized buccal mucosa-lined flaps for tubularized posterior urethral reconstruction in a rabbit model was tested. The experiments were performed in three stages. First, silicone tissue expanders were inserted into the groin to induce vascularized capsule pouch formation. Next, buccal mucosa grafts were transplanted into the newly formed capsular tissue supplied by axial vessels for buccal mucosa-lined flap prefabrication. Then, circumferential posterior urethral defects were created and repaired with the buccal mucosa graft (Group 1), the capsule flap (Group 2), and the prefabricated capsule buccal mucosa composite flap (Group 3). After surgery, notable contracture of the tubularized buccal mucosa graft was observed in the neourethra, and none of the rabbits in Group 1 maintained a wide urethral caliber. In Group 2, the retrieved neourethra showed little evidence of epithelial lining during the study period, and the lumen caliber was narrowed at the 3-month evaluation. In Group 3, the buccal mucosa formed the lining in the neourethra and maintained a wide urethral caliber for 3 months. The capsule may serve as an induced vascular bed for buccal mucosa-lined flap prefabrication. The prefabricated buccal mucosa-lined flap may serve as a neourethra flap for posterior urethral replacement., Competing Interests: None

Rationale: Construction of functional vascularized three-dimensional tissues has been a longstanding objective in the field of tissue engineering. The efficacy of using a tissue expander capsule as an induced vascular bed to prefabricate functional vascularized smooth muscle tissue flaps for bladder reconstruction in a rabbit model was tested. Methods: Skin tissue expanders were inserted into the groin to induce vascularized capsule pouch formation. Smooth muscle cells and endothelial progenitor cells were harvested and cocultured to form pre-vascularized smooth muscle cell sheet. Then repeated transplantation of triple-layer cell sheet grafts onto the vascularized capsular tissue was performed at 2-day intervals to prefabricate functional vascularized smooth muscle tissue flaps. Bladder muscular wall defects were created and repaired by six-layer cell sheet graft (sheet only), capsule flap (capsule only) and vascularized capsule prelaminated with smooth muscle cell sheet (sheet plus capsule). The animals were followed for 3 months after implantation and their bladders were explanted serially. Results: Bladder capacity and compliance were maintained in sheet plus capsule group throughout the 3 months. Tissue bath stimulation demonstrated that contractile responses to carbachol and KCl among the three groups revealed a significant difference ( p < 0.05). Histologically, inflammation was evident in the capsule only group at 1 month and fibrosis was observed in sheet only group at 3 months. The vessel density in capsule only and sheet plus capsule group were significantly higher than in the sheet only group at each time point ( p < 0.05). Comparison of the smooth muscle content among the three groups revealed a significant difference ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results proved that the capsule may serve as an induced vascular bed for vascularized smooth muscle tissue flap prefabrication. The prefabricated functional vascularized smooth muscle tissue flap has the potential for reliable bladder reconstruction and may create new opportunities for vascularization in 3-D tissue engineering., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Objective: To evaluate the effects of tube voltage on image quality in coronary CT angiography (CCTA), the estimated radiation dose, and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in peripheral blood lymphocytes to optimize the use of CCTA in the era of low radiation doses., Materials and Methods: This study included 240 patients who were divided into 2 groups according to the DNA DSB analysis methods, i.e., immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Each group was subdivided into 4 subgroups: those receiving CCTA only with different tube voltages of 120, 100, 80, or 70 kVp. Objective