Due to the wet and dynamic environment of the oral cavity, the healing of intraoral wounds, such as tooth extraction wounds, requires stable and firm wound dressings. In clinical practice, cotton ...balls and gauzes, sponge plugs, or sutures are used to treat extraction wounds, but none of these means can continuously isolate the wound from the intraoral environment and facilitate ideal healing conditions. Herein, inspired by the natural extracellular matrix, a family of wound dressings is developed for intraoral wound repair. Infiltrating a ductile long‐chain hydrogel network into a prefabricated, sturdy macromolecular meshwork and in situ crosslinking endowed the composite hydrogel with controllable swelling behaviors and robust mechanical properties. The macromolecular meshwork functioned as the backbone to support the composite and restricts the swelling of the long‐chain hydrogel network. In vitro tests verified that this wound dressing can provide durable protection for intraoral wounds against complex irritations. Furthermore, accelerated wound healing occurred when the wound dressing is applied in vivo on a canine tooth extraction model, due to the effective reduction of acute inflammation. These results suggest that this family of bioinspired hydrogels has great potential for application as intraoral wound dressing.
An extracellular matrix‐mimicking hydrogel wound dressing is designed as tooth extraction adhesive wound dressing for intraoral application. The hydrogel exhibits excellent anti‐swelling efficiency, along with consistent mechanical and adhesive robustness in aqueous environments. In vitro and in vivo tooth extraction models demonstrate the stability of hydrogels as physical and antibacterial barriers for intraoral wounds, leading to continuous protection and effective healing acceleration.
Acute hormone secretion triggered by G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activation underlies many fundamental physiological processes. GPCR signalling is negatively regulated by β-arrestins, adaptor ...molecules that also activate different intracellular signalling pathways. Here we reveal that TRV120027, a β-arrestin-1-biased agonist of the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R), stimulates acute catecholamine secretion through coupling with the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily C 3 (TRPC3). We show that TRV120027 promotes the recruitment of TRPC3 or phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLCγ) to the AT1R-β-arrestin-1 signalling complex. Replacing the C-terminal region of β-arrestin-1 with its counterpart on β-arrestin-2 or using a specific TAT-P1 peptide to block the interaction between β-arrestin-1 and PLCγ abolishes TRV120027-induced TRPC3 activation. Taken together, our results show that the GPCR-arrestin complex initiates non-desensitized signalling at the plasma membrane by coupling with ion channels. This fast communication pathway might be a common mechanism of several cellular processes.
Isometric handgrip resistance exercise, a nonpharmacological lifestyle modification, has been recommended as a first-line treatment for hypertension. This study aimed to examine the relationship of ...handgrip strength to blood pressure and the risk of hypertension.
The responses and examination of 4597 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed in this study. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were transformed to age- and sex-specific z-scores. Handgrip strength was adjusted by weight (kg) and converted to an age- and sex-specific z-score. The relationships of SBP and DBP to handgrip strength were analyzed by Pearson correlation test and multivariable linear regression. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the association between handgrip strength and prevalence of hypertension.
Handgrip strength was positively related to higher DBP in men and women. In men, logistic regression models revealed that increased handgrip strength was associated with higher risk of hypertension after adjusting for age, BMI, smoking and drinking status; OR was 1.24 (95%CI: 1.04-1.48). After stratifying on BMI, handgrip strength was significantly associated with higher risk of hypertensions after adjusting for age, BMI, smoking and drinking status in overweight and obese men; OR was 1.31 (95%CI: 1.05-1.63). No significant associations were observed in women.
Increased handgrip strength is associated with higher DBP in men and women. In men, especially overweight and obese men, strong handgrip strength may be associated with higher risk of hypertension.
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•The first MOF catalyst was developed for the alcohol dehydrogenation to carboxylates.•The Zn-based MOF catalyst was prepared in a facile and environmental-friendly manner.•The ...catalyst could be reused at least 5 consecutive times without activity decay.•Aldehyde as a key intermediate and Zn-N as the active sites were proposed.
Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) is a representative Zn-based metal–organic framework (MOF) featuring high porosity, good stability, and large surface area. Owing to these fascinating properties, ZIF-8 exhibits promising potential in catalysis. With our continuous interest in catalyst development of alcohol-involving green transformations, we intended to exploit the capability of ZIF-8 in catalyzing the acceptorless dehydrogenation of alcohols to carboxylates. The preparation of ZIF-8 at room temperature possesses advantages such as environmental friendliness and easy operation. Subsequently, various techniques were adopted to characterize the structures, morphology, and chemical states of both fresh and reused catalysts. Notably, the catalyst displayed good reusability since it could be reused at least 5 times without considerable loss of catalytic activity. It was also perceived that KOH was an indispensable component of this catalytic process. More specifically, KOH not only worked as one of the starting materials but also provided the basic environment to promote this catalysis. Furthermore, the aldehyde was confirmed as a key intermediate for this catalytic process. Based on additional experiments and literature reports, we proposed Zn–N as the active sites and presented a plausible catalytic cycle.
