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Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) is an α/β hydrolase fold protein and widely distributed in numerous organs including the liver, kidney, and brain. The inhibition of sEH can effectively maintain endogenous epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) levels and reduce dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs) levels, resulting in therapeutic potentials for cardiovascular, central nervous system, and metabolic diseases. Therefore, since the beginning of this century, the development of sEH inhibitors is a hot research topic. A variety of potent sEH inhibitors have been developed by chemical synthesis or isolated from natural sources. In this review, we mainly summarized the interconnected aspects of sEH with cardiovascular, central nervous system, and metabolic diseases, and then focus on representative inhibitors, which would provide some useful guidance for the future development of potential sEH inhibitors.

Scutellarin is the major and active constituent of Dengzhan Xixin Injection (DZXX), a traditional Chinese medicine prepared from the aqueous extract of Erigeron breviscapus and widely used for the treatment of various cerebrovascular diseases in clinic. In present study, the possible pharmacokinetic differences of scutellarin after intravenous administration of scutellarin alone or DZXX were explored. Additional, the potential roles of β-glucuronidase (GLU) and OATP2B1 in drug-drug interaction (DDI) between scutellarin and constituents of DZXX were further evaluated in vitro. The plasma concentration, urinary and biliary excretion of scutellarin in rats after administration of DZXX, were significantly higher than those received scutellarin, while pharmacokinetic profile of Apigenin 7-O-glucuronide (AG) in rats was similar no matter AG or DZXX group. Furthermore, higher concentration in brain and plasma, however, lower level of scutellarin in intestine were observed after intravenous administration of DZXX. Finally, AG and caffeoylquinic acid esters were found to significantly inhibit GLU and OATP2B1 in vitro, which might explain, at least in part, the pharmacokinetic DDI between scutellarin and other chemical constituents in DZXX. The findings provided deep insight into the prescription-formulating principle in DZXX for treating the cerebrovascular diseases.

Nine new monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, uncarialins A-I (1-9), were isolated from Uncaria rhynchophylla as well as 14 known analogues (10-23). Their structures were determined by HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR, and experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism data. Compounds 5, 7, 15, and 22 displayed significant agonistic effects against the 5-HT1A receptor with EC50 values of 2.2 ± 0.1, 0.1 ± 0.1, 1.6 ± 0.3, and 2.0 ± 0.5 μM, respectively. The mechanisms of action of these four compounds with the 5-HT1A receptor were investigated by molecular docking, and the results suggested that amino acid residues Asp116, Thr196, Asn386, and Tyr390 played critical roles in the observed activity of the above-mentioned compounds.

Mono-dispersed and uniform SrMoO4:0.1Eu nanoparticles have been synthesized using a thermal decomposition technique. The prepared SrMoO4:0.1Eu nanoparticles have narrower size distribution than the particles synthesized previously using other preparation techniques. In order to improve the photocatalytic performance of SrMoO4-based materials, the SrMoO4:0.1Eu nanoparticles were also diluted in an amorphous SiO2 matrix with different concentrations of SrMoO4:0.1Eu nanoparticles. Although crystalline SiO2 is an insulator and has no photocatalytic activity due to its intrinsic properties, the results suggested that the current SrMoO4:0.1Eu nanoparticles diluted in amorphous SiO2 exhibited enhanced photocatalytic performance in the degradation process of methyl blue. Large absorption in the visible and ultraviolet light was observed by the UV–vis absorbance spectra. The smallest energy gap in these samples was found to be 2.0 eV. In particular, the photodegradation efficiency of methyl blue over SrMoO4-based samples was up to about 88% in 60 min when the quantitative ratio of SrMoO4:0.1Eu and SiO2 was fixed to be 1:2, respectively. By synthesizing the undiluted and SiO2 diluted SrMoO4:0.1Eu samples, this work provides an effective technique to improve the photocatalytic activity of SrMoO4-based materials, especially SrMoO4:0.1Eu nanoparticles.

Depression is a pervasive or persistent mental disorder that causes mood, cognitive and memory deficits. Uncaria rhynchophylla has been widely used to treat central nervous system diseases for a long history, although its efficacy and potential mechanism are still uncertain.The present study aimed to investigate anti-depression effect and potential mechanism of U. rhynchophylla extract (URE).A mouse depression model was established using unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). Effects of URE on depression-like behaviours, neurotransmitters, and neuroendocrine hormones were investigated in UCMS-induced mice. The potential target of URE was analyzed by transcriptomics and bioinformatics methods and validated by RT-PCR and Western blot. The agonistic effect on 5-HTURE ameliorated depression-like behaviours, and modulated levels of neurotransmitters and neuroendocrine hormones, including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA), dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), corticosterone (CORT), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), in UCMS-induced mice. Transcriptomics and bioinformatics results indicated that URE could regulate glutamatergic, cholinergic, serotonergic, and GABAergic systems, especially neuroactive ligand-receptor and cAMP signaling pathways, revealing that Htr1a encoding 5-HTU. rhynchophylla ameliorated depression-like behaviours in UCMS-induced mice through activating 5-HT

