Flexible Wearables for Plants Qu, Chun‐Chun; Sun, Xu‐Yang; Sun, Wen‐Xiu ...
Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany),
12/2021, Letnik:
17, Številka:
50
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The excellent stretchability and biocompatibility of flexible sensors have inspired an emerging field of plant wearables, which enable intimate contact with the plants to continuously monitor the ...growth status and localized microclimate in real‐time. Plant flexible wearables provide a promising platform for the development of plant phenotype and the construction of intelligent agriculture via monitoring and regulating the critical physiological parameters and microclimate of plants. Here, the emerging applications of plant flexible wearables together with their pros and cons from four aspects, including physiological indicators, surrounding environment, crop quality, and active control of growth, are highlighted. Self‐powered energy supply systems and signal transmission mechanisms are also elucidated. Furthermore, the future opportunities and challenges of plant wearables are discussed in detail.
This work highlights and reviews the emerging applications of plant wearables together with their pros and cons from four aspects, containing physiological indicators, surrounding environment, crops quality, and active control of growth, respectively.
Astronauts exposed to a gravity-free environment experience cardiovascular deconditioning that causes post-spaceflight orthostatic intolerance and other pathological conditions. Endothelial ...dysfunction is an important factor responsible for this alteration. Our previous study showed enhanced autophagy in endothelial cells under simulated microgravity. The present study explored the cytoprotective role of autophagy under microgravity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We found that clinorotation for 48 h induced apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in HUVECs. ER stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR) partially contributed to apoptosis under clinorotation. Autophagy partially reduced ER stress and restored UPR signaling by autophagic clearance of ubiquitin-protein aggregates, thereby reducing apoptosis. In addition, the ER stress antagonist 4-phenylbutyric acid upregulated autophagy in HUVECs. Taken together, these findings indicate that autophagy plays a protective role against apoptosis under clinorotation by clearing protein aggregates and partially restoring the UPR.
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
(NAD
)-boosting therapy has emerged as a promising strategy to treat various health disorders, while the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. ...Here, we investigated the involvement of fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (Fndc5) or irisin, which is a novel exercise-linked hormone, in the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
NAD
-boosting therapy was achieved by administrating of nicotinamide riboside (NR) in human and mice. The Fndc5/irisin levels in tissues and blood were measured in NR-treated mice or human volunteers. The therapeutic action of NR against NAFLD pathologies induced by high-fat diet (HFD) or methionine/choline-deficient diet (MCD) were compared between wild-type (WT) and
mice. Recombinant Fndc5/irisin was infused to NALFD mice via osmotic minipump to test the therapeutic action of Fndc5/irisin. Various biomedical experiments were conducted
and
to know the molecular mechanisms underlying the stimulation of Fndc5/irisin by NR treatment.
NR treatment elevated plasma level of Fndc5/irisin in mice and human volunteers. NR treatment also increased Fndc5 expression in skeletal muscle, adipose and liver tissues in mice. In HFD-induced NAFLD mice model, NR displayed remarkable therapeutic effects on body weight gain, hepatic steatosis, steatohepatitis, insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis and fibrosis; however, these actions of NR were compromised in
mice. Chronic infusion of recombinant Fndc5/irisin alleviated the NAFLD pathological phenotypes in MCD-induced NAFLD mice model. Mechanistically, NR reduced the lipid stress-triggered ubiquitination of Fndc5, which increased Fndc5 protein stability and thus enhanced Fndc5 protein level. Using shRNA-mediated knockdown screening, we found that NAD
-dependent deacetylase SIRT2, rather than other sirtuins, interacts with Fndc5 to decrease Fndc5 acetylation, which reduces Fndc5 ubiquitination and stabilize it. Treatment of AGK2, a selective inhibitor of SIRT2, blocked the therapeutic action of NR against NAFLD pathologies and NR-induced Fndc5 deubiquitination/deacetylation. At last, we identified that the lysine sites K127/131 and K185/187/189 of Fndc5 may contribute to the SIRT2-dependent deacetylation and deubiquitination of Fndc5.
The findings from this research for the first time demonstrate that NAD
-boosting therapy reverses NAFLD by regulating SIRT2-deppendent Fndc5 deacetylation and deubiquitination, which results in a stimulation of Fndc5/irisin, a novel exerkine. These results suggest that Fndc5/irisin may be a potential nexus between physical exercise and NAD
-boosting therapy in metabolic pathophysiology.