Evidence has shown that the individual metrics in Life's Essential 8 (LE8), an updated cardiovascular health (CVH) concept proposed by the American Heart Association, play a role in the development ...of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, epidemiological evidence on the overall LE8 on IBD risk remains limited. We aimed to assess the longitudinal associations of LE8-defined CVH and the risks of IBD and its subtypes, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). We also tested whether genetic susceptibility could modify these associations. A total of 260,836 participants from the UK Biobank were included. LE8 scores were determined by 8 metrics (physical activity, diet, nicotine exposure, sleep, body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, and blood lipids), and were divided into three levels: low CVH (0-49), moderate CVH (50-79), and high CVH (80-100). Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) of the risk of IBD in relation to CVH status. Over a median follow-up 12.3 years, we documented 1,500 IBD cases (including 1,070 UC and 502 CD). Compared to participants with low CVH, the HRs (95% CIs) of those with high CVH for IBD, UC, and CD were 0.67 (0.52, 0.83), 0.70 (0.52, 0.93), and 0.55 (0.38, 0.80), respectively. These associations were not modified by genetic susceptibility (all P for interactions > 0.05). The lowest HR (UC: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.20-0.45; CD: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.20-0.57) was observed in participants with both high CVH and low genetic risk. Better CVH, defined by LE8, was associated with significantly lower risks of IBD, UC, and CD, irrespective of genetic predisposition. Our results underscore the importance of adherence to LE8 guidelines for maintaining CVH as a potential strategy in the prevention of IBD.
This study investigated the mechanism by which fucoxanthin acts as a novel ferroptosis inducer to inhibit tongue cancer. The MTT assay was used to detect the inhibitory effects of fucoxanthin on ...SCC−25 human tongue squamous carcinoma cells. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total iron were measured. Reverse transcription–quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT−qPCR) and Western blotting were used to assess glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), nuclear factor erythroid 2−related factor 2 (Nrf2), Keap1, solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), transferrin receptor protein 1 (TFR1), p53, and heme oxygenase 1 (HO−1) expression. Molecular docking was performed to validate interactions. Compared with the control group, the activity of fucoxanthin−treated SCC−25 cells significantly decreased in a dose− and time−dependent manner. The levels of MMP, GSH, and SOD significantly decreased in fucoxanthin−treated SCC−25 cells; the levels of ROS, MDA, and total iron significantly increased. mRNA and protein expression levels of Keap1, GPX4, Nrf2, and HO−1 in fucoxanthin−treated cells were significantly decreased, whereas levels of TFR1 and p53 were significantly increased, in a concentration−dependent manner. Molecular docking analysis revealed that binding free energies of fucoxanthin with p53, SLC7A11, GPX4, Nrf2, Keap1, HO−1, and TFR1 were below −5 kcal/mol, primarily based on active site hydrogen bonding. Our findings suggest that fucoxanthin can induce ferroptosis in SCC−25 cells, highlighting its potential as a treatment for tongue cancer.
Owing to the widespread use of chemical pesticides to control agricultural pests, pesticide tolerance has become a serious problem. In recent years, it has been found that symbiotic bacteria are ...related to pesticides tolerance. To investigate the potential role of microorganisms in the pesticide tolerance of Chilo suppressalis, this study was conducted. The insect was fed with tetracycline and cefixime as the treatment group (TET and CFM, respectively), and did not add antibiotics in the control groups (CK). The 16S rDNA sequencing results showed that antibiotics reduced the diversity of C. suppressalis symbiotic microorganisms but did not affect their growth and development. In bioassays of the three C. suppressalis groups (TET, CFM, and CK), a 72 h LC.sub.50 fitting curve was calculated to determine whether long-term antibiotic feeding leads to a decrease in pesticide resistance. The CK group of C. suppressalis was used to determine the direct effect of antibiotics on pesticide tolerance using a mixture of antibiotics and pesticides. Indirect evidence suggests that antibiotics themselves did not affect the pesticide tolerance of C. suppressalis. The results confirmed that feeding C. suppressalis cefixime led to a decrease in the expression of potential tolerance genes to chlorantraniliprole. This study reveals the impact of antibiotic induced changes in symbiotic microorganisms on the pesticide tolerance of C. suppressalis, laying the foundation for studying the interaction between C. suppressalis and microorganisms, and also providing new ideas for the prevention and control of C. suppressalis and the creation of new pesticides.