and subjective image quality was evaluated by analysis of variance. Radiation dosages were also recorded and compared., Results: There was no significant difference in demographic characteristics between the 2 groups and 4 subgroups in each group (all p > 0.05). As tube voltage decreased, both image quality and radiation dose decreased gradually and significantly. After CCTA, γ-H2AX foci and mean fluorescence intensity in the 120-, 100-, 80-, and 70-kVp groups increased by 0.14, 0.09, 0.07, and 0.06 foci per cell and 21.26, 9.13, 8.10, and 7.13 (all p < 0.05), respectively. The increase in the DNA DSB level in the 120-kVp group was higher than those in the other 3 groups (all p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in the DSBs levels among these latter groups (all p > 0.05)., Conclusion: The 100-kVp tube voltage may be optimal for CCTA when weighing DNA DSBs against the estimated radiation dose and image quality, with further reductions in tube voltage being unnecessary for CCTA., Competing Interests: UJS is a consultant for and/or receives research support from Astellas, Bayer, Elucid BioImaging, General Electric, Guerbet, HeartFlow, and Siemens Healthineers. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 The Korean Society of Radiology.)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory infiltration and demyelination in the central nervous system (CNS). Among the factors involved in the immunological mechanisms of MS, T helper 1 (Th1) cells and T helper 17 (Th17) cells play a critical role. Compound 21, a novel phloroglucinol derivative, significantly protected myelin from damage in our previous study. However, it remains unclear whether this compound affects MS. In this study, the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) rat model was established to mimic the pathological process of MS and evaluate the neuroprotective effect of Compound 21. The results illustrated that Compound 21 treatment notably attenuates neurological deficits, immune infiltration, and demyelination in EAE rats. Our mechanistic investigation revealed that Compound 21 treatment reduces the population of Th1/Th17 cells and inhibits their infiltration into the CNS. Furthermore, we found that the inhibition of Th1/Th17 cell infiltration is related to the direct suppression of Th1/Th17 cell differentiation and the inhibition of proinflammatory microglial cells. Collectively, these results confirm that Compound 21 suppresses infiltrated Th1/Th17 cells to alleviate demyelination in EAE rats, suggesting its potential role as a novel candidate for MS treatment., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune demyelinating disease in the central nervous system. The myelin loss is mainly caused by dysfunction of oligodendrocytes and inflammatory responses of microglia and astrocytes further aggravate the demyelination. Current therapies for MS focus on suppressing the overactivated immune response but cannot halt the disease progress, so effective drugs are urgently needed. Compound 21 is a phloroglucinol derivative that has been proved to have an outstanding anti-inflammatory effect. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether this novel compound is effective in MS. The cuprizone-induced model was used in this study to mimic the pathological progress of MS. The results showed that Compound 21 significantly improved the neurological dysfunction and motor coordination impairment. Luxol Fast Blue staining and myelin basic protein immunostaining demonstrated that Compound 21 remarkably promoted remyelination. In addition, Compound 21 significantly promoted oligodendrocytes differentiation. Furthermore, we found that Compound 21 decreased microglia and astrocytes activities and the subsequent neuroinflammatory response, indicating that the anti-inflammatory effect of Compound 21 was also involved in its neuro-protection. All the data prove that Compound 21 exerts protective effect on MS through promoting remyelination and suppressing neuroinflammation, indicating that Compound 21 might be a potential drug candidate for MS treatment.