Objective Alzheimer's disease (AD) is along with cognitive decline due to amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, tau hyperphosphorylation, and neuron loss. Shenqi Xingnao Granules (SQXN), a traditional Chinese medicine, significantly ameliorated the cognitive function and daily living abilities of patients with AD. However, till date, no study has investigated the mechanism of action of SQXN on AD. The present study aimed to verify the effects of SQXN treatment on cognitive impairments and AD-like pathologies in APP/PS1 mice. Methods Four-month-old APP/PS1 transgenic (Tg) mice were randomly divided into a model group and SQXN-treated (3.5, 7, 14 g/kg per day) groups. Learning-memory abilities were determined by Morris water maze and object recognition test. All mice were sacrificed and the brain samples were collected after 75 d. The soluble Aβ contents were detected by Elisa kit; The levels of expression of NeuN, APP, phosphorylated tau and related protein were measured by Western blotting; The inflammation factors were detected by the proinflammatory panel kit. Results Four-month-old APP/PS1 mice were administered SQXN by oral gavage for 2.5 months. Using the Morris water maze tests and Novel object recognition, we found that SQXN restored behavioral deficits in the experimental group of Tg mice when compared with the controls. SQXN also inhibited neuronal loss (NeuN marker). SQXN treatment decreased soluble Aβ42 through inhibiting the expression of sAPPβ and BACE-1 without regulating full-length amyloid precursor protein (FL APP). Insulin degrading enzyme (IDE), the Aβ degrading enzyme, were increased by SQXN. In addition, SQXN reduced hyperphosphorylated tau protein levels and prevented excessive activation of p-GSK-3β in the brain of APP/PS1 mice. Compared with APP/PS1 transgenic negative mice, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-12p70, KC/GRO and TNF-α were not obviously changed in the brain of 6.5-month-old APP/PS1 transgenic (Tg) mice. However, SQXN could inhibited the expression of IL-2. Conclusion These results demonstrate that SQXN ameliorates the cognitive impairments in APP/PS1 mice. The possible mechanisms involve its inhibition of neuronal loss, soluble Aβ deposition, tau hyperphosphorylation and inflammation.

Nine new monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, uncarialins A-I (

Background Brain amyloid deposition is one of the main pathological characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Soluble oligomers formed during the process that causes β-amyloid (Aβ) to aggregate into plaques are considered to have major neurotoxicity. Currently, drug development for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease has encountered serious difficulties. Our newly proposed solution is to accelerate the aggregation of Aβ to reduce the amount of cytotoxic Aβ oligomers in brain tissue. This strategy differs from the existing strategy of reducing the total Aβ content and the number of amyloid plaques. Method In this study, we screened a small library and found that a flavonoid compound (ZGM1) promoted the aggregation of β-amyloid (Aβ). We further verified the binding of ZGM1 to Aβ42 using a microscale thermophoresis (MST) assay. Subsequently, we used dot blotting (DB), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thioflavin T fluorescence (ThT) measurements to study the aggregation of Aβ under the influence of ZGM1. By using cell experiments, we determined whether ZGM1 can inhibit the cytotoxicity of Aβ. Finally, we studied the protective effects of ZGM1 on cognitive function in APPswe/PS1 mice via behavioral experiments and measured the number of plaques in the mouse brain by thioflavin staining. Results ZGM1 can bind with Aβ directly and mediate a new Aβ assembly process to form reticular aggregates and reduce the amount of Aβ oligomers. Animal experiments showed that ZGM1 can significantly improve cognitive dysfunction and that Aβ plaque deposition in the brain tissue of mice in the drug-administered group was significantly increased. Conclusion Our research suggests that promoting Aβ aggregation is a promising treatment method for AD and deserves further investigation.

Machine learning is currently the most active interdisciplinary field having numerous applications; additionally, machine-learning techniques are used to research quantum many-body problems. In this study, we first propose neural network quantum states (NNQSs) with general input observables and explore a few related properties, such as the tensor product and local unitary op- eration. Second, we determine the necessary and sufficient conditions for the representability of a general graph state using normalized NNQS. Finally, to quantify the approximation degree of a given pure state, we define the best approximation degree using normalized NNQSs. Furthermore, we observe that some N-qubit states can be represented by a normalized NNQS, such as separable pure states, Bell states and GHZ states.