Despite the fact that the field of tissue engineering has had considerable advances over the past two decades, a series of unsolved problems still remain. Vascularization is one of the most important ...factors that greatly influence the function and size of the engineered scaffolds, which limits the clinical applications. In this work, a facile extracted molding method is presented for fabricating bulk tissue scaffolds with spatial networks. Briefly, the branched templates are designed, coated with paraffin on the surface, immersed into the mixture of microbial transglutaminase and gelatin, and extracted from fully enzymatic cross‐linking gelatin. The perfusion test is done and the mechanical properties of the scaffolds are investigated. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate the nontoxicity and biocompatibility of the materials and fabrication process. Thus, this approach has great potential to overcome the challenge of rapid oxygen and nutrient delivery to engineered vascularized tissues implanted in vivo, opening the way to clinical applications.
A facile extracted molding method is presented for fabricating bulk tissue scaffolds with spatial networks. The gelation scaffold with the multi‐branch and optional spatial structure channel is formed. These structures exhibit full‐spatial and multi‐branch channels, high mechanical strength and good biocompatibility, suggesting great potential applications of vascularization scaffolds in clinical tissue and organ research.
Weightlessness-induced cardiovascular dysfunction can lead to physiological and pathological consequences. It has been shown that spaceflight or simulated microgravity can alter expression profiles ...of some microRNAs (miRNAs). Here, we attempt to identify the role of miRNAs in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) apoptosis under simulated microgravity. RNA-sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assays were used to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in HUVECs under simulated microgravity. Then we obtained the target genes of these miRNAs through target analysis software. Moreover, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were performed. The effects of these miRNAs on HUVECs apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry, Western blot and Hoechst staining. Furthermore, we obtained the target gene of miR-27b-5p by luciferase assay, qRT-PCR and Western blot. Finally, we investigated the relationship between this target gene and miR-27b-5p in HUVECs apoptosis under normal gravity or simulated microgravity. We found 29 differentially expressed miRNAs in HUVECs under simulated microgravity. Of them, the expressions of 3 miRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR. We demonstrated that miR-27b-5p affected HUVECs apoptosis by inhibiting zinc fingers and homeoboxes 1 (ZHX1). Our results reported here demonstrate for the first time that simulated microgravity can alter the expression of some miRNAs in HUVECs and miR-27b-5p may protect HUVECs from apoptosis under simulated microgravity by targeting ZHX1.
We report that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway plays a critical role in regulating cancer stem‐like cells (CSCs) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), one of the most common ...malignant tumors in Southeast Asia. Effects of EGFR on maintaining CSCs are mainly mediated by AKT signaling, and β–catenin is responsible for governing CSC properties in response to EGFR/AKT activation. Significantly, CSCs are enriched by cisplatin and decreased by gefitinib in NPC xenograft models. Upon reimplantation in secondary mice, tumor cells derived from cisplatin‐treated mice grew rapidly, whereas regrowth of tumor cells from gefitinib‐treated mice was severely diminished. We further demonstrate that expression of EGFR correlates with expression of β–catenin and Nanog in primary tumor specimens from NPC patients. These findings provide mechanistic and preclinical evidence supporting the use of gefitinib alone or in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent in first‐line therapy for patients with NPC. In addition, our results suggest that targeting β–catenin represents a rational clinical modality for patients whose tumors harbor activated EGFR or AKT.
EGFR pathway is involved in regulating cancer stem‐like cells (CSCs) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Effects of EGFR on CSCs are mediated by AKT, and β‐catenin is responsible for governing CSC properties in response to EGFR/AKT activation. CSCs are enriched by cisplatin and decreased by gefitinib in NPC xenograft models. Expression of EGFR correlates with expression of β‐catenin and Nanog in primary tumors.
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the pathogenesis of which is complicated, and it is difficult to treat. In recent years, the emerging fecal microbiota ...transplantation (FMT) has shown good effects in UC treatment and is therefore accepted by increasing numbers of patients. Our hospital has carried out FMT since 2017, and has achieved good results in UC treatment. We have found in our clinical work that the efficacy of re-FMT after recurrence decreased. This is difference from reported literatures. In order to attract clinical attention, here we selected typical cases for analysis.
