Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has attracted increasing interest throughout the world because of its potential complementary therapy and an abundant source for new drug discovery. TCM possesses ...the significant bioactivity of the use of multi-component drugs and can act multiple targets by multiple components. Metabolomics is a holistic investigation of numerous metabolite responses of complex biology systems to pathological stimuli and drug treatments based on the global metabolic profiles in complex biological matrixes. It provides variation of systematic metabolic networks for characterizing pathological states in animal models and clinical studies. In agreement with the holistic thinking of TCM, metabolomics has shown potential in bioactivity evaluation and action mechanism of TCM as well as pharmaceutical research and development. Recently, different metabolomic technologies have been applied to the modernization of TCM and treatments of different diseases such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease and metabolic disease. Based on the reported literature, this paper introduced the application of metabolomics in efficacy evaluation of TCM and its biochemical action mechanism.
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•Traditional Chinese medicine was widely used for disease prevention and treatment.•Metabolomics has been applied to bioactivity study of traditional Chinese medicine.•Metabolomics in bioactive evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine are discussed.•Metabolomics highlights therapeutic mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine.
Salt stress can significantly affect plant growth and agricultural productivity. Receptor-like kinases (RLKs) are believed to play essential roles in plant growth, development, and responses to ...abiotic stresses. Here, we identify a receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase, salt tolerance receptor-like cytoplasmic kinase 1 (STRK1), from rice (Oryza sativa) that positively regulates salt and oxidative stress tolerance. Our results show that STRK1 anchors and interacts with CatC at the plasma membrane via palmitoylation. CatC is phosphorylated mainly at Tyr-210 and is activated by STRK1. The phosphorylation mimic form CatCY210D exhibits higher catalase activity both in vitro and in planta, and salt stress enhances STRK1-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation on CatC. Compared with wild-type plants, STRK1-overexpressing plants exhibited higher catalase activity and lower accumulation of H2O2 as well as higher tolerance to salt and oxidative stress. Our findings demonstrate that STRK1 improves salt and oxidative tolerance by phosphorylating and activating CatC and thereby regulating H2O2 homeostasis. Moreover, overexpression of STRK1 in rice not only improved growth at the seedling stage but also markedly limited the grain yield loss under salt stress conditions. Together, these results offer an opportunity to improve rice grain yield under salt stress.
Blockchain-driven supply chain finance (SCF) has become an emerging supply chain financing mode. Compared with the traditional SCF mode, blockchain-driven SCF can shorten the transaction process and ...provide real trade data that cannot be tampered with, thereby improving the efficiency of capital operation. This article explores the financing and coordination problems of a blockchain-driven supply chain. Based on the three most common supply chain contracts (revenue-sharing contract, profit-sharing contract, and two-part tariff contract), we construct a comparative model of bank credit financing (BCF) and blockchain-driven SCF, discuss the optimal decision-making strategy of the supply chain, and quantitatively analyze the performance of supply chain under each mode. The results show the following: (i) there is a threshold for the usage rate of the blockchain-driven SCF platform; (ii) only when the platform usage rate is lower than the threshold, the blockchain-driven SCF mode which benefits both manufacturer and retailer is a better choice; (iii) the above results always hold if supply chain contracts can coordinate the supply chain in terms of quantity decisions; (iv) the blockchain-driven SCF mode is more efficient for supply chains which are less capital-constrained. This article provides a decision basis for the selection of supply chain financing channels and provides an idea for future research on blockchain-driven SCF.
The completely C3‐selective arylation of thiophenes and benzobthiophenes was achieved by using Pd/C as a heterogeneous catalyst without ligands or additives under mild reaction conditions. The ...practicability of this transformation is demonstrated by notable functional group tolerance and the insensitivity of the reaction to H2O and air. This method is also applicable to nitrogen‐ and oxygen‐containing heterocycles, yielding the corresponding C2‐arylated products. Three‐phase tests along with Hg‐poisoning and hot‐filtration tests suggest that the catalytically active species is heterogeneous in nature.
I+ can do better! Pd/C can be used without ligands or additives to catalyze the completely C3‐selective arylation of diversely substituted thiophenes and benzobthiophenes under mild reaction conditions. The physical nature of the catalytic species was investigated and the mechanism was studied. Relative rate data generated in a “robustness screen” were used to design a complex substrate that undergoes highly chemoselective sequential functionalization.
Crossing N‐bridges! A ruthenium/N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex serves as the catalyst for the high‐yielding and completely regioselective and asymmetric hydrogenation of substituted indolizines ...and 1,2,3‐triazolo‐1,5‐apyridines. This method should provide ready access to bicyclic products bearing an N‐bridgehead, a motif appearing in 25–30 % of all naturally occurring alkaloids.
