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L‐carnitine is a multi‐functional nutrient which plays a leading role in fatty acid metabolism in mammals and other eukaryotes. Its main physiological function is to promote fatty acid β‐oxidation to produce energy, which reduces body fat content and improves body weight without affecting moisture content in whole body and muscle. In recent years, its dietary supplementation in aquaculture nutrition has been studied in different cultured species. It has been proved that L‐carnitine can improve growth and increase lipid utilization rate in some aquatic animals. However, such beneficial effects of dietary L‐carnitine are limited or absent in other species. The reasons for the conflicting results obtained on L‐carnitine functions in aquatic animals need to be elucidated. This review explores comprehensively the different physiological functions of L‐carnitine in various aquatic animals. In the end, research strategies are provided to elucidate the existing conflicts on dietary L‐carnitine application in aquaculture nutrition in order to promote its utilization in aquatic feed industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

l-Carnitine is essential for mitochondrial β-oxidation and has been used as a lipid-lowering feed additive in humans and farmed animals. d-Carnitine is an optical isomer of l-carnitine and dl-carnitine has been widely used in animal feeds. However, the functional differences between l- and d-carnitine are difficult to study because of the endogenous l-carnitine background. In the present study, we developed a low-carnitine Nile tilapia model by treating fish with a carnitine synthesis inhibitor, and used this model to investigate the functional differences between l- and d-carnitine in nutrient metabolism in fish. l- or d-carnitine (0·4 g/kg diet) was fed to the low-carnitine tilapia for 6 weeks. l-Carnitine feeding increased the acyl-carnitine concentration from 3522 to 10 822 ng/g and alleviated the lipid deposition from 15·89 to 11·97 % in the liver of low-carnitine tilapia. However, as compared with l-carnitine group, d-carnitine feeding reduced the acyl-carnitine concentration from 10 822 to 5482 ng/g, and increased lipid deposition from 11·97 to 20·21 % and the mRNA expression of the genes involved in β-oxidation and detoxification in the liver. d-Carnitine feeding also induced hepatic inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis. A metabolomic investigation further showed that d-carnitine feeding increased glycolysis, protein metabolism and activity of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. Thus, l-carnitine can be physiologically utilised in fish, whereas d-carnitine is metabolised as a xenobiotic and induces lipotoxicity. d-Carnitine-fed fish demonstrates increases in peroxisomal β-oxidation, glycolysis and amino acid degradation to maintain energy homeostasis. Therefore, d-carnitine is not recommended for use in farmed animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heyns rearrangement have been famous for carbohydrate chemists for several decades. However, this reaction was underrated as a useful method for synthetic chemists due to preparative shortcomings. Herein we developed an efficient method for the synthesis of pharmaceutically important α-amino ketones from readily available α-hydroxy ketones and secondary amines through a tandem reaction sequence based on Heyns rearrangement. The reaction smoothly proceeded by using catalytic PTSA as catalyst without solvent. Primary and secondary α-hydroxy ketones were readily used and regioselectively afforded the correspondingly α-amino ketones with moderate yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver dysfunction and liver failure are serious complications of sepsis, directly leading to septic progression and death. Now, there is no specific therapeutics available for sepsis-related liver dysfunction. Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin (POG), a chromone richest in the roots of Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk, is usually used to treat headache, rheumatoid arthritis and tetanus. While, the underlying mechanisms of POG against sepsis-induced liver damage and dysfunction are still not clear.Purpose: To study the anti-sepsis effect of POG, and its pharmacological mechanism to protect liver injury by weakening the function of macrophages in septic livers through inhibiting NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway.Method: In vivo experiments, septic mouse model was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and then the mortality was detected, liver inflammatory damages and plasma biomarkers of liver injury were evaluated by histopathological staining and biochemical assays, respectively. In vitro experiments, mouse primary peritoneal macrophages were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and ATP, and then the activated-inflammasomes, macrophage migration and polarization were detected by ASC immunofluorescence staining, transwell and flow cytometry assays, respectively. NLRP3 inflammasome components NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-18 protein expressions were detected using western blot assays, and the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were measured by ELISA assays.Results: POG treatment significantly decreased the mortality, liver inflammatory damages, hepatocyte apoptosis and plasma biomarkers of liver injury in CLP-challenged male WT mice, which were comparable to those in ibuprofen (a putative anti-inflammatory drug)-supplemented septic