Ten undescribed highly oxidized sesquiterpenes and six known sesquiterpenes were isolated from H 2 O-soluble part of the fruits of Illicium lanceolatum A. C. Smith. The structures of undescribed compounds were elucidated by interpretation of spectroscopic data, and the absolute configurations of 2α-hydroxyneoanisatinic acid, (1R,5R,6S,7R,9R,10R)-3,4-dehydro-12-hydroxy-floridanolide, and (1R,4S,5R,6S,7S,9S)-1-deoxy-13-hydroxymerrilactone B were determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Illilanceolatin A was the first example of a seco-prezizaane type sesquiterpene with a hemiacetal moiety located at C-10. 2α-Hydroxyneoanisatinic acid and anisatinic acid were two naturally occurring undescribed seco-prezizaane type sesquiterpenes with a 5/5/6 tricyclic carbon skeleton. Plausible biosynthetic pathways of the isolated polycyclic and highly oxidized sesquiterpenes derived from the intermediate allo-cedrane were proposed. (1R,5R,6S,7R,9R,10R)-3,4-dehydro-12-hydroxy-floridanolide, 1,3-dihydroxyneoanisatin, and 2α-hydroxyneoanisatin displayed neuroprotective effects with protection rates of 19.9, 22.7 and 24.3% at 10 μM, respectively. Additionally, the preliminary acute toxicity of anisatinic acid was also evaluated., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has neurotrophic activity for the survival of dopaminergic neurons, which is under active investigation for Parkinson's disease (PD) therapy. FLZ is a potential new drug for PD treatment. However, it is unclear whether neurotrophic activity contributes to the neuroprotective effects of FLZ. Here we found that FLZ markedly improved the function of dopaminergic neurons in primary mesencephalic neuron/glia cultures. Further investigation demonstrated that astroglia were required for FLZ to function as a neurotrophic regulator, as FLZ failed to show neurotrophic effects in the absence of astroglia. We clarified that GDNF was responsible for the neurotrophic effects of FLZ since FLZ selectively stimulated GDNF production, which was confirmed by the finding that the neurotrophic effect of FLZ was attenuated by GDNF-neutralizing antibody. Mechanistic study demonstrated that GDNF induction by FLZ was CREB-dependent and that PI3K/Akt was the main pathway regulating CREB activity, which was confirmed by in vivo studies. We also validated that the induction of GDNF by FLZ contributed to PD treatment in vivo. In conclusion, the present data provided evidence that FLZ had robust neurotrophic effects on dopaminergic neurons through sustained induction of GDNF in astroglia by activating the PI3K/Akt/CREB pathway., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Five new compounds (1-5), including three hexalactone derivatives (1-3) and a pair of new oxaspiro-carbon epimeric glycosides (4 and 5), and six known compounds (6-11) were obtained from the fruits of Illicium lanceolatum. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated using extensive spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations of compounds 1-3 were determined by an analysis of their CD spectra. It was determined that compounds 4 and 5, which are epimeric at C-5, possess the same 1-oxaspiro[4,5]decane-7α,8α,9β-triol moiety. Plausible biogenetic pathways for 4 and 5 derived from the key precursor shikimic acid were proposed. Compounds 1-11 were all assayed on monosodium glutamate-induced human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell damage. The results demonstrated that compounds 4, 5, and 8-10 possess potential neuroprotective effects. The anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and cytotoxic activities of 1-11 were also evaluated., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the effect of C-phycocyanin (C-PC) on voiding behavior and histological changes in cyclophosphamide- (CYP-) induced cystitis in mice., Methods: Sixty female mice were included. The mice in the C-PC group received C-PC (25 mg/kg, twice, i.p.) and then CYP (200 mg/kg, i.p.) two hours later, while the mice in the CYP group only received the equivalent CYP. Saline was injected in the mice in the control group. A voided stain on paper (VSOP) test was conducted to analyze the micturition. The bladders were harvested for histological evaluation and measurements of inflammatory factors., Results: C-PC reduced the micturition frequency in the mice with CYP-induced cystitis. The bladder/body weight ratio and edema were remarkably higher in the CYP group compared to the C-PC group. C-PC suppressed the expressions of COX-2, PGE 2 , and EP4 (prostaglandin E receptor 4) according to the ELISA assay. Immunohistochemical staining also indicated that C-PC reduced the expressions of COX-2 in urothelium and EP4 in smooth muscles., Conclusions: C-PC relieved symptoms associated with CYP-induced cystitis in mice by inhibiting bladder inflammation through COX-2 and EP4 expression., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Tubularized graft urethroplasty fails largely because of inadequate graft take. Prefabrication of buccal mucosa lined flap has theoretical indications for constructing neourethra with an independent blood supply. The efficacy of using a tissue expander capsule as an induced vascular bed to prefabricate an axial vascularized buccal mucosa-lined flap for tubularized urethral reconstruction in a rabbit model was tested. The experiments were performed in three stages. First, silicone tissue expanders were inserted into the groin to induce vascularized capsule pouch formation. Next, buccal mucosa grafts were transplanted to the newly formed capsular tissue supplied by the axial vessel for buccal mucosa-lined flap prefabrication. Then, circumferential urethral defects were created and repaired by buccal mucosa graft (Group 1), capsule flap (Group 2) and prefabricated capsule buccal mucosa composite flap (Group 3). With retrograde urethrography, no rabbits in Group 1 maintained a wide urethral caliber. In Group 2, the discontinued epithelial layer regenerated at 1 month, and the constructed neourethra narrowed even though the lumen surface formed intact urothelial cells at 3 months. In Group 3, buccal mucosa formed the lining in the neourethra and kept a wide urethral caliber for 3 months. The capsule may serve as an induced vascular bed for buccal mucosa-lined flap prefabrication. The prefabricated buccal mucosa-lined flap may serve as a neourethra flap for circumferential urethral replacement.