Microvesicles (MVs) derived from human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC MVs) were demonstrated to ameliorate inflammation in lungs. We have found their content of mRNA for keratinocyte growth factor was ...partly involved in their therapeutic effects. As MSC MVs also contained a substantial quantity of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) mRNA, which plays an essential role in vascular stabilization and resolving inflammation, we hypothesized that Ang-1 mRNA might similarly account for a part of their therapeutic effects. We downregulated Ang-1 mRNA expression in MVs, using a lentivirus vector carrying Ang-1 short hairpin RNA to transfect MSCs. A mouse model of lipopolysaccharide induced acute lung injury (ALI) was used in vivo. We also studied in vitro interactions between Ang-1 mRNA deficient MVs on macrophages and human lung microvascular endothelial cells. Compared with negative control, Ang-1 mRNA deficient MVs increased the influx of neutrophils and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by 136% and 105%, respectively, suggesting a deteriorative lung inflammation and a failure to restore pulmonary capillary permeability assessed by Evan's blue dye and bronchoalveolar lavage albumin level. In vitro, the addition of Ang-1 mRNA deficient MVs failed to maintain the integrity of endotoxin-stimulated microvascular endothelial cells and abrogated the decrease in tumor necrosis factor-α level and the increase in interleukin-10 level mediated by negative control in RAW 264.7 cells. In summary, the therapeutic effects of MVs in ALI, and their immunomodulatory properties on macrophages were partly mediated through their content of Ang-1 mRNA. Stem Cells 2017;35:1849-1859.
The first completely selective C3 C–H arylation of benzobthiophenes is reported, demonstrating previously unexploited reactivity of palladium. Benzobthiophenes are coupled with readily available aryl ...chlorides using a ligand-free, dual catalytic system of heterogeneous Pd/C and CuCl. The reaction is operationally simple and insensitive to air and moisture, and it provides valuable products with complete selectivity. Significant investigations into the nature of the active catalytic species and mechanistic considerations are discussed.
This is the first report of full‐color afterglow composites composed of four multicolored (blue, green, orange, and red) carbon dots (CDs) in polyacrylamide (PAM) matrix. Thus, adjustable four‐color ...room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP) CDs@PAM composites are prepared on a PAM platform. The abundant amide groups in PAM are connected to the functional groups in CDs by hydrogen bonds, which promote the intersystem crossover and inhibit the non‐radiative relaxation of triple states (T1) in CDs@PAM and effectively shield the quenching agents such as oxygen. Furthermore, the rigid hydrogen bond mesh structure is beneficial to the stability of T1 in CDs@PAM. In addition, the results of electron spin resonance reveal that the afterglow of CDs@PAM composites is not caused by oxygen defects and the increase of oxygen defects hinders the emission of phosphorescence. The CDs@PAM composites display not only multi‐color fluorescence from blue to red, but also display full‐color RTP emission from blue to red with average phosphorescence lifetime in the range of 637–478.97 ms. These composites, in addition to the full‐color RTP performance, are promising for multi‐color pattern anti‐counterfeiting and information encryption.
Full‐color (blue, green, yellow, and red) room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP) composites have been composed of four multicolored carbon dots (CDs) (blue, green, orange, and red) in a polyacrylamide (PAM) matrix. The abundant amide groups in PAM are connected to the functional groups in CDs by hydrogen bonds. These composites, in addition to the full‐color RTP performance, are promising for multi‐color pattern anti‐counterfeiting and information encryption.
According to physical property tests of lead-containing slag, the volatilisation behaviour of lead slag will have adverse impacts on test accuracy and further affect the control of chemical ...reactions, solidification and removal of inclusions during smelting. To analyse the volatilisation characteristics of lead slag, in this paper, four kinds of lead slags from lead direct reduction smelting with different PbO and ZnO content are taken. thermogravimetry, ISP-TOF were used. Additionally, the changes in volatiles and slag composition and phases were analysed with XRD and ICPS, and the volatilisation reaction mechanism was discussed. The results indicated that the volatilisation of lead slag can lead to a big weight loss of about to the slag with higher PbO content. The weight loss increases with the PbO content in slag increases. The volatile corresponding to the weight loss above 900 °C is mainly PbO and less ZnO. The higher the temperature is, the stronger the volatilisation is. With the increase in temperature and keeping time, most of the PbO can be evaporated and leaves little PbO in the residual slag. This will has great effect to physico-chemical property measurement of the slag with higher PbO content, especially to the property measurement that be kept at high temperature for a long time. Because the volatiles is trend to condense with the temperature decrease, mass spectrometer is limited by the condensation of volatiles, i.e., PbO, ZnO and so on, in the connection pipeline. The device should be modified for this use.
Mitochondria play a crucial role in tubular injury in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). MitoQ is a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant that exerts protective effects in diabetic mice, but the mechanism ...underlying these effects is not clear. We demonstrated that mitochondrial abnormalities, such as defective mitophagy, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) overexpression and mitochondrial fragmentation, occurred in the tubular cells of db/db mice, accompanied by reduced PINK and Parkin expression and increased apoptosis. These changes were partially reversed following an intraperitoneal injection of mitoQ. High glucose (HG) also induces deficient mitophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis in HK-2 cells, changes that were reversed by mitoQ. Moreover, mitoQ restored the expression, activity and translocation of HG-induced NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and inhibited the expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein (Keap1), as well as the interaction between Nrf2 and Keap1. The reduced PINK and Parkin expression noted in HK-2 cells subjected to HG exposure was partially restored by mitoQ. This effect was abolished by Nrf2 siRNA and augmented by Keap1 siRNA. Transfection with Nrf2 siRNA or PINK siRNA in HK-2 cells exposed to HG conditions partially blocked the effects of mitoQ on mitophagy and tubular damage. These results suggest that mitoQ exerts beneficial effects on tubular injury in DKD via mitophagy and that mitochondrial quality control is mediated by Nrf2/PINK.
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