male WT mice and septic NLRP3 deficient-male mice. POG supplementation significantly suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation in septic liver tissues and cultured macrophages, by significantly reducing NLRP3, cleaved-caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-18 levels, the activated-inflammasome ASC specks, and macrophage infiltration and migration, as well as M1-like polarization, but significantly increasing M2-like polarization. These findings were similar to the pharmacological effects of ibuprofen, NLRP3 deficiency, and a special NLRP3 inhibitor, MCC950.Conclusion: POG protected against sepsis by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated macrophage activation in septic liver and attenuating liver inflammatory injury, indicating that it may be a potential anti-sepsis drug candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: A new synthetic nano-fluorapatite poly-ether-ether-ketone (nFA/PEEK) dental implant in screw type was developed and its biocompatibility and osseointegration ability were evaluated in Beagle dogs. METHODS: Ten sandblasted and 10 non-sandblasted nFA/PEEK implants were placed in 6 adult Beagle dogs and the bilateral mandibular second and third premolar was extracted and the wounds were healed over 3 months. Three dogs were randomly chosen and executed at the end of 8th and 12th week. To evaluated bone to implant contact (BIC) and mineral apposition rate (MAR), tetracycline was intramuscularly given twice at 10th and 3rd day, before sacrifice respectively. The implants and the surrounding bone as a whole were collected and examined by synchrotron radiation tomography. Undecalcified implant and bone specimens were cut and stained by Van Gieson for a static histomorphometric analysis. The data was analyzed using SPSS 18.0 software package. RESULTS: The implants were demonstrated by synchrotron radiation and connected to most of their bone beds at 8th week. Some new bones were developed into threads of screw implants, while complete osseointegration were noted at 12th week. Sandblasted implants were found to be faster matured. BIC and MAR of sandblasted group (63.34%, 1.51 (µm/d) were significantly higher than that of non-sandblasted group (22.97%, 1.34 µm/d) (P<0.05) at 8th week. BIC of sandblasted group (75.49%) was significantly higher than that of non-sandblasted (55.35%) (P<0.05) at 12th week, while MAR was not significantly different between the 2 groups (1.28 µm/d versus 1.27 µm/d). The static parameters showed that bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and trabecular number (Tb.N) of sandblasted group were significantly higher than that of non-sandblasted group, while trabecular spacing (Tb.Sp) was significantly lower (P<0.05); No significant difference was found in trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) between 2 groups (P>0.05). The sandblasting group was more conductive to increase their bone mass. CONCLUSIONS: Sandblasted synthetic polymer's biomaterial nFA/PEEK has excellent biocompatibility and osteogenic properties, which is better osseointegrated to its bone bed. It will be a promising material as dental implants in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soluble polysaccharides from a non-conventional and edible plant purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.), namely PSPO, were prepared by the water extraction and ethanol precipitation methods in this study. The obtained PSPO were selenylated using the Na2SeO3-HNO3 method to successfully prepare two selenylated products, namely SePSPO-1 and SePSPO-2, with different selenylation extents. The assay results confirmed that SePSPO-1 and SePSPO-2 had respective Se contents of 753.8 and 1325.1 mg/kg, while PSPO only contained Se element about 80.6 mg/kg. The results demonstrated that SePSPO-1 and SePSPO-2 had higher immune modulation than PSPO (p < 0.05), when using the two immune cells (murine splenocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages) as two cell models. Specifically, SePSPO-1 and SePSPO-2 were more active than PSPO in the macrophages, resulting in higher cell proliferation, greater macrophage phagocytosis, and higher secretion of the immune-related three cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β. Meanwhile, SePSPO-1 and SePSPO-2 were more potent than PSPO in the concanavalin A- or lipopolysaccharide-stimulated splenocytes in cell proliferation, or more able than PSPO in the splenocytes to promote interferon-γ secretion but suppress IL-4 secretion, or more capable of enhancing the ratio of T-helper (CD4+) cells to T-cytotoxic (CD8+) cells for the T lymphocytes than PSPO. Overall, the higher selenylation extent of the selenylated PSPO mostly caused higher immune modulation in the model cells, while a higher polysaccharide dose consistently led to the greater regulation effect. Thus, it is concluded that the employed chemical selenylation could be used in the chemical modification of purslane or other plant polysaccharides, when aiming to endow the polysaccharides with higher immuno-modulatory effect on the two immune cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Eight new sesquiterpenoids were isolated from the rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala. • Three pairs of enantiomers formed a complete stereoisomer library. • Twelve X-ray crystallographic data confirmed the relative and absolute configurations. • Compounds 4 and 6 exhibited potential anti-neuroinflammatory. The rhizomes of Atractylodes macrocephala have been widely used in both functional foods and herbal medicines for a