Background Depression is a pervasive or persistent mental disorder that causes mood, cognitive and memory deficits. Uncaria rhynchophylla has been widely used to treat central nervous system diseases for a long history, although its efficacy and potential mechanism are still uncertain. Purpose The present study aimed to investigate anti-depression effect and potential mechanism of U. rhynchophylla extract (URE). Study design and methods A mouse depression model was established using unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). Effects of URE on depression-like behaviours, neurotransmitters, and neuroendocrine hormones were investigated in UCMS-induced mice. The potential target of URE was analyzed by transcriptomics and bioinformatics methods and validated by RT-PCR and Western blot. The agonistic effect on 5-HT1A receptor was assayed by dual-luciferase reporter system. Results URE ameliorated depression-like behaviours, and modulated levels of neurotransmitters and neuroendocrine hormones, including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA), dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), homovanillic acid (HVA), corticosterone (CORT), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), in UCMS-induced mice. Transcriptomics and bioinformatics results indicated that URE could regulate glutamatergic, cholinergic, serotonergic, and GABAergic systems, especially neuroactive ligand-receptor and cAMP signaling pathways, revealing that Htr1a encoding 5-HT1A receptor was a potential target of URE. The expression levels of downstream proteins of 5-HT1A signaling pathway 5-HT1A, CREB, BDNF, and PKA were increased in UCMS-induced mice after URE administration, and URE also displayed an agonistic effect against 5-HT1A receptor with an EC50 value of 17.42 μg/ml. Conclusion U. rhynchophylla ameliorated depression-like behaviours in UCMS-induced mice through activating 5-HT1A receptor.

A far-red fluorescent probe has been developed for sensing fungal laccase. The probe was used to determine that Rhizopus oryzae had a high level endogenous laccase amongst 24 fungal strains. The Rhizopus oryzae was then used as a biocatalyst for the preparation of dicoumarin resulting in significant inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Two-dimensional 1H,15 N correlation spectrum obtained for ZGM1. (HSQC, 1H NMR at 500 Hz, 13C NMR at 125 Hz in CDCl3). Figure S2. ZGM1 concentration in mouse tissue over time after administration. (a) ZGM1 concentration in blood plasma or brain homogenate after administration at a dose of 250 mg/kg. (b) ZGM1 concentration in brain homogenate after administration at a dose of 40 mg/kg, 120 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg. Figure S3. Western blotting analyses of learning- and memory-related proteins in mouse brains. Table S1. NMR data of the ZGM series. Table S2. Escape latency and significance (p value) of the hidden platform test in the Morris water maze.

Dicaffeoylquinic acids (DCQAs) are widely distributed in daily food and herb medicine (such as Dengzhanxiyin injection) with multiple health benefits and pharmacological activities. However, drug-drug Interactions (DDIs) between DCQAs and possible concomitant drugs were not fully understood in clinic. The purpose of present study was to investigate the role of organic anion transporters (OATs) in the transport of DCQAs and to explore the potential clinical DDIs using in vitro transporter assays. Uptake study using hOAT1/hOAT3-transfected HEK293 cells revealed that none of DCQAs was OAT1 substrate, while 3,4-DCQA, 3,5-DCQA, and 4,5-DCQA were substrates of OAT3 with Km values of 119.7 ± 28.8, 269.3 ± 129.5 and 53.2 ± 32.1 μM, respectively. The docking analysis revealed that 3,4-DCQA, 3,5-DCQA, and 4,5-DCQA were effectively embedded in the active site of OAT3 and fitted well with the cavity in three-dimensional space. Moreover, the classical substrates/inhibitors of OAT decreased the accumulation of 3,4-DCQA, 3,5-DCQA, and 4,5-DCQA in kidney slices, suggesting potential DDI risks with co-administration of substrate drugs of OAT. In fact, antivirals, antibiotics, neuroprotective agents, and PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) all showed varying degrees of inhibition of OAT3-mediated uptake of 3,4-DCQA, 3,5-DCQA, and 4,5-DCQA in vitro. For cefaclor, ceftizoxime, pantoprazole, and zidovudine, in particular, their IC50 values were

To generate long-distance shared quantum correlations (QCs) for information processing in future quantum networks, recently we proposed the concept of QC repeater and its kernel technique named QC swapping. Besides, we extensively studied the QC swapping between two simple QC resources (i.e., a pair of Werner states) with four different methods to quantify QCs (Xie et al. in Quantum Inf Process 14:653---679, 2015). In this paper, we continue to treat the same issue by employing other three different methods associated with relative entropies, i.e., the MPSVW method (Modi et al. in Phys Rev Lett 104:080501, 2010), the Zhang method (arXiv:1011.4333 [quant-ph]) and the RS method (Rulli and Sarandy in Phys Rev A 84:042109, 2011). We first derive analytic expressions of all QCs which occur during the swapping process and then reveal their properties about monotonicity and threshold. Importantly, we find that a long-distance shared QC can be generated from two short-distance ones via QC swapping indeed. In addition, we simply compare our present results with our previous ones.

Quantum correlations in a family of states comprising any mixture of a pair of arbitrary bi-qubit product pure states are studied by employing geometric discord [Phys. Rev. Lett. 105 (2010) 190502] as the quantifier. First, the inherent symmetry in the family of states about local unitary transformations is revealed. Then, the analytic expression of geometric discords in the states is worked out. Some concrete discussions and analyses on the captured geometric discords are made so that their distinct features are exposed. It is found that, the more averagely the two bi-qubit product states are mixed, the bigger geometric discord the mixed state owns. Moreover, the monotonic relationships of geometric discord with different parameters are revealed.