Due to the complexity of the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), multimodal treatment may achieve better results. In this study, a series of coumarin Mannich base derivatives were designed and synthesized as multifunctional agents for PD treatment. Among the derivatives, 3-(3-(dimethylamino)propanoyl)-7-hydroxy-5-methyl- 2H-chromen-2-one hydrochloride (24) exhibited the most potent and selective hMAO-B inhibitory activity, and anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in the in vitro studies. It significantly attenuated PD-associated behavioural deficits in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse model of PD. Furthermore, preliminary mechanistic studies indicated that 24 could selectively inhibit MAO-B activity, decrease the neuroinflammatory process, and protect tyrosine hydroxylase-immunopositive dopaminergic neurons. These results suggest that 24 is a promising multifunctional agent for effective therapy for PD., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the regulatory mechanism of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-223 in ulcerative colitis (UC) through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway., Materials and Methods: A total of 36 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups, including normal group (n=12), model group (n=12) and inhibitor group (n=12). Rats in the normal group received no treatment. Rats in the model group were used to establish a UC model. Meanwhile, rats in the inhibitor group underwent intraperitoneal injection of inhibitor and establishment of the UC model. Subsequently, specimens were obtained for detection. Immunohistochemistry was applied to measure the expression of mTOR. Western blotting was adopted to determine the relative protein expressions of P85, P110 and phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of miR-223. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was utilized to determine cell apoptosis. Furthermore, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted to measure the content of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and IL-6., Results: Immunohistochemistry showed that the positive expression of mTOR increased remarkably in the model group and inhibitor group when compared with that of the normal group (p<0.05). However, it decreased notably in the inhibitor group when compared with the model group (p<0.05). Western blotting indicated that the protein expressions of P85, P110 and p-Akt in model group and inhibitor group were significantly higher than the ones of the normal group (p<0.05). However, the inhibitor group showed markedly lower relative protein expressions of P85, P110 and p-Akt than the ones of the model group (p<0.05). Compared with the normal group, the expression level of miR-223 was significantly elevated in model group and inhibitor group (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the mRNA expression of miR-233 between the model group and the inhibitor group (p>0.05). The apoptosis rate of the cells increased prominently in the model group and in the inhibitor group when compared with the normal group (p<0.05). However, it was remarkably reduced in the inhibitor group than the model group (p<0.05). In comparison with the normal group, the content of IL-1β and IL-6 was significantly up-regulated in the model group and in the inhibitor group (p<0.05). However, it declined notably in the inhibitor group compared with the model group (p<0.05)., Conclusions: MiR-223 can trigger cell apoptosis and inflammation in UC by up-regulating the PI3K/Akt-mTOR signaling pathway.