long history. A phytochemical investigation of its 95% ethanol extract offered twenty-three sesquiterpenoids, including eight new ones named (4 S ,5 S)-atractylmacrene A (1a), atractylmacrenes B–C (2 – 3), 4 R ,5 R ,8 S ,9 S -diepoxylatractylenolide Ⅱ (4), 4-oxo-8 S ,9 S -epoxylatractylenolide Ⅱ (5), and 8 S ,9 S -epoxylatractylenolide Ⅱ (6), among which three pairs of enantiomers (1a/1b , 2a/2b , and 3a/3b) were successfully isolated by the chiral-phase HPLC resolution. Their structures were elucidated using NMR and HRESIMS analyses, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and X-ray diffraction analyses. Neuroprotective activity in LPS induced BV-2 microglia cells were performed, and compounds 4 and 6 showed significant NO inhibition with IC 50 values of 15.8, and 17.8 μΜ, respectively. Mechanism study showed that 4 exerted its protective effect through inhibiting the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6). The findings disclosed the potential of A. macrocephala to be developed as new neuroprotective functional food and medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish are poor users of dietary carbohydrates and often display prolonged hyperglycemia and fat deposition after feeding high digestible carbohydrate diets. Recently, fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) inhibition has been reported to increase glucose oxidation in fish. Therefore, this study tested the assumption that the inhibition of FAO with mildronate (MD, a carnitine synthesis inhibitor) might also increase glucose utilization and alleviate adverse effects induced by high starch diet (HSD) in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Nile tilapia juveniles (6.13 ± 0.11 g) were cultured in nine 200-L tanks (30 fish per tank) and divided into three groups (three tanks per group). The fish were fed twice a day (9:00 and 18:30) at 4% body weight by using a normal starch diet (NSD, 30% corn starch), a HSD (45% corn starch), or a HSD supplemented with MD (25 g/kg of diet, HSD + MD) for eight weeks. These three feeds contained approximately 35.8% protein and 6.4% lipid. The fish each tank were weighed every two weeks, and the feeding amount was adjusted accordingly. After the feeding trial, the fish fed on HSD showed higher hepatosomatic index (HSI), visceral somatic index (VSI), serum triglyceride concentration and whole-body and tissue (liver and muscle) lipid contents than those fed on NSD. The fish fed on HSD also had higher relative area of vacuolation in the liver, hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities in the serum than those fed on NSD. Moreover, the fish fed on HSD increased serum glucose and insulin concentrations, and hepatic lactate, pyruvate and glycogen contents, but reduced whole-body protein content and dietary protein utilization than those fed on NSD, indicating that HSD induced fat deposition, liver damage, glucose intolerance and lowered protein-sparing effect. However, the fish fed on HSD + MD decreased hepatic carnitine content and FAO activity, attenuated the indexes related to fat deposition and liver damage, improved blood glucose clearance and whole-body protein deposition than those fed on HSD, suggesting that the adverse effects caused by HSD were reversed after FAO inhibition. Furthermore, the fish fed on HSD down-regulated the expression of genes associated with glucose uptake, glycolysis, FAO process, and lipolysis compared to those fed on HSD + MD and NSD, yet up-regulated lipogenic and proteolytic genes. These data suggested that inhibition of FAO improved glucose utilization and alleviated the HSD-induced adverse effects in Nile tilapia. This work demonstrates that, modifying mitochondrial FAO activity regulates the ability of fish to adapt to HSD intake through remodeling energy homeostasis. Our study provides new insights into improving carbohydrate utilization in aquatic animals. • Mildronate reduced fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) in high-starch diet (HSD)-fed tilapia. • Reduced FAO accelerated glucose oxidation in HSD-fed tilapia. • Reduced FAO alleviated lipid deposition in HSD-fed tilapia. • Reduced FAO increased protein deposition in HSD-fed tilapia. • Reduced FAO increased adaptation to HSD in tilapia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo establish the structural confirmation methods of three suspected new psychoactive substances （NPSs）, and explore a more general qualitative testing method.MethodsInfrared absorption spectroscopy （IR）, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy （1H-NMR）, 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy （13C-NMR）, 19F-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy （19F-NMR） and other techniques were used to identify the composition and structure of 5 samples containing suspected NPS submitted by public security bureaus.ResultsNPSs were found in the above 5 samples, and 3 were confirmed as NPS included in the newly listed controlled substances on July 1, 2024, namely 2-（methylamino）-2-（2-methylphenyl）cyclohexan-1-one （2-MDCK）, 2-（ethylamino）-2-（2-fluorophenyl）cyclohexan-l-one （2-FXE）, 1-（3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl）-2-（dimethylamino）pentan-1-one （dipentylone）, respectively. The first two substances were phencyclidine NPS, and the third substance was synthetic cathinone NPS.ConclusionThis study systematically summarizes the distinguishing features of the infrared absorption spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry of three NPSs, which can provide a reference for the qualitative identification of unknown substances.

