Recent research demonstrates that the choline-derived metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) levels are strongly associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risks. The NLRP3 inflammasome ...responds to exogenous and endogenous danger signals involved in the development of atherosclerosis. Moreover, thioredoxin-interactive protein (TXNIP) activation is a key event linked to NLRP3 inflammasome via reactive oxygen species (ROS). Whether TMAO prime NLRP3 inflammasome via ROS-TXNIP pathway remains unclear. This study observed the expression of TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome stimulated by TMAO in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), aiming to elucidate the mechanism by which the TMAO may contribute to inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Our data showed that TMAO significantly triggered oxidative stress and activated TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome whereat inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 were released in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and production of nitric oxide (NO) were inhibited. Moreover, TMAO-mediated effects were observably reversed by ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) treatment or siRNA-mediated knockdown TXPIN and NLRP3. Taken together, our results firstly reveal that TMAO induces inflammation and endothelial dysfunction via activating ROS-TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome, suggest a likely mechanism for TMAO-dependent enhancement in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risks.
•TMAO triggered ROS and activate TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome.•eNOS/NO were obviously inhibited by TMAO.•TMAO-mediated abnormities were abrogated by siRNA-TXNIP or NLRP3, especially followed by NAC.
The clay mineral/g-C3N4 composites were prepared through a simple one-pot synthesis with acid-treated clay minerals and melamine as precursors. Three typical clay minerals, e.g., kaolinite, ...sepiolite, and talc, were adopted as photocatalyst carriers. Notably, the acid-treated clay minerals coupled with g-C3N4 in three different ways. The kaolinite/g-C3N4 composite, in particular, proceeded with an intercalation reaction due to the in situ growth of g-C3N4 within the layers of acid-treated kaolinite, leading to the expansion of kaolinite layers and a prominently large specific surface area of 61.9 m2 g−1. The resultant composites were used in photocatalytic H2 generation by water splitting and CO2 reduction, exhibiting superior photocatalytic performance to the g-C3N4. Among the obtained composites, the optimized kaolinite/g-C3N4 showed the best photocatalytic activities, e.g. 3.03 μmol g−1 h−1 of CO evolution and 385 μmol g−1 h−1 of H2 evolution, compared with merely 0.91 μmol g−1 h−1 of CO evolution and 96.4 μmol g−1 h−1 of H2 evolution for bare g-C3N4. The superior performance of kaolinite/g-C3N4 can be ascribed to the large specific surface area and better distribution of g-C3N4, which can enhance the light absorption, increase the number of active sites and favor the charge separation.
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•The g-C3N4 was in situ grown on three types of acid-treated clay minerals.•The clay minerals coupled with the g-C3N4 in three distinctive manners.•The composites all exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than the g-C3N4.•The kaolinite/g-C3N4 composite showed the best photocatalytic performance.
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are a range of neurological disorders featured by neuronal degeneration and apoptosis. Cellular Calcium (Ca2+) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) dyshomeostasis are ...the earliest and important events in the development of NDDs and may yield promising therapeutic targets for NDDs. Paeoniflorin, a water-soluble monoterpene glucoside, is the major bioactive monomer extracted from the root of Paeonia lactiflora pall. Increasing evidence has suggested that this natural compound might be used to treat various NDDs, and its potential molecular mechanisms are related to the modulation of Ca2+/ROS homeostasis in cells. In addition, paeoniflorin accounts for more than 40% of the total glucosides of herbaceous peonies with abundant herbaceous sources. Furthermore, it has also been validated as a safe extraction in clinical pharmacological research with a wide therapeutic window. Hence, it is rational to anticipate paeoniflorin being a promising candidate for the treatment of NDDs via regulating Ca2+/ROS dyshomeostasis.
The probiotics market is one of the fastest growing segments of the food industry as there is growing scientific evidence of the positive health effects of probiotics on consumers. Currently, there ...are various forms of probiotic products and they can be categorized according to dosage form and the site of action. To increase the effectiveness of probiotic preparations, they need to be specifically designed so they can target different sites, such as the oral, upper respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts. Here we review the characteristics of different dosage forms of probiotics and discuss methods to improve their bioavailability in detail, in the hope that this article will provide a reference for the development of probiotic products.