Neuroinflammation triggered by activation of glial cells plays an important role in the pathophysiology of several neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD). Besides microglia, astrocytes are also critical in initiating and perpetuating inflammatory process associated with PD. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is originally described as intracellular chaperone, however, recent study revealed that it had anti-inflammatory effects as well. The present study is designed to investigate whether Hsp70 mediates neuroinflammation in astrocytes. By employing α-synuclein (α-Syn) (A53T) aggregates on primary cultured astrocytes of rats, we found that astrocytes were activated and neuroinflammatory response was triggered, as indicated by over-expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), increased production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). The data also showed that the neuroinflammatory response accompanied up-regulated Hsp70 expression. Moreover, over-expression of Hsp70 through transfection of Hsp70 cDNA plasmids could significantly reduce the production of TNF-α, IL-1β, and the expression of GFAP, COX-2 as well as iNOS. While inhibition of Hsp70 by VER155008 exacerbated neuroinflammatory response in astrocytes challenged by α-Syn aggregates. Further mechanistic study indicated that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signalings were responsible for the neuroinflammation, which was also regulated by Hsp70. These findings demonstrated that Hsp70 was an important modulator in astrocytes induced inflammation, and up-regulation of Hsp70 might be a potential regulating approach for neuroinflammation-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as PD., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world. Although the exact causes of AD have not yet been fully elucidated, cholinergic dysfunction, mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation have been recognized as influential factors. Current drugs that are designed to address only a single target are unable to mitigate or prevent the progression of this complicated disease, so new disease-modifying drugs are urgently needed. Chinese herbs with thousand years of effective usage might be a good source for potential drugs. Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis (Fructus Gardenia) is a common traditional Chinese medicine with tranquilizing effects, which is an important component of widely-used traditional Chinese medicine for dementia. GJ-4 is crocin richments extracted from Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis. In our study, we attempted to observe the effects of GJ-4 on learning and memory injury induced by amyloid-[Formula: see text] 25-35 (A[Formula: see text] injection in mice. Treatment with GJ-4 dose-dependently enhanced the memory and cognition ability of A[Formula: see text]-injected mice. Preliminary mechanistic studies revealed the protective effect of GJ-4 was related to its protection of neurons and cholinergic dysfunction. The mechanistic results also indicated that GJ-4 could enhance antioxidant capacity and attenuate neuroinflammation. Our results implied that GJ-4 might be a promising drug to improve cognitive and memory impairment, with multiple targets.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of non-receptor tyrosine kinase Src regulating neuroinflammation through phosphatase and tensin homology protein(PTEN)in microglia. Methods BV2 cells were incubated with PTEN inhibitor bpv(HOpic)for 2 hours,and then added with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)to induce neuroinflammation,Western blot was performed to determine the expression of phosphorylated protein kinase B(Akt)to investigate the activity of PTEN. Enzyme-linked immunosorben assay(ELISA)was used to determine the release of tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α)to assess neuroinflammation.After PTEN inhibitor or Src specific small interfering RNA was added,the change of neuroinflammation was evaluated to study the mechanism of Src regulating neuroinflammation. Results LPS induced significant neuroinflammation in BV2 cells,as indicated by significantly increased expression of p-Akt and release of TNF-α(P<0.001).The PTEN inhibitor signficantly increased Akt phosphorylation(P<0.05)and TNF-α release(P<0.001)in LPS-induced BV2 cells compared to simply LPS-induced cells.The Src small interfering RNA significantly decreased the release of TNF-α(P<0.001)and inhibited PTEN(P<0.001)and Akt(P<0.001)phosphorylation. Conclusion Src kinase may regulate neuroinflammtion response in BV2 cells by regulating the phosphorylation of PTEN.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a critical pro-inflammatory cytokine that contributes to the pathogenesis of various human diseases. FLZ, a squamosamide derivative, has been demonstrated to have neuroprotective effects in Parkinson's disease models and shows strong anti-inflammatory activity, while the precise mechanism remains unclear. Here, we investigated the anti-inflammatory mechanism of FLZ on HMGB1-mediated inflammatory responses. The effects of FLZ on HMGB1 release from microglial cells induced by lipopolysaccharide were first explored by Western blot assay and ELISA. Then, co-immunoprecipition was used to study FLZ's effect on the interaction between HMGB1 and its receptor TLR4. Finally, we employed HMGB1 to simulate pro-inflammatory responses and then studied the inhibitory effects of FLZ on its bioactivity. FLZ has a significant inhibitory effect on HMGB1 release while it exerts no inhibitory effect on the binding between HMGB1 and TLR4. After the recognition of HMGB1 by TLR4, NF-κB signaling pathway is activated. FLZ could efficaciously alleviate HMGB1-induced inflammatory responses via the suppression of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. FLZ could inhibit HMGB1 release as well as HMGB1-induced inflammatory responses, HMGB1 might be one of the FLZ anti-inflammatory targets, and interfering at this inflammatory mediator may have benefit effects on neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease.