• Long non-coding RNA and mRNA profiles of mouse brains infected with Toxoplasma gondii Pru strain were compared. • A total number of 2,090 annotated lncRNAs along with 3,577 novel lncRNAs were identified. • The majority of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of mouse brains were down-regulated compared to that in the sealed brood cells. • A putative mRNA-lncRNA co-expression network was constructed and identified several hub regulatory RNAs based on the transcriptome data. • DEGs along with some hub LncRNAs were further confirmed by qPCR. Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite which seriously threatens the health of domestic animals and humans. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-protein-coding transcripts greater than 200 nucleotides, which are widely involved in transcriptional and epigenetic regulations. However, little is known about the roles of host lncRNAs in the response to T. gondii infections. In this study, using Illumina sequencing technology, we analyzed the expression profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs in BALB/c mouse brain following infection by T. gondii PRU strain (type II genotype) cysts. The identified differentially expressed (DE) RNAs were subjected to bioinformatics analysis. A total of 2,090 annotated lncRNAs along with 3,577 novel lncRNAs were identified. In the acutely infected mouse brain, a total of 330 mRNAs and 19 lncRNAs were dys-regulated, whereas 136 DE mRNAs and 9 DE lncRNAs were identified in chronically infected mouse brain. GO analysis revealed that these DE mRNAs identified at acute infection stage were involved in immune response, whereas DE mRNAs found at chronic infection stage were mostly enriched in response to protozoan. KEGG analysis showed that DE mRNAs were significantly enriched in disease related pathways. In addition, the putative mRNA-lncRNA co-expression network was constructed, and several hub regulatory RNAs were identified based on the transcriptome data. This study firstly characterized the co-expression profile of mRNAs and lncRNAs in mouse brain infected with T. gondii and provided a framework for further studies of the roles of lncRNAs in host neuropathology during toxoplasmosis progression. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ag-doped NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) composite was successfully constructed by combining noble metal Ag with metal–organic framework NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti), which possesses high efficiency in photocatalytic degradation of RhB. [Display omitted] • NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) was modified with different Ag contents to improve the photocatalytic degradation of RhB in visible-light irradiation. • Ag-doped NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) composites were easily synthesized by UV photo irradiation reduction. • O 2 ¯ plays a major role in the photocatalytic reaction. • The photocatalysis mechanism of Ag-doped NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) composites were verified by free radical capture and electrochemical method. • Ag-doped NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) composites are stable and can be reused at least five times. A series of stable nano-Ag-doped NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) composites (A/M125) were prepared by two facile successive steps: hydrothermal and photo reduction method. The photocatalytic composites were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), BET method and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The results showed that Ag nanoparticles have been evenly distributed on the surface of NH 2 -MIL-125(Ti) (M125), which as a whole displays good visible-light absorption ability. Further photocatalytic degradation for Rhodamine B (RhB) in the visible light indicated that the photocatalytic rate of the optimal A/M125−20 composite is 2.7 times that of pure M125, and the final degradation rate reaches 97.4 % within 120 min. The subsequent free radical capture experiment showed ·O 2 ¯ and h+ acted as the main reactive species. Moreover, the photocatalytic degradation mechanism was also investigated via electrochemical tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]