Adding nanoparticles can significantly improve the tribological properties of lubricants. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the influence of nanoparticle shape on lubrication ...performance. In this work, the influence of diamond nanoparticles (DNPs) on the tribological properties of lubricants is investigated through friction experiments. Additionally, the friction characteristics of lubricants regarding ellipsoidal particle shape are investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results show that DNPs can drastically lower the lubricant's friction coefficient
μ
from 0.21 to 0.117. The shearing process reveals that as the aspect ratio (
α
) of the nanoparticles approaches 1.0, the friction performance improves, and wear on the wall diminishes. At the same time, the shape of the nanoparticles tends to be spherical. When 0.85 ≤
α
≤ 1.0, rolling is ellipsoidal particles' main form of motion, and the friction force changes according to a periodic sinusoidal law. In the range of 0.80 ≤
α
< 0.85, ellipsoidal particles primarily exhibit sliding as the dominant movement mode. As
α
decreases within this range, the friction force progressively increases. The friction coefficient
μ
calculated through MD simulation is 0.128, which is consistent with the experimental data.
•Ultra-fast synchrotron X-ray imaging identified the key underlying physics of AM process.•Identified the mechanisms controlling pool shape during multi-layer, keyhole mode LPBF-AM.•Understood how ...these mechanisms evolve during multi-layer builds, and the impact on porosity.•Revealed the correlation between keyhole melt pool dynamics and spatter formation.•Identified that keyhole collapse causes spatter.
The keyhole mode in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing can be associated with excessive porosity and spatter, however, the underlying physics in multilayer build conditions remain unclear. Here, we used ultra-fast synchrotron X-ray imaging to reveal this phenomena. We in investigated melt pool dynamics, keyhole porosity and spatter formation mechanisms and their impact in all layers of the build. We observed that the transient melt pool dynamics associated with the keyhole include: (I) keyhole initiation, (II) keyhole development, and (III) melt pool recovery. Porosity and spatter were associated with stages (II) and (III). We also discovered that droplet spatter can form due to the collapse of the keyhole recoil zone, causing molten particle agglomeration and ejection during stage (III). Our results clarify the transient dynamics behind the keyhole mode in a multi-layer LBPF process and can be used to guide the reduction in porosity and spatter in additive manufacturing.
Dachaihu Decoction (DCD) is a traditional herbal formula widely used for treating acute pancreatitis (AP) in China. However, the efficacy and safety of DCD has never been validated, limiting its ...application. This study will assess the efficacy and safety of DCD for AP treatment.
Relevant randomized controlled trials of DCD in treating AP will be searched through Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and Chinese Biological Medicine Literature Service System database. Only studies published between the inception of the databases and May 31, 2023 shall be considered. Searches will also be performed in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, and ClinicalTrials.gov. Preprint databases and grey literature sources such as OpenGrey, British Library Inside, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, and BIOSIS preview will also be searched for relevant resources. The primary outcomes to be assessed will include mortality rate, rate of surgical intervention, proportion of patients with severe acute pancreatitis transferred to ICU, gastrointestinal symptoms, and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score. Secondary outcomes will include systemic complications, local complications, the normalization period of C-reactive protein, length of stay in the hospital, TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 levels, and adverse events. Study selection, data extraction, and assessment of bias risk will be conducted independently by two reviewers using the Endnote X9 and Microsoft Office Excel 2016 software. The risk of bias of included studies will be assessed by the Cochrane "risk of bias" tool. Data analysis will be performed using the RevMan software (V.5.3). Subgroup and sensitivity analysis will be performed where necessary.
This study will provide high-quality current evidence of DCD for treating AP.
This systematic review will provide evidence of whether DCD is an effective and safe therapy for treating AP.
PROSPERO registration number CRD42021245735. The protocol for this study was registered at PROSPERO, and is available in the S1 Appendix. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021245735.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•A novel biocompatible space holder for manufacturing porous scaffold is proposed.•The scaffolds are produced with highly spherical pore shapes from space holder.•The pores manufactured are with ...well-controlled sizes and high interconnectivity.•The manufacturing route has the potential for hard tissue engineering applications.•Micro-CT is used to evaluate the porous titanium scaffolds.
A new and highly biocompatible space holder material is proposed for manufacturing of porous titanium with open and interconnected pore morphologies through powder metallurgy techniques. Sugar pellets are compacted with titanium powder and then removed by dissolution in water before sintering. The morphology, pore structure and porosity were observed by optical microscopy, SEM and micro-CT. The porous titanium has highly spherical pore shapes, well-controlled pore sizes and high interconnectivity. The results suggest that porous titanium scaffolds generated using this manufacturing route have the potential for hard tissue engineering applications.
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