•Nanostructured bimetallic species embedded in hierarchical N-doped carbon (Zn/Co@NCs) were designed and fabricated.•The first heterogeneous catalyst enabled the alcohol dehydrogenation to carboxylic ...acids under solvent-free conditions.•Dispersed Co species, hierarchical porosity, abundant carbon nanotubes, and characteristic defects enhanced the catalytic performance.•In-depth studies were carried out to gain mechanistic insights and explore the active catalytic sites.
The catalytic alcohol dehydrogenation to carboxylic acids has been demonstrated as an atom-economic and environmental-friendly synthetic method. However, the reported catalysts either require relatively complicated synthesis or exhibit high activity only in the presence of a solvent. Therefore, it is still in high demand to obtain catalysts that feature facile synthesis and perform well even without any solvent. Herein, a series of nanostructured bimetallic Zn/Co species embedded in N-doped hierarchical porous carbon were fabricated in a facile and green manner. More significantly, the best-performing material (Zn/Co@NC-800) was identified as the first heterogeneous catalyst to enable this transformation under solvent-free conditions. Moreover, the as-prepared composites were comprehensively investigated to determine their structural and morphological properties, which rationalized the superiority of Zn/Co@NC-800 over the other synthesized materials. Further studies signified that Co sites (both Co0 and Co2+) and N species (mainly pyridinic N) were probably involved in this process, functioning as the Lewis acid site and basic site, respectively. Hopefully, this study could provide a simple and sustainable method for carboxylic acid synthesis.
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Soil salinity negatively affects crop development. Halotolerant nitrogen-fixing bacteria (HNFB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are essential microorganisms that enhance crop nutrient ...availability and salt tolerance in saline soils. Studying the impact of HNFB on AMF communities and using HNFB in biofertilizers can help in selecting the optimal HNFB-AMF combinations to improve crop productivity in saline soils.
We established three experimental groups comprising apple plants treated with low-nitrogen (0 mg N/kg, N0), normal-nitrogen (200 mg N/kg, N1), and high-nitrogen (300 mg N/kg, N2) fertilizer under salt stress without bacteria (CK, with the addition of 1,500 mL sterile water +2 g sterile diatomite), or with bacteria BIO, with the addition of 1,500 mL sterile water +2 g mixed bacterial preparation (including
HG-15 and
JC-K3).
HNFB inoculation significantly increased microbial biomass and the relative abundance of beta-glucosidase-related genes in the rhizosphere soil under identical nitrogen application levels (
< 0.05). High-nitrogen treatment significantly reduced AMF diversity and the relative abundance of beta-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, and urea-related genes. A two-way analysis of variance showed that combined nitrogen application and HNFB treatment could significantly affect soil physicochemical properties and rhizosphere AMF abundance (
< 0.05). Specifically, HNFB application resulted in a significantly higher relative abundance of
compared to that in the CK group at equal nitrogen levels.
The impact of HNFB on the AMF community in apple rhizospheres is influenced by soil nitrogen levels. The study reveals how varying nitrogen levels mediate the relationship between exogenous HNFB, soil properties, and rhizosphere microbes.
We previously constructed a three-dimensional gelatin sponge (3D-GS) scaffold as a delivery vehicle for therapeutic cells and trophic factors in the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI), and this ...study aimed to assess the biosafety and efficacy of the scaffold in a non-human primate SCI model. However, because it has only been tested in rodent and canine models, the biosafety and efficacy of the scaffold should ideally be assessed in a non-human primate SCI model before its use in the clinic. No adverse reactions were observed over 8 weeks following 3D-GS scaffold implantation into in a Macaca fascicularis with hemisected SCI. Scaffold implantation also did not add to neuroinflammatory or astroglial responses already present at the injured site, suggesting good biocompatibility. Notably, there was a significant reduction in α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA)-positive cells at the injury/implantation interface, leading to alleviation of fibrotic compression of the residual spinal cord tissue. The regenerating tissue in the scaffold showed numerous cells migrating into the implant secreting abundant extracellular matrix, resulting in a pro-regenerative microenvironment. Consequently, nerve fiber regeneration, myelination, vascularization, neurogenesis, and electrophysiological improvements were achieved. These results indicated that the 3D-GS scaffold had good histocompatibility and effectiveness in the structural repair of injured spinal cord tissue in a non-human primate and is suitable for use in the treatment of patients with SCI.
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