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Th17 cell, an important subpopulation of helper T cell, plays an important role in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is thought to be a potential target for the treatment of IBD. In our previous study, we demonstrated that α-mangostin could relieve lupus nephritis via inhibiting Th17 cell function. In our preliminary study, we obtained four derivatives by adding chemical modification of α-mangostin which could also inhibit Th17 cell differentiation in vitro. In this study, we constructed a chronic IBD mouse model and demonstrated the therapeutic effects of α-mangostin and its derivatives as therapeutic agents for IBD. In compounds treating groups, intestinal inflammation showed significant improvement in symptoms which included weight loss, high disease activity index, colon length shorten and the change of intestinal flora. We also found that compounds could effectively either suppress the number of Th17 cell or increase the number of Treg cell detected by flow cytometry, thus reducing the Th17/Treg ratio and suppressing the level of intestinal inflammation. Notably, IL17-F levels, rather than IL17-A, were reduced in the colon of mice of compounds treating groups. Thus, α-mangostin and its derivatives ameliorate DSS-induced chronic colitis in mice by regulating Th17/Treg balance to alleviate intestinal inflammation and can modulate the intestinal microbial community. These results suggest that α-mangostin and its derivatives may be the new therapeutic option for chronic colitis. • This study was explored the therapeutic effects of alpha-mangostin and its derivatives in IBD model. • α-mangostin and its derivatives regulate Th17/Treg balance and alleviate intestinal inflammation. • α-mangostin and its derivatives modulate the imbalance of intestinal microbial community. • This study provides a potential new drug for the treatment of IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational design and development of electrocatalysts with low cost, abundant reserves, high efficiency and high stability are of great significance to the development of hydrogen economy. In this work, MOFs-derived Co/V phosphide bifunctional electrocatalysts (Co 2 VP-MOF@NF) are successfully fabricated on the nickel foam (NF) substrate. Due to the rich heterogeneous interface produced by in-situ phosphorization of CoV-MOF@NF and the large number of defects produced by alkali etching, the Co 2 VP-MOF@NF exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity. The overpotential for HER (hydrogen evolution reaction) and OER (oxygen evolution reaction) is 80 mV and 265 mV at 10 mA cm−2, respectively. More importantly, only a decomposition voltage of 1.51 V is needed at 10 mA cm−2, and the electrolyser completed relatively conspicuous durability, maintaining the initial current density through 24 h persistent work. The methods of in situ phosphorization to form heterogeneous interfaces and alkali etching to form defects provide a reasonable strategy for the preparation of highly active electrocatalysts with excellent electrocatalytic performance. [Display omitted] • Co 2 VP-MOFs@NF catalyst is derived from in-situ phosphating of MOFs. • The alkali etching creates defects and thus increases active site of the catalyst. • Co 2 VP-MOFs@NF displays excellent activities toward HER and OER. • Only 1.51V decomposition voltage is needed for overall water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total parenteral nutrition with the formula of amino acids enriched branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) could promote patients' recovery after gastrointestinal surgery. Previous studies reported that vitamin B6 could promote amino acid metabolism and enhance protein synthesis. The aim of this study was to determine if the addition of vitamin B6 to BCAAs-enriched formula can enhance postoperative nutritional status and intestinal function in rats undergoing partial gastrectomy, and the appropriate compatibility concentration of vitamin B6. Fifty-six male rats were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 8 per group): (I) Control, (II) BCAAs-enriched formula group (BCAA), (III) BCAA plus vitamin B6 (50 mg/L), (IV) BCAA plus vitamin B6 (100 mg/L), (V) BCAA plus vitamin B6 (200 mg/L), (VI) BCAA plus vitamin B6 (500 mg/L), and (VII) BCAA plus vitamin B6 (1000 mg/L). All animals were performed partial gastrectomy and placed a jugular vein catheter. During enteral nutrition, blood and urine samples were repeatedly collected. Gastrocnemius muscle and small intestine were also collected at the end of experiment. The addition of vitamin B6 to BCAAs-enriched formula improved negative nitrogen balance after gastrectomy compared to the BCAAs-enriched formula group at POD1 (first postoperative day) and POD3 (third postoperative day), and 100 mg/L was an appropriate concentration of vitamin B6 to enhance the effects of BCAAs-enriched formula. The 3-methylhistidine/creatinine in BCAA plus vitamin B6 groups were significantly lower than that in the BCAA group at POD3. Moreover, BCAA plus vitamin B6 group significantly increased the cross-sectional area of the muscle fibers compared to the BCAA group. Transcriptome sequencing, GO and KEGG enhancement analysis also showed that BCAA plus vitamin B6 group showed muscle organ development and PI3K/AKT pathway enhancement compared to BCAA group. Moreover, AKT/mTOR/4EBP1 pathway was activated in BCAA plus vitamin B6 group. In addition, the results also showed that BCAA plus vitamin B6 decreased D-lactate, and exerted synergistic effects on intestinal morphology. The addition of vitamin B6 to BCAAs-enriched formula could improve nitrogen balance, promote muscle protein synthesis through AKT/mTOR/4EBP1 pathway, and alleviate intestinal mucosa damage after partial gastrectomy in rats. Overall, the results from this pre-clinical study support the use of vitamin B6 as an ingredient to BCAAs-enriched formula, and 100 mg/L may be an optimal concentration for rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]