Synergistic Oxygen Generation and Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging by Manganese Ferrite/Ceria Co-decorated Nanoparticles for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

Poor O-2 supply to the infiltrated immune cells in the joint synovium of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) up-regulates hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1 alpha) expression and induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, both of which exacerbate synovial inflammation. Synovial inflammation in RA can be resolved by eliminating pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages and inducing anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages. Because hypoxia and ROS in the RA synovium play a crucial role in the induction of Ml macrophages and reduction of M2 macrophages, herein, we develop manganese ferrite and ceria nanoparticle-anchored mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MFC-MSNs) that can synergistically scavenge ROS and produce O-2 for reducing M1 macrophage levels and inducing M2 macrophages for RA treatment. MFC-MSNs exhibit a synergistic effect on O-2 generation and ROS scavenging that is attributed to the complementary reaction of ceria nanoparticles (NPs) that can scavenge intermediate hydroxyl radicals generated by manganese ferrite NPs in the process of O-2 generation during the Fenton reaction, leading to the efficient polarization of M1 to M2 macrophages both in vitro and in vivo. Intra-articular administration of MFC-MSNs to rat RA models alleviated hypoxia, inflammation, and pathological features in the joint. Furthermore, MSNs were used as a drug-delivery vehicle, releasing the anti-rheumatic drug methotrexate in a sustained manner to augment the therapeutic effect of MFC-MSNs. This study highlights the therapeutic potential of MFC-MSNs that simultaneously generate O-2 and scavenge ROS, subsequently driving inflammatory macrophages to the anti-inflammatory subtype for RA treatment.

The definition and diagnosis of cold hypersensitivity in the hands and feet: Finding from the experts survey

Background: Cold hypersensitivity in the hands and feet (CHHF) is a symptom patients usually feel cold in their hands and feet, but not dealt with a disease in western medicine. However, it is often appealed by patients at a clinic of Korean medicine (KM), considered to be a sort of key diagnostic indicator, and actively treated by physicians. Nevertheless, there is no standardized diagnostic definition for CHHF. Therefore, we surveyed KM experts’ opinions to address the clinical definition, diagnostic criteria, and other relevant things on CHHF. Methods: We developed a survey to assess the definition, diagnosis, causes, and accompanying symptoms on CHHF. 31 experts who work at specialized university hospitals affiliated with KM hospitals consented to participation. Experts responded to survey questions by selecting multiple-choice answers or stating their opinions. Results: Vast majority of experts (83.8%) agreed with our definition on CHHF (“a feeling of cold as a symptom; that one's hands or feet become colder than those of average people in temperatures that are not normally perceived as cold”). 77.4% of experts considered subjective symptoms on CHHF were more important than medical instrument results. Constitution or genetic factors (87.1%) and stress (64.5%) were the most common causes reported for CHHF. Conclusions: This study offers an expert consensus regarding the themes, opinions, and experiences of practitioners with CHHF. Our results underscore the need for standardized definitions and diagnostic criteria for CHHF. Keywords: Cold hypersensitivity, Cold extremities, Cold constitutio

Soft Template-Assisted Fabrication of Mesoporous Graphenes for High-Performance Energy Storage Systems

Graphene is a promising active material for electric double layer supercapacitors (EDLCs) due to its high electric conductivity and lightweight nature. However, for practical uses as a power source of electronic devices, a porous structure is advantageous to maximize specific energy density. Here, we propose a facile fabrication approach of mesoporous graphene (m-G), in which self-assembled mesoporous structures of poly(styrene)-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) copolymer (PS-b-P2VP) are exploited as both mesostructured catalytic template and a carbon source. Notably, the mesostructured catalytic template is sufficient to act as a rigid support without structural collapse, while PS-b-P2VP converts to graphene, generating m-G with a pore diameter of ca. 3.5 nm and high specific surface area of 186 m2/g. When the EDLCs were prepared using the obtained m-G and ionic liquids, excellent electrochemical behaviors were achieved even at high operation voltages (0 ∼ 3.5 V), including a large specific capacitance (130.2 F/g at 0.2 A/g), high-energy density of 55.4 W h/kg at power density of 350 W/kg, and excellent cycle stability (>10,000 cycles). This study demonstrates that m-G is a promising material for high-performance energy storage devices