Among all UC patients who received FMT in our hospital, 12 patients with moderate to severe UC were selected. They all received multiple FMT and were followed up for 52 weeks. Besides, none of them had other underlying diseases. Colonoscopy images of patients were presentated, SCCAI and UCDAI were used assess the effect of FMT.
On the whole, FMT has a significant effect on moderate to severe UC. Of the 12 patients, 11 (91.7%) achieved a clinical response, 9 (75.0%) achieved clinical remission, and only one patient did not respond to FMT treatment. However, 6 patients relapsed within 52 weeks after remission, with a recurrence rate of 54.5%. Four of the six relapsed patients received FMT again, but the efficacy of FMT after relapse was significantly lower than that of the initial FMT. Fortunately, compared to before the initial FMT treatment, the severity of the disease after relapse was significantly reduced.
FMT has a good effect on the relief of moderate to severe UC. However, the effect of FMT treatment after relapse is reduced. For patients who relapse after remission, the efficacy of FMT reapplication requires more experiments to verify.
With the advancement of the world population aging, more attention should be paid to the prognosis of elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a ...reliable indicator of insulin resistance (IR) and is closely related to traditional risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the effect of TyG index on the prognosis of long-term adverse events in elderly ACS patients has not been reported. This study evaluated the prognostic power of TyG index in predicting adverse events in elderly ACS patients.
In this study, 662 ACS patients > 80 years old who were hospitalized from January 2006 to December 2012 were enrolled consecutively and the general clinical data and baseline blood biochemical indicators were collected. The follow-up time after discharge was 40-120 months (median, 63 months; interquartile range, 51‒74 months). In addition, the following formula was used to calculate the TyG index: Ln fasting TG (mg/dL) × FBG (mg/dL)/2, and patients were divided into three groups according to the tertile of the TyG index.
The mean age of the subjects was 81.87 ± 2.14 years, the proportion of females was 28.10%, and the mean TyG index was 8.76 ± 0.72. The TyG index was closely associated with the traditional risk factors of CVD. In the fully-adjusted Cox regression model, the Hazard ratio (95% CI) of all-cause mortality (in tertile 3) was 1.64 (1.06, 2.54) and major adverse cardiac event (MACE) (in tertile 3) was 1.36 (1.05, 1.95) for each SD increase in the TyG index. The subgroup analyses also confirmed the significant association of the TyG index and long-term prognosis.
The TyG index is an independent predictor of long-term all-cause mortality and MACE in elderly ACS patients.
Endothelial cells are very sensitive to microgravity and the morphological and functional changes in endothelial cells are believed to be at the basis of weightlessness-induced cardiovascular ...deconditioning. It has been shown that the proliferation, migration, and morphological differentiation of endothelial cells play critical roles in angiogenesis. However, the influence of microgravity on the ability of endothelial cells to foster angiogenesis remains to be explored in detail. In the present study, we used a clinostat to simulate microgravity, and we observed tube formation, migration, and expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC-C). Specific inhibitors of eNOS and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) were added to the culture medium and gravity-induced changes in the pathways that mediate angiogenesis were investigated. After 24 h of exposure to simulated microgravity, HUVEC-C tube formation and migration were significantly promoted.This was reversed by co-incubation with the specific inhibitor of N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (eNOS). Immunofluorescence assay, RT-PCR, and Western blot analysis demonstrated that eNOS expression in the HUVEC-C was significantly elevated after simulated microgravity exhibition. Ultrastructure observation via transmission electron microscope showed the number of caveolae organelles in the membrane of HUVEC-C to be significantly reduced. This was correlated with enhanced eNOS activity. Western blot analysis then showed that phosphorylation of eNOS and serine/threonine kinase (Akt) were both up-regulated after exposure to simulated microgravity. However, the specific inhibitor of PI3K not only significantly downregulated the expression of phosphorylated Akt, but also downregulated the phosphorylation of eNOS. This suggested that the PI3K-Akt signal pathway might participate in modulating the activity of eNOS. In conclusion, the present study indicates that 24 h of exposure to simulated microgravity promote angiogenesis among HUVEC-C and that this process is mediated through the PI3K-Akt-eNOS signal pathway.
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