Three new lupane-type triterpenoids (1-3), three new oleane-type triterpenoids (4-6), as well as two known compounds (7-8) were isolated from Euonymus carnosus. The structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analyses, including UV, IR, MS, and NMR experiments. The inhibitory on LPS-induced NO production in microglia BV2 cells of compounds 1-8 were also evaluated. Compounds 1 and 2 showed moderate abilities to inhibit NO production, with IC 50 values of 5.99 and 8.47μM, respectively., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Three new coumarin glycosides (1-3), together with three known compounds (4-6), have been obtained from the stems of Hydrangea paniculata Sieb. Their structures were elucidated based on spectroscopic data and chemical evidence. In addition, compounds 1-3 were screened for their neuroprotective effects against serum deprivation-induced PC12 cell damage, hepatoprotective activities against DL-galactosamine-induced toxicity in HL-7702 cells and their ability to inhibit LPS-induced nitric oxide production in the murine microglia BV2 cell line, but they were inactive.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease. The pathology of PD is caused by progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and is characterized by the presence of intracellular inclusions known as Lewy bodies, composed mainly of α-synuclein. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are crucial in protein quality control in cells. HSP70 in particular prevents the aggregation of protein aggregation, such as α-synuclein, providing a degree of protection against PD. The compound FLZ has been shown to protect several PD models in previous studies and was reported as an HSP inducer to protect against MPP + -induced neurotoxicity, but the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of FLZ-mediated HSP70 induction in α-synuclein transgenic mice and cells. FLZ treatment alleviated motor dysfunction and improved dopaminergic neuronal function in α-synuclein transgenic mice. HSP70 protein expression and transcriptional activity were increased by FLZ treatment, eliciting a reduction of α-synuclein aggregation and associated toxicity. The inhibition of HSP70 by quercetin or HSP70 siRNA markedly attenuated the neuroprotective effects of FLZ, confirming that FLZ exerted a neuroprotective effect through HSP70. We revealed that FLZ directly bound to and increased the expression of Hip, a cochaperone of HSP70, which in turn enhanced HSP70 activity. In conclusion, we defined a critical role for HSP70 and its cochaperones activated by FLZ in preventing neurodegeneration and proposed that targeting the HSP70 system may represent a potential therapy for α-synuclein-related diseases, such as PD.

Numerous drug treatments are available for Parkinson's disease (PD), an age-related neurodegenerative disease, but most cause serious side effects. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies that halt disease progression and allow for long-term administration are urgently needed. Neuroinflammation critically contributes to the pathogenesis of PD. Here, we report the discovery and optimization of phloroglucinol derivatives, a novel class of anti-neuroinflammatory compounds. Structural modifications of the hit compound 3-methyl-1-(2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)butan-1-one produced 43 derivatives, including a preclinical candidate (compound 21), that exhibited potent in vitro anti-neuroinflammatory effects, good blood-brain barrier penetration, and desirable safety margins in mice at a median lethal dose (LD 50 ) >5000 mg/kg. Its in vivo efficacy was demonstrated in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)- and MPTP/probenecid (prob)-induced subacute and chronic PD models, respectively, and α-synuclein transgenic mice. Mechanistic studies revealed neuroinflammation inhibition by targeting Src/phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN)/Akt signaling might be promising. We highlighted the potential usefulness of phloroglucinol derivatives in PD treatment.

The aim was to investigate potential targets and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of bicyclol, which has been extensively used in clinic for decades in China. Tar-Fis-Dock, virtual molecular docking system, showed that inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase II (IMPDH II) has the highest probability of binding to bicyclol. To investigate the possible role of IMPDH II in mechanisms of bicyclol, recombinant enzyme models, mice splenic lymphocytes, and human lymphocytes were used. Bicyclol (1-5 μM) significantly inhibited the proliferation of mice splenic lymphocytes stimulated by concanavalin A (conA). However, bicyclol did not show inhibitory effects on proliferation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMC) induced by phytohemagglutinin (PHA). IMPDH II enzyme kinetic model showed that bicyclol only had a slight regulatory effect on IMPDH II enzyme activity. These results revealed that bicyclol may be not a conventional inhibitor of IMPDH II. Further studies showed that bicyclol could promote recruitment of IMPDH II by active toll-like 2 receptor (TLR2) complex. Such effects lead to the reduction of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) expression, increase in I-κB expression, and decrease in cytokine release, including tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β). It may be a new mechanism of bicyclol for its anti-inflammatory effect.

Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are widely cultivated as edible resources and medical materials in China. Characterizing chemical compositions in yam germplasm is crucial to determine their diversity and suitability for food and medicine applications. In this study, a core germplasm containing 25 yam landraces was used to create an effective classification of usage by characterizing their nutritive and medicinal compositions. All studied landraces exhibited high contents of starch from 60.7% to 80.6% dry weight (DW), protein (6.3-12.2% DW), minerals (especially Mg 326.8-544.7 mg/kg DW), and essential amino acids. Allantoin and dioscin varied considerably, with values of 0.62-1.49% DW and 0.032-0.092% DW, respectively. The quality variability of 25 yam landraces was clearly separated in light of UPGMA clustering and principal component analysis (PCA). Using an eigenvalue ≥1 as the cutoff, the first three principal components accounted for most of the total variability (62.33%). Classification was achieved based on the results of the measured parameters and principal component analysis scores. The results are of great help in determining appropriate application strategies for yam germplasm in China., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The synthesis of Cu2O was studied to examine the effects of up-scaling on the size and morphology of the resultant particles. As a result, a successful protocol employing an automated laboratory reactor was developed for large-scale synthesis of phase-pure Cu2O colloids with specific sizes in the submicron to micrometer range (0.2-2.6 μm). The as-synthesized products have been studied by means of powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and photoelectrochemical measurements. A broad range of morphologies, both equilibrium (stellated octahedrons, cubes, cuboctahedrons, truncated octahedrons, truncated cuboctahedrons) and metastable (cage-like hierarchical structures, microspheres with flower-like texture), with uniform sizes have been selectively prepared either by careful tuning of synthesis conditions. Recrystallization of primary aggregates through Ostwald ripening is proposed as the formation mechanism for these Cu2O structures. As a photocathode for photoelectrochemical H2 evolution, Cu2O submicron cubes with exposed {001} facets exhibit a high open-circuit potential of ca. 0.9 V vs. the RHE at pH 1., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We demonstrate the first example of silicon nanowire array photocathodes coupled with hollow spheres of the emerging earth-abundant cobalt phosphide catalysts. Compared to bare silicon nanowire arrays, the hybrid electrodes exhibit significantly improved photoelectrochemical performance toward the solar-driven H2 evolution reaction.

Nickel phosphide is an emerging low-cost, earth-abundant catalyst that can efficiently reduce water to generate hydrogen. However, the synthesis of nickel phosphide catalysts usually involves multiple steps and is laborious. Herein, a convenient and straightforward approach to the synthesis of a three-dimensional (3D) self-supported biphasic Ni5 P4 -Ni2 P nanosheet (NS) array cathode is presented, which is obtained by direct phosphorization of commercially available nickel foam using phosphorus vapor. The synthesized 3D Ni5 P4 -Ni2 P-NS array cathode exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic activity and long-term durability toward the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acidic medium. The fabrication procedure reported here is scalable, showing substantial promise for use in water electrolysis. More importantly, the approach can be readily extended to synthesize other self-supported transition metal phosphide HER cathodes., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Seven new carbazole alkaloids, claulansines L-R (1-7), and six known analogues (8-13) were isolated from the stems of Clausena lansium. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses, including UV, IR, and NMR experiments (HSQC, HMBC, and NOE experiment). Compound 7 showed moderate anti-inflammatory activities. Compounds 3, 5, 6, 8, and 12 exhibited moderate hepatoprotective activities., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor impairments and loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. FLZ (formulated as: N-2-(4-hydroxy-phenyl)-ethyl]-2-(2, 5-dimethoxy-phenyl)-3-(3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenyl)-acrylamide) is a novel synthetic derivative of squamosamide from a Chinese herb and has been proven to protect dopaminergic neurons in subacute PD models. However, whether FLZ has a neuroprotective effect on chronic PD model is still unknown. The present study was designed to verify the neuroprotection of FLZ on chronic PD mouse model induced by MPTP combined with probenecid (MPTP/p). The results showed that treatment of mice with FLZ for 9 weeks significantly improved motor behavior and dopaminergic neuronal function of mice injected with MPTP/p. The beneficial effects of FLZ attributed to the elevation of dopaminergic neuron number, dopamine level, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity, as well as decrease of α-synuclein (α-Syn) expression, α-Syn phosphorylation, nitration, and aggregation. Moreover, FLZ decreased the interaction between α-Syn and TH, which eventually improved dopaminergic neuronal function. Mechanistic study demonstrated that FLZ increased Akt and mTOR phosphorylation, suggesting that FLZ activated Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and this might be involved in the neuroprotection of FLZ. The present results provided more elaborate in vivo evidences to support the neuroprotective effect of FLZ on dopaminergic neurons of chronic PD mouse model and the potential of FLZ to be developed as new drug to treat PD.

Background: Yam (Dioscorea alata L.) is an important tuber crop and purple pigmented elite cultivar has recently become popular because of associated health benefits. Identifying candidate genes responsible for flavonoid biosynthesis pathway (FBP) will facilitate understanding the molecular mechanism of controlling pigment formation in yam tubers. Here, we used Illumina sequencing to characterize the transcriptome of tubers from elite purple-flesh cultivar (DP) and conventional white-flesh cultivar (DW) of yam. In this process, we also designed high quality molecular markers to assist molecular breeding for tuber trait improvement., Results: A total of 125,123 unigenes were identified from the DP and DW cDNA libraries, of which about 49.5% (60,020 unigenes) were annotated by BLASTX analysis using the publicly available protein database. These unigenes were further annotated functionally and subject to biochemical pathway analysis. 511 genes were identified to be more than 2-fold (FDR < 0.05) differentially expressed between the two yam cultivars, of which 288 genes were up-regulated and 223 genes were down-regulated in the DP tubers. Transcriptome analysis detected 61 unigenes encoding multiple well-known enzymes in the FBP. Furthermore, the unigenes encoding chalcone isomerase (CHS), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonoid 3'-monooxygenase (F3'H), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase (LDOX), and flavonol 3-O-glucosyltransferase (UF3GT) were found to be significantly up-regulated in the DP, implying that these genes were potentially associated with tuber color formation in this elite cultivar. The expression of these genes was further confirmed by qRT-PCR. Finally, 11,793 SSRs were successfully identified with these unigenes and 6,082 SSR markers were developed using Primer 3., Conclusions: This study provides the first comprehensive transcriptomic dataset for yam tubers, which will significantly contribute to genomic research of this and other related species. Some key genes associated with purple-flesh trait were successfully identified, thus providing valuable information about molecular process of regulating pigment accumulation in elite yam tubers. In the future, this information might be directly used to genetically manipulate the conventional white-fleshed tuber cultivars to enable them to produce purple flesh. In addition, our SSR marker sets will facilitate identification of QTLs for various tuber traits in